03/28/2002 10:22 AM House FIN

HOUSE BILL NO. 27                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act  relating to the  licensure and registration  of                                                                   
     individuals  who perform  home inspections; relating  to                                                                   
     home  inspection  requirements   for  residential  loans                                                                   
     purchased  or approved  by  the Alaska  Housing  Finance                                                                   
     Corporation;  relating to civil  actions by  and against                                                                   
     home inspectors; and providing for an effective date."                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE NORM  ROKEBERG, SPONSOR, provided  information                                                                   
on the  fiscal note. The startup  cost would be  $64 thousand                                                                   
dollars. The subsequent  annual cost would be  $58.5 thousand                                                                   
dollars. The  fiscal note used  a conservative number  of 100                                                                   
new home  inspector licenses.  New home  inspectors would  be                                                                   
added   to  the   2,716  specialty   contractors.   Specialty                                                                   
contractors currently pay a $200  dollars biannual fee. There                                                                   
would  be  an  increase  of  approximately  $47  dollars  per                                                                   
biannual  fee. He clarified  that home  inspectors would  pay                                                                   
for their  examination. The  specialty contractor  examine is                                                                   
recorded in their  fee. Home inspector examinations  would be                                                                   
offered by an outside entity.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Hudson  questioned  the percentage  of  homes                                                                   
bought  through Alaska  Housing  Finance Corporation  (AHFC).                                                                   
Representative  Rokeberg noted that  47 percent of  the homes                                                                   
in Alaska are  purchased through AFHC. The  legislation would                                                                   
cover any home  inspection. The consumer would  contract with                                                                   
the home inspector.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Lancaster   clarified  that  only   one  home                                                                   
inspector would be required for each home.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  John Davies  clarified  that the  inspections                                                                   
would  not only  be  on  new homes.  Representative  Rokeberg                                                                   
observed  that there are  three different  types of  licenses                                                                   
and different examination requirements fore each specialty.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Lancaster MOVED to  report CSHB 27  (FIN) out                                                                   
of Committee with  the accompanying fiscal note.  There being                                                                   
NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
HB 27 (FIN)  was REPORTED out  of Committee with a  "do pass"                                                                   
recommendation and with two new  fiscal impact notes: REV and                                                                   
CED.