04/09/2009 01:09 PM Senate L&C

       CSHB 129(RLS)-POWER TO REVOKE REAL ESTATE LICENSES                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
1:21:46 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR   PASKVAN   announced   CSHB   129(RLS)  to   be   up   for                                                               
consideration.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE RAMRAS,  sponsor of HB 129,  introduced his staff,                                                               
Margaret Dowling, who would present this bill for him.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:23:18 PM                                                                                                                    
MARGARET  DOWLING, staff  to Representative  Ramras, said  HB 129                                                               
makes a simple,  but needed correction to existing  law that says                                                               
the Alaska  Real Estate Commission  must revoke the license  of a                                                               
real  estate broker  or an  associate broker  if that  person has                                                               
been  convicted  of  forgery,  theft,  extortion,  conspiracy  to                                                               
defraud  creditors, or  fraud. They  can also  refuse to  grant a                                                               
license or  they can deny  renewal of  a license. The  problem is                                                               
that  this  language  does  not apply  to  Alaska's  1,460  sales                                                               
people; there are only 411 associate brokers and 483 brokers.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
This  issue was  brought to  their attention  by the  Real Estate                                                               
Commission. This is a field  where customers place faith in their                                                               
agents' trustworthiness; they have  unfettered access to clients'                                                               
homes, and  they often assist clients  with sometimes complicated                                                               
negotiations and financial transactions.  HB 129 will empower the                                                               
Real   Estate   Commission   to  appropriately   regulate   their                                                               
profession  including  revoking and  refusing  to  grant or  deny                                                               
renewal  of a  sales person's  license, which  protects both  the                                                               
profession and the public.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:25:44 PM                                                                                                                    
SHARON  WALSH,   Executive  Administrator,  Alaska   Real  Estate                                                               
Commission,  said  that  they  and   the  Alaska  Association  of                                                               
Realtors supported HB 129.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR PASKVAN  asked if  the recent conviction  for this  kind of                                                               
crime is the first time for Alaska.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MS. WALSH replied that it was  the first time she has encountered                                                               
this  scenario, and  she has  been with  the commission  for five                                                               
years.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
1:27:21 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR PASKVAN closed public testimony.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR BUNDE moved  to report CSHB 129(RLS)  from committee with                                                               
individual  recommendations and  attached  fiscal note(s).  There                                                               
were no objections and it was so ordered.