The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB655,1 1Section 1. 440.9712 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB655,2,2 2440.9712 (title) Registration License required; exceptions.
AB655,2 3Section 2. 440.9712 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 440.9712 (1) (a) and
4amended to read:
AB655,2,95 440.9712 (1) (a) Except as provided in s. 440.9715 par. (b), no individual may
6act as a home inspector, use the title “home inspector", inspector,” use any title or
7description that implies that he or she is a home inspector, or represent himself or
8herself to be a home inspector unless the individual is registered licensed under this
9subchapter.
AB655,3 10Section 3. 440.9712 (1m) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB655,3,3
1440.9712 (1m) No business entity may provide home inspection services unless
2each of the home inspectors employed by the business entity is registered licensed
3under this subchapter.
AB655,4 4Section 4. 440.9712 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB655,3,85 440.9712 (2) No business entity may use, in connection with the name or
6signature of the business entity, the title “home inspectors" to describe the business
7entity's services, unless each of the home inspectors employed by the business entity
8is registered licensed under this subchapter.
AB655,5 9Section 5. 440.9715 (title) of the statutes is repealed.
AB655,6 10Section 6. 440.9715 (intro.) of the statutes is renumbered 440.9712 (1) (b)
11(intro.) and amended to read:
AB655,3,1312 440.9712 (1) (b) (intro.) A registration license is not required under this
13subchapter for any of the following:
AB655,7 14Section 7. 440.9715 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 440.9712 (1) (b) 1.
AB655,8 15Section 8. 440.9715 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 440.1912 (1) (b) 2. and
16amended to read:
AB655,3,2217 440.1912 (1) (b) 2. An individual who constructs, repairs, or maintains
18improvements to residential real property, if the individual conducts home
19inspections only as part of his or her business of constructing, repairing, or
20maintaining improvements to real property and if the individual does not describe
21himself or herself as a registered licensed home inspector or convey the impression
22that he or she is a registered licensed home inspector.
AB655,9 23Section 9. 440.9715 (3) of the statutes is renumbered 440.9712 (1) (b) 3.
AB655,10 24Section 10. 440.972 (title) and (1) (intro.), (a) and (c) of the statutes are
25amended to read:
AB655,4,3
1440.972 (title) Registration Licensure of home inspectors. (1) (intro.)
2The department shall register grant a home inspector license to an individual under
3this subchapter
applicant if the individual applicant does all of the following:
AB655,4,54 (a) Submits an application for registration to the department on a form
5provided by the department.
AB655,4,96 (c) Submits evidence satisfactory to the department that he or she is not subject
7to a pending criminal charge, or has not been convicted of a felony, misdemeanor or
8other offense, the circumstances of which substantially relate to the practice of home
9inspection
subject to ss. 111.321, 111.322, and 111.335.
AB655,11 10Section 11. 440.972 (1) (bg) and (br) of the statutes are created to read:
AB655,4,1511 440.972 (1) (bg) Submits evidence satisfactory to the department that he or she
12has completed at least 120 hours of instruction approved by the department under
13s. 440.974 (1) (ag). No more than 60 hours of the required hours may be satisfied
14through remote learning, online programs or other comparable means that do not
15involve in-person, classroom instruction.
AB655,4,1816 (br) Submits evidence satisfactory to the department that he or she has
17completed at least 40 hours of field training approved by the department under
18under s. 440.974 (1) (ar) that is conducted by a home inspector licensed in this state.
AB655,12 19Section 12. 440.972 (1m) of the statutes is created to read:
AB655,4,2420 440.972 (1m) The department shall grant a home inspector license to an
21applicant who is licensed in good standing as a home inspector in another state if the
22applicant complies with sub. (1) (a), (b), (c), and (d) and the other state has licensing
23requirements that the department determines meet or exceed those required under
24sub. (1).
AB655,13 25Section 13. 440.972 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB655,5,3
1440.972 (2) The renewal date for certificates licenses granted under this
2section is specified under s. 440.08 (2) (a) 38g., and the renewal fee for such
3certificates licenses is determined by the department under s. 440.03 (9) (a).
AB655,14 4Section 14. 440.973 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB655,5,95 440.973 (1) No person may be registered licensed under this subchapter unless
6he or she passes an examination approved by the department. In approving an
7examination under this subsection, the department shall consider the use of an
8examination that is similar to an examination that is required for membership in the
9American Society of Home Inspectors.
AB655,15 10Section 15. 440.973 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB655,5,1311 440.973 (2) The department shall conduct examinations for home inspector
12registration licensure at least semiannually at times and places determined by the
13department.
AB655,16 14Section 16. 440.973 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB655,5,1715 440.973 (3) An individual is not eligible for examination unless the individual
16has satisfied the requirements for registration licensure under s. 440.972 (1) (a) to
17(c)
and (b) at least 30 days before the date of the examination.
AB655,17 18Section 17. 440.974 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB655,5,2119 440.974 (1) (a) Standards for acceptable examination performance by an
20applicant for registration licensure under this subchapter on an examination under
21s. 440.973 (1)
.
