The Inspector Committee met on October 7 at the Texas Real Estate Commission.  Many of the items before the committee were proposed at the July meeting.  The Committee received public comments on the proposed changes.  The Committee considered those comments, and the proposals moved forward as written.  The most notable changes in the rules are those to the pre-licensure for home inspectors in Texas.  The new process cuts the number of hours required approximately in half for the most utilized track to become an inspector while equipping inspectors to more readily be able to perform an inspection upon completion.  If adopted by the Commission at the November meeting, the new pre-licensure process will take effect in May of 2020, while there will be an overlap time to allow those currently enrolled to continue with the old process. 

Also at the Committee meeting, the Committee voted to disband the Enforcement Subcommittee because it meets so rarely.  The Committee agreed that the Enforcement Subcommittee could reconvene if a special need arises.  Should staff have questions or need subject matter expertise regarding a current enforcement action, they can consult the Chair of the Inspector Committee. 

At the July Committee meeting, TREC staff was asked to propose a change to the Consumer Protection Notice to include language regarding an inspector’s statutory requirement to maintain liability insurance.  The Committee voted to propose the amended Consumer Protection Notice to the Commission at its November meeting.  This added language does not require that inspectors change the agreements between themselves and their clients. 

Finally, Committee member Dianna Rose tendered her resignation from the Committee.  Dianna Rose has served the Committee and the citizens of Texas for the past four years, including two terms as chair. Her integrity and professionalism will be truly missed.  Her term was set to expire in January of 2021.  If you are interested in applying for appointment to this position, please email Deputy Executive Director Tony Slagle at tony.slagle@trec.texas.gov for more information.