Introduced Version
Senate Bill 211 History
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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
Senate Bill No. 211
(By Senators McCabe and Beach)
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[Introduced February 19, 2013; referred to the Committee on
Government Organization; and then to the Committee on the
Judiciary .]
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A BILL to amend and reenact §30-40-11 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to requiring applicants for
licenses
for original brokers, associate brokers or
salespersons
to agree to fingerprinting and criminal history
record checks; granting the West Virginia Real Estate
Commission the authority to perform the criminal history
record checks; and requiring the applicants to cover the costs
of performing the record checks.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §30-40-11 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 40. WEST VIRGINIA REAL ESTATE LICENSE ACT.
§30-40-11. Application for license.
The commission shall only issue an original license to an
applicant if he or she:
(a) Submits an application, in writing, in a form prescribed
by the commission which must contain, but is not limited to:
(1) The applicant's social security number;
(2) The recommendation of at least two persons who:
(A) Are property owners at the time of signing the
application;
(B) Have been property owners for at least twelve months
preceding the signing of the application;
(C) Have known the applicant for at least two years;
(D) Are not related to the applicant;
(E) Are not affiliated with the applicant as an employer,
partner or associate or with the broker that will employ the
applicant;
(F) Believe the applicant bears a good reputation for honesty,
trustworthiness and fair dealing; and
(G) Believe the applicant is competent to transact the
business of a real estate broker, associate broker or salesperson,
as the case may be, in a manner that would protect the interest of
the public.
(3) A clear record indicating all jurisdictions where the
applicant holds or has held any professional license.
(4) A clear record indicating if the applicant has been
convicted of any criminal offense or if there is any criminal
charge pending against the applicant, or a member or officer of the
brokerage business, at the time of application.
(b) Is at least eighteen years of age.
(c) Is a high school graduate or the holder of an equivalency
diploma.
(d) Is trustworthy, of good moral character and competent to
transact the business of a broker, associate broker or salesperson.
(e)
Has authorized, under the procedure provided in this
subsection, the commission to obtain a criminal history record
information check of his or her criminal record from the West
Virginia State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. No
application may be considered complete until the criminal history
record information is received by the commission. Each applicant
for an original broker, associate broker or sales person's license
is subject to fingerprinting and a check of his or her criminal
history record information maintained by the West Virginia State
Police and a check of his or her criminal history record
information maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. An
applicant shall provide his or her fingerprints to the State Police
in accordance with procedures established by the State Police, at
the time the commission requests the criminal history check. The applicant shall pay the actual cost, if any, of the fingerprinting
and check of his or her criminal history record information. The
applicant must authorize release of the criminal history record
check to the commission. The criminal history record check shall be
completed within ninety days of the date the original application
for a license is received in the commission's office. If not
received by that date the commission shall return the application.
The records obtained as a result of a criminal history check
undertaken pursuant to this subsection are not public records under
chapter twenty-nine-b of this code.
____(e) (f) Has paid the appropriate fee, if any, which must
accompany all applications for original license or renewal.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require applicants for
licenses under the West Virginia Real Estate License Act to
successfully pass criminal history record checks. The bill grants
the West Virginia Real Estate Commission with the authority to
perform the record checks and requires the applicants to cover the
costs of performing the record checks.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.