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Summary of Legislative Events of Note
LOUISIANA REALTORS • May 4, 2018
SENATE BILL NO. 462, SENATOR DANNY MARTINY – INCLUSIONARY ZONING
Currently, Louisiana allows municipalities and parishes to pass inclusionary zoning ordinances to promote the development of affordable housing. Inclusionary zoning requires housing developers to sell or rent a proportion of their units below market rate, regardless of the economics of a project or whether the developer receives just compensation. Senate Bill 462 would instead allow municipalities and parishes to offer VOLUNTARY economic incentive policies to promote the development of affordable housing.
Louisiana REALTORS® supports this bill and has lobbied members of the House of Representatives to vote in favor of this bill. As of today, the bill is scheduled for debate by the House of Representatives, Monday, May 7th.
REGULATION OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS – HOUSE BILL NO. 372, REPRESENTATIVE PATRICK CONNICK
House Bill No. 372 would require administrative rules sought to be promulgated by boards and commissions, including but not limited to the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC), to undergo a review by a new commission to ensure that occupational licensing boards and their board members will avoid liability under federal antitrust laws.
If passed this legislation would ensure that if any of our members accept positions as LREC commissioners that they will not be personally liable for actions taken by LREC.
Representative Connick is working with Louisiana REALTORS® and other organizations to address any concerns with the bill.
REGULATION OF LAWS GOVERNING BOARDS AND COMMISSION – HOUSE BILL NO. 748, REPRESENTATIVE EMERSON
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Representative Emerson’s intent with this bill is to address the perceived overregulation of occupations and professions by the state, but Louisiana REALTORS® does not believe this bill accomplishes this in its current form. The bill is overregulation in an attempt to deregulate which Louisiana REALTORS® and a growing number of organizations oppose.
The Legislature already has oversight of the statutes, rules and regulations governing occupational boards and commissions such as the LREC. The additional requirements LREC would have to undertake due to this legislation becoming law could necessitate an increase in your state license fees which we would not support at this time.
We understand the need for the state to increase economic opportunities, promote competition and encourage innovation and will continue to ask Representative Emerson to please to study this issue prior to passing state law on the matter. However, should Representative Emerson not take this approach or significantly change the bill we will be asking that you take part in a call to action against the bill.
As previewed last week, NAR is pleased to share the latest consumer guide focused on preparing for homeownership. This guide covers what prospective buyers should consider as they kick off the home purchase process, including the importance of credit scores, mortgage pre-approval, down payments, budgeting, and educational resources. As a reminder, all guides in this series are available for download—in both English and Spanish—on facts.realtor . Please allow a few days for the Spanish version of the latest resource to be translated and uploaded. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: Preparing for Homeownership Escrow and Earnest Money Pricing Your Home Preparing to Sell Your Home Fire Damage and Policy Coverage Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with potential clients to ensure they have the information they need to be successful in their homebuying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. Be on the lookout for next week’s guide on Wednesday, which will cover property taxes.
As previewed last week, NAR is pleased to share the latest consumer guide focused on escrow. This guide covers what homebuyers should know about earnest money deposits, including the general terms and use cases in real estate transactions. As a reminder, all guides in this series are available for download—in both English and Spanish—on facts.realtor . Please allow a few days for the Spanish version of the latest resource to be translated and uploaded. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: Escrow and Earnest Money Pricing Your Home Preparing to Sell Your Home Fire Damage and Policy Coverage Flood Insurance Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with prospective clients to ensure they have the information they need to find success in their homebuying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. Be on the lookout for next week’s guide on Wednesday, which will cover preparing prospective buyers for homeownership.
The Louisiana REALTORS® Board of Directors will conduct several elections this Spring. Interested candidates that meet the qualification who are looking to serve at either the state association level or the national association level are encouraged to view the criteria and submit an application. An application that is not submitted on the appropriate form or not submitted pursuant to the instructions shall not be considered as submitted timely.
821 Main StreetBaton Rouge, LA 70802
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Baton Rouge, LA 70802