Legislative Update REALTORS ®
Complete Successful Legislative Session
The 2010 legislative session ended just before midnight on Thursday, April 29, concluding the longest session in Georgia history. GAR was involved in many major policy initiatives ranging from water conservation, transportation, property tax re- form, gun rights, mandated termite letters and regulation of appraisal management companies. While this session was long and difficult, overall it was a very successful session for REALTORS®
and property rights. MANDATED TERMITE INSPECTION BILL DEFEATED GAR worked to defeat legislation that would have
mandated a termite inspection prior to the con- veyance of a deed in Georgia. One of GAR’s core tenets is the protection of free enterprise in our great state. After GAR testified that this legislation was a direct affront to the free market, House and Senate committee members added a waiver provision to each bill. However, GAR stood firm that a govern- ment mandate with a waiver provision continues to interfere with the freemarket and remains a govern- ment mandate. The GAR State and Local Govern- ment Committee issued a successful Call for Action where REALTORS
® sent more than 3,000 emails to
members of the General Assembly urging them to defeat this legislation. Undoubtedly, this grassroots effort and REALTORS
®
political process played an important role in defeat- ing the legislation.
GOVERNOR’S WATER STEWARDSHIP ACT PASSES Governor Purdue ushered his landmark Water
Stewardship Act (SB 370) through the General As- sembly, receiving final passage from both bodies. A top legislative priority for GAR, SB 370 sends a clear message that Georgia is taking the proper steps to protect our most vital natural resource without in- fringing on the rights of private property owners. In July 2009, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson
declared decades of water withdrawals from Lake Lanier illegal, ruling that the federally managed reser - voir was not built as a regional water supply for
BILL TO REGULATE APPRAISAL MANAGEMENT COMPANIES RECEIVES FINAL PASSAGE
Accuracy of real property appraisal has been a concern of REALTORS for some time. This concern
®
was magnified by the adoption of the Home Valua- tion Code of Conduct (HVCC) and the increased uti- lization of Appraisal Management Companies (AMC’s). HB 1050 will require Appraisal Management Compa- nies to register with the State Appraiser Board pro-
willingness to engage in the
metro Atlanta. Unless the three disputing states of Georgia, Florida, and Alabama reach a water-sharing agreement by July 2012, under the order, withdrawals from Lanier must be reduced to levels not seen since the mid-1970s. SB 370 is a response to the federal ruling and will
implement new water saving measures. GAR worked to ensure that properties would not have to be retrofit with high efficiency plumbing fixtures as a condition of sale however, going forward all new buildings will include low-flow plumbing fixtures. Additionally, new multi-tenant buildings must feature “sub metering” to allow each tenant’s water use to be measured individ- ually. Both water-saving steps take effect in July 2012, coinciding with a deadline set for Georgia in the fed- eral court decision. This bill prohibits outdoor water- ing between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. However, farms, personal food gardens, nurseries, golf courses and athletic fields were exempted from that provision. While the legislation focuses on water conservation, it also establishes a 12-member committee to look for opportunities to finance and build additional water supplies, including reservoirs.
26 Georgia REALTOR®
JULY/AUGUST 2010
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