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rick-nelson

This is the legislative session to watch.

Miss this one and you’ll be playing ketchup for years.

In all 10 years of home inspector licensing, there never has been more at stake – more to win, and more to lose.  It’s all up for grabs.

 On one extreme, there’s a (pre-reorganization) bill requested to “require” home inspections.  (Lotsa luck, if home inspectors don’t jump in and ge to work.)  On the other extreme, there’s mumbling about just ditching home inspectors licenses.
            Tuesday, Jan. 3, the General Assembly convenes, for a few short days.  It pops back up Feb.7.  It’s all over March 9. The curtain falls on the fat lady singing March 30.
            For starters, home inspectors are directly affected – big time – by two pre-filed bill requests.
            They’re not what you’re thinking.
            Neither one has anything to do with abolishing the Board of Home Inspectors, or the whole ball of wax called “reorganization.”
            Don’t expect to see that stuff until February.  (You know we’ll keep you posted.  Natch.)
            Both Bill Requests were prefiled on Dec. 9.   They are basic.
            One bill request would “require” home inspections.
            The other buries one of today’s three SOP.

                                                          KILLING NAHI’s SOP

            BR 158 is titled “An Act relating to the Kentucky Board of Home Inspectors.” (“BR” stands for “Bill Request.”)
            The bill would ditch NAHI’s SOP.  Home inspectors now using the NAHI SOP would be told to pick one of the two other SOP.
            Bill Requests do not give reasons, just the intended result.  But no particular reason jumps out.  NAHI inspectors have been performing just fine for over a decade – since licensing began in Kentucky – with not a single customer complaint about their SOP.  The former President of national NAHI served as chairman of the Kentucky Board of Home Inspectors.  The present Standards of Conduct regulation is built on the NAHI Code of Ethics, more than anything else.
            Exactly what would be gained?  Making something like 100 home inspectors dump the NAHI they have used all these years seems unlikely to better protect the public.  Making home inspectors everywhere switch to some SOP they do not know seems more likely to create trouble.
            Some people say the NAHI SOP must die because NAHI went dark.  But, then again, Hippocrates, the legendary Greek physician, died about 1,400 years ago – and every doctor today still takes the “Hippocratic Oath” to follow his standards of practice.  (Rule 1 – “First, do no harm.”  Some standards never die.  Did we mention the Ten Commandments?  Death be not proud.)
            BR 158 also would turn NACHI’s SOP into law.  It would add the NACHI SOP to KRS 198B.706, where NAHI and ASHI already are.  It’s like NACHI wants to be trading places with NAHI.  Totally overwrought.  There’s room for all three.
            As things stand, NACHI never was part of Kentucky’s licensing law.  It was added by the old Board of Home Inspectors, just by a vote one day.  It never was in the law.  It never even was in a regulation.  Current members of the Board of Home Inspectors would have a tough time telling you exactly where it is.
            Bill Request 158 was filed by Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, a Democrat from Louisville’s House District 34.  She’s a registered nurse (RB) who earned her B.S. degree at UofL.  She’s  been a member of the House for over 20 years.
            Rep. Marzian can be reached with any comments by email at [email protected].  Her Frankfort Address is 702 Capitol Ave., Annex Room 357E, Frankfort KY 40601.  Phone Number(s) are: Home: 502-451-5032; Annex: 502-564-8100 Ext. 643.

                                            “REQUIRING” HOME INSPECTIONS

            BR 98 is titled “An Act relating to home inspections.”
            It would “create a new section of KRS Chapter 367 to require home inspections before purchasing.”
            Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) Chapter 367 is the “consumer protection” section of Kentucky laws.  That’s where the KY Consumer Protection Act can be found, for example.  There’s already are sections in Chapter 367 about a buyer’s right to cancel home solicitation sales and roof contracts.  Mold remediation standards also are there, along with mobile home sales provisions.
            Bill Request 98 was filed by Representative Rick G. Nelson.  (No, not that Ricky Nelson.)  (He’s heard that before.)  This Rick G. Nelson is a Democrat from Middlesboro’s House District 87 (Bell County, and part of Harlan County, bordering Tennessee by Cumberland Gap). He’s a retired teacher from the Bell County school system and a coal miner’s son who earned his B.S. from Cumberland College, and a M.A. from EKU.
            Rep. Nelson can be reached with any comments by email at [email protected].  His Frankfort address is 702 Capitol Ave., Annex Room 358, Frankfort KY 40601.  Phone numbers are:   Home: 606-248-8828, Home fax: 606-248-8828, and office Annex: 502-564-8100 Ext. 612.

                                                                   CALENDAR

            Tuesday, Jan. 3, the General Assembly convenes, for a short session.
            That warm-up session runs through Friday, Jan. 6.  It reconvenes on Tuesday, Feb. 7.  The last day for new bill requests is Fri., Feb. 10.
            The last day for new House bills is Tues., Feb. 21.   It’s all over March 9, except for the Veto session.  On March 30, the curtain falls on the fat lady singing.

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