Senate Bill sb2670c1

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2670

    By the Committee on Regulated Industries; and Senator Crist





    580-2430-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to building assessment and

  3         remediation; creating pt. XV of ch. 468, F.S.,

  4         relating to regulation of mold assessment and

  5         mold remediation; providing legislative intent;

  6         providing definitions; providing requirements

  7         for practice of mold assessment or mold

  8         remediation; providing exemptions; providing

  9         for prohibited acts and penalties; providing

10         insurance requirements; providing for contracts

11         to perform mold assessment or mold remediation;

12         providing a statute of limitations; providing a

13         grandfather clause; creating pt. XVI of ch.

14         468, F.S., relating to regulation of home

15         inspection services; providing definitions;

16         providing requirements for practice; providing

17         exemptions; providing prohibited acts and

18         penalties; requiring liability insurance;

19         exempting certain persons from duty to provide

20         repair cost estimates; providing a statute of

21         limitations; exempting persons currently

22         providing certain home inspections from

23         regulation under the act; providing an

24         effective date.

25  

26  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

27  

28         Section 1.  Part XV of chapter 468, Florida Statutes,

29  consisting of sections 468.83, 468.831, 468.832, 468.833,

30  468.834, 468.835, 468.836, 468.837, and 468.838, is created to

31  read:

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2670
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 1         468.83  Legislative intent.--It is the intent of the

 2  Legislature pursuant to s. 11.62 that professions and

 3  occupations covered by this part be regulated in a manner that

 4  does not unnecessarily restrict entry into such professions or

 5  occupations. The Legislature finds that this part provides a

 6  measure of protection for homeowners by providing education,

 7  experience, and testing requirements for persons in such

 8  professions or occupations necessary to protect homeowners'

 9  investments in their homes.

10         468.831  Definitions.--As used in this part, the term:

11         (1)  "Mold" means an organism of the class fungi that

12  causes disintegration of organic matter and produces spores,

13  and includes any spores, hyphae, and mycotoxins produced by

14  mold.

15         (2)  "Mold assessment" means:

16         (a)  An investigation or survey of a dwelling or other

17  structure to provide the owner or occupant with information

18  regarding the presence, identification, or evaluation of mold;

19         (b)  The development of a mold-management plan or

20  mold-remediation protocol; or

21         (c)  The collection or analysis of a mold sample.

22         (3)  "Mold assessor" means any person who performs or

23  directly supervises a mold assessment.

24         (4)  "Mold remediation" means the removal, cleaning,

25  sanitizing, demolition, or other treatment, including

26  preventive activities, of mold or mold-contaminated matter

27  that was not purposely grown at that location; however, such

28  removal, cleaning, sanitizing, demolition, or other treatment,

29  including preventive activities, may not be work that requires

30  a license under chapter 489 unless performed by a person who

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2670
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 1  is licensed under that chapter or the work complies with that

 2  chapter.

 3         (5)  "Mold remediator" means any person who performs

 4  mold remediation. A mold remediator may not perform any work

 5  that requires a license under chapter 489 unless the mold

 6  remediator is also licensed under that chapter or complies

 7  with that chapter.

 8         468.832  Requirements for practice.--

 9         (1)  A person may not work as a mold assessor or mold

10  remediator unless he or she has evidence of, or works under

11  the direct supervision of a person who has evidence of, the

12  following:

13         (a)1.  For a mold remediator, at least a 2-year degree

14  in microbiology, engineering, architecture, industrial

15  hygiene, occupational safety, or a related field of science

16  from an accredited institution, along with a minimum of 1 year

17  of documented field experience in a field related to mold

18  remediation, or a high school diploma, a GED, or the

19  equivalent with a minimum of 2 years of documented field

20  experience in a field related to mold remediation.

21         2.  For a mold assessor, at least a 2-year degree in

22  microbiology, engineering, architecture, industrial hygiene,

23  occupational safety, or a related field of science from an

24  accredited institution, along with a minimum of 1 year of

25  documented field experience in conducting microbial sampling

26  or investigations, or a high school diploma, a GED, or the

27  equivalent with a minimum of 2 years of documented field

28  experience in conducting microbial sampling or investigations.