AB655,18 22Section 18. 440.974 (1) (ag) and (ar) of the statutes are created to read:
AB655,5,2423 440.974 (1) (ag) Standards for instruction for purposes of the requirement
24under s. 440.972 (1) (bg).
AB655,6,2
1(ar) Standards for field training for purposes of the requirement under s.
2440.972 (1) (br).
AB655,19 3Section 19. 440.974 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB655,6,104 440.974 (2) The department shall promulgate rules establishing continuing
5education requirements for individuals registered licensed under this subchapter.
6The rules promulgated under this subsection shall require the completion of at least
740 hours of continuing education every 2 years. The rules promulgated under this
8subsection may not require continuing education for an applicant for renewal of a
9license that expires on the first renewal date after the date on which the department
10initially granted the license.
AB655,20 11Section 20 . 440.975 (3) (bm) of the statutes is created to read:
AB655,6,1512 440.975 (3) (bm) States the property address, the name of the home inspector
13who conducted the home inspection, the date of the home inspection, the names of
14the individuals who prepared the report, the date the report was prepared, and, if
15applicable, the date the report was revised.
AB655,21 16Section 21 . 440.975 (3) (cm) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB655,6,2117 440.975 (3) (cm) Describes any defect that is detected by the home inspector
18during his or her home inspection. A home inspector is not required to shall use the
19term “defect” in describing a defect in the written report required under this
20subsection. A home inspector may not use the term “defect” in a written report
21required under this subsection unless that use is consistent with s. 440.97 (2m).
AB655,22 22Section 22 . 440.975 (3) (cr) of the statutes is created to read:
AB655,7,223 440.975 (3) (cr) Includes a summary page listing and labeling, in the following
24order, conditions observed as defects, safety concerns, components needing repairs,
25components needing further evaluation, items to monitor, and maintenance items;

1and including references to the page or item number in the detailed account for
2further information.
AB655,23 3Section 23. 440.978 (2) (intro.), (a) and (c) of the statutes are amended to read:
AB655,7,74 440.978 (2) (intro.) Subject to the rules promulgated under s. 440.03 (1), the
5department may reprimand a home inspector or deny, limit, suspend , or revoke a
6certificate license under this subchapter if the department finds that the applicant
7or home inspector has done any of the following:
AB655,7,98 (a) Made a material misstatement in an application for a certificate license or
9renewal of a certificate license.
AB655,7,1110 (c) Subject to ss. 111.321, 111.322 and 111.335, been arrested or convicted of an
11offense committed while registered licensed under this subchapter.
AB655,24 12Section 24 . 440.978 (4) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB655,7,1813 440.978 (4) (intro.) In lieu of proceeding under sub. (1) or (2), the department
14may place, in a registry information file, a copy of a complaint received by the
15department against a Wisconsin registered licensed home inspector, the inspector's
16response to the complaint and a copy of any records of the department concerning the
17complaint. If the department establishes a registry information file under this
18subsection, the department shall use the following procedure:
AB655,25 19Section 25. 440.978 (5) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB655,7,2320 440.978 (5) (intro.) The department may, as a condition of removing a
21limitation on a certificate license issued under this subchapter or of reinstating a
22certificate license that has been suspended or revoked under this subchapter, do any
23of the following:
AB655,26 24Section 26 . 440.979 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB655,8,2
1440.979 (1) The number of home inspectors who are registered licensed under
2this subchapter.
AB655,27 3Section 27. Nonstatutory provisions.
AB655,8,74 (1) Notwithstanding s. 440.972, on the effective date of this subsection, a person
5who, immediately prior to the effective date of this subsection, held a valid home
6inspector registration under s. 440.972, 2017 stats., shall be a licensed home
7inspector under s. 440.972.
AB655,8,168 (2) The department of safety and professional services may promulgate
9emergency rules under s. 227.24 necessary to implement this act. Notwithstanding
10s. 227.24 (1) (c) and (2), emergency rules promulgated under this subsection remain
11in effect until May 1, 2022, or the date on which permanent rules take effect,
12whichever is sooner. Notwithstanding s. 227.24 (1) (a) and (3), the department is not
13required to provide evidence that promulgating a rule under this subsection as an
14emergency rule is necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, safety,
15or welfare and is not required to provide a finding of emergency for a rule
16promulgated under this subsection.
AB655,28 17Section 28. Initial applicability.
AB655,8,2118 (1) The treatment of s. 440.972 (1) (bg) and (br) first applies to decisions by the
19department of safety and professional services to grant or deny a license under s.
20440.972 made on the date on which the rules promulgated under s. 440.974 (1) (ag)
21and (ar) take effect.
AB655,29 22Section 29 . Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication,
23except as follows:
AB655,9,2
1(1) The treatment of s. 440.975 (3) (bm), (cm), and (cr) takes effect on September
21, 2020.
AB655,9,33 (End)
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