SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5946

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Education, February 27, 2001

Title:  An act relating to allowing state certified appraisers to appraise school district properties.

Brief Description:  Allowing certified real estate appraisers to appraise school district property.

Sponsors:  Senator McAuliffe.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Education:  2/21/01, 2/27/01 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5946 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Eide, Vice Chair; Carlson, Finkbeiner, Hewitt, Hochstatter, Johnson, Kastama, Kohl‑Welles, Prentice, Rasmussen, Regala and Zarelli.

Staff:  Susan Mielke (786‑7422)

Background:  Under current law, only real estate appraisers who are qualified by a nationally recognized real estate appraisal educational organization may appraise real property for a school district prior to the school district purchasing or selling the property.  School districts do not have the authority to use real estate appraisers who are solely licensed by the state.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Real estate appraisers who are certified solely by the Washington State Department of Licensing may appraise real property for a school district prior to the school district purchasing or selling the property.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  In addition to permitting school districts to employ a real estate appraiser who is licensed by the state to appraise school property prior to the school district purchasing the property, the district may also use a state licensed real estate appraiser prior to selling school district property.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The state has not always licensed appraisers, but now they do.  The standards for state licensed appraisers are very high.  There are a number of appraisers that have both state and national certification.  Sometimes school districts can save money by using an appraiser who is licensed by the state instead of using an appraiser who has national certification.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Charlie Brown, King County School Coalition.