29         (b)  A certification related to performing mold

30  assessment or mold remediation, respectively. Such

31  certification may be issued by a not-for-profit industry

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2670
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 1  association, society, or certification body or by a college or

 2  university that offers mold assessment or mold remediation

 3  training or education, respectively. Qualified certification

 4  programs shall be accredited by a nationally recognized

 5  independent accrediting entity that sets programs and

 6  standards that comply with American Society for Testing and

 7  Materials Standard E1929-98, Standard Practice for Assessment

 8  of Certification Programs for Environmental Professionals:

 9  Accreditation Criteria, or the equivalent.

10         (2)  A business entity may not provide or offer to

11  provide mold assessment or mold remediation services unless

12  the business entity satisfies all of the requirements of this

13  part.

14         468.833  Exemptions.--

15         (1)  The following persons are not required to comply

16  with this part with regard to any mold assessment:

17         (a)  A residential property owner who performs mold

18  assessment on his or her own property.

19         (b)  A person who performs mold assessment on property

20  owned or leased by the person, the person's employer, or an

21  entity affiliated with the person's employer through common

22  ownership, or on property operated or managed by the person's

23  employer or an entity affiliated with the person's employer

24  through common ownership. This exemption does not apply if the

25  person, employer, or affiliated entity engages in the business

26  of performing mold assessment for the public.

27         (c)  An employee of a mold assessor while directly

28  supervised by the mold assessor.

29         (d)  Individuals or business organizations that are not

30  specifically engaged in mold assessment but are acting within

31  the scope of the respective licenses required under chapter

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2670
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 1  471, part I of chapter 481, chapter 482, or chapter 489, are

 2  acting on behalf of an insurer under part VI of chapter 626,

 3  or are individuals in the manufactured housing industry who

 4  are licensed under chapter 320.

 5         (e)  An authorized employee of the United States, this

 6  state, or any municipality, county, or other political

 7  subdivision, or public or private school, who meets the

 8  requirements of s. 468.832 and who is conducting mold

 9  assessment within the scope of that employment, as long as the

10  employee does not hold out for hire or otherwise engage in

11  mold assessment.

12         (2)  The following persons are not required to comply

13  with this part with regard to any mold remediation:

14         (a)  A residential property owner who performs mold

15  remediation on his or her own property.

16         (b)  A person who performs mold remediation on property

17  owned or leased by the person, the person's employer, or an

18  entity affiliated with the person's employer through common

19  ownership, or on property operated or managed by the person's

20  employer or an entity affiliated with the person's employer

21  through common ownership. This exemption does not apply if the

22  person, employer, or affiliated entity engages in the business

23  of performing mold remediation for the public.

24         (c)  An employee of a mold remediator while directly

25  supervised by the mold remediator.

26         (d)  Individuals or business organizations that are not

27  specifically engaged in mold remediation but that are acting

28  within the scope of the respective licenses required under

29  chapter 471, part I of chapter 481, chapter 482, or chapter

30  489, are acting on behalf of an insurer under part VI of

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2670
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 1  chapter 626, or are individuals in the manufactured housing

 2  industry who are licensed under chapter 320.

 3         (e)  An authorized employee of the United States, this

 4  state, or any municipality, county, or other political

 5  subdivision, or public or private school, who meets the

 6  requirements of s. 468.832 and who is conducting mold

 7  remediation within the scope of that employment, as long as

 8  the employee does not hold out for hire or otherwise engage in

 9  mold remediation.

10         468.834  Prohibited acts; penalties.--

11         (1)  A mold assessor, a company that employs a mold

12  assessor, or a company that is controlled by a company that

13  also has a financial interest in a company employing a mold

14  assessor may not:

15         (a)  Perform or offer to perform any mold assessment

16  without complying with the requirements of this part.

17         (b)  Perform or offer to perform any mold remediation

18  to a structure on which the mold assessor or the mold

19  assessor's company provided a mold assessment within the last

20  12 months.

21         (c)  Inspect for a fee any property in which the

22  assessor or the assessor's company has any financial or

23  transfer interest.

24         (d)  Accept any compensation, inducement, or reward

25  from a mold remediator or mold remediator's company for the

26  referral of any business to the mold remediator or the mold

27  remediator's company.

28         (e)  Offer any compensation, inducement, or reward to a

29  mold remediator or mold remediator's company for the referral

30  of any business from the mold remediator or the mold

31  remediator's company.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2670
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 1         (f)  Accept an engagement to make an omission of the

 2  assessment or conduct an assessment in which the assessment

 3  itself, or the fee payable for the assessment, is contingent

 4  upon the conclusions of the assessment.

 5         (2)  A mold remediator, a company that employs a mold

 6  remediator, or a company that is controlled by a company that

 7  also has a financial interest in a company employing a mold

 8  remediator may not:

 9         (a)  Perform or offer to perform any mold remediation

10  without complying with the requirements of this part.

11         (b)  Perform or offer to perform any mold assessment as

12  defined in s. 468.831.

13         (c)  Remediate for a fee any property in which the mold

14  remediator or the mold remediator's company has any financial

15  or transfer interest.

16         (d)  Accept any compensation, inducement, or reward

17  from a mold assessor or mold assessor's company for the

18  referral of any business from the mold assessor or the mold

19  assessor's company.

20         (e)  Offer any compensation, inducement, or reward to a

21  mold assessor or mold assessor's company for the referral of

22  any business from the mold assessor or the mold assessor's

23  company.

24         (3)  Any person who violates any provision of this

25  section commits:

26         (a)  A misdemeanor of the second degree for a first

27  violation, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

28         (b)  A misdemeanor of the first degree for a second

29  violation, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

30  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2670
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 1         (c)  A felony of the third degree for a third or

 2  subsequent violation, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s.

 3  775.083, or s. 775.084.

 4         468.835  Insurance.--

 5         (1)  Effective January 1, 2007, a mold assessor must

 6  maintain general liability and errors and omissions insurance

 7  coverage in an amount of not less than $250,000.

 8         (2)  Effective January 1, 2007, a mold remediator must

 9  maintain general liability insurance policy in an amount of

10  not less than $500,000 that includes specific coverage for

11  mold related claims.

12         468.836  Contracts.--A contract to perform mold

13  assessment or mold remediation must be in a document or

14  electronic record, signed or otherwise authenticated by the

15  parties. A mold assessment contract is not required to provide

16  estimates related to the cost of repair of an assessed

17  property. A mold assessment contract is not required to

18  provide estimates.

19         468.837  Statute of limitations.--Chapter 95 governs

20  the time at which an action to enforce an obligation, a duty,

21  or a right arising under this part must be commenced.

22         468.838  Grandfather clause.--The provisions of this

23  part shall become effective upon becoming law and shall allow

24  for a period of 2 years after enactment in which persons

25  currently performing mold assessment or mold remediation as

26  described under this part have to complete the requirements of

27  this part.

28         Section 2.  Part XVI of chapter 468, Florida Statutes,

29  consisting of sections 468.841, 468.842, 468.843, 468.844,

30  468.845, 468.846, 468.847, and 468.848, is created to read:

31         468.841  Definitions.--As used in this part, the term:

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2670
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 1         (1)  "Home" means any residential real property, or

 2  manufactured or modular home, that is a single-family

 3  dwelling, duplex, triplex, quadruplex, condominium unit, or

 4  cooperative unit. The term does not include the common areas

 5  of condominiums or cooperatives.

 6         (2)  "Home inspector" means any person who provides or

 7  offers to provide a home inspection for a fee or other

 8  compensation.

 9         (3)  "Home inspection" means a limited visual

10  examination of one or more of the readily accessible installed

11  systems and components of a home, including, but not limited

12  to, the structure, electrical system, HVAC system, roof

13  covering, plumbing system, interior components, exterior

14  components, and site conditions that affect the structure, for

15  the purpose of providing a written professional opinion of the

16  condition of the home.

17         468.842  Requirements for practice.--

18         (1)  A person may not work as a home inspector unless

19  he or she:

20         (a)  Has successfully completed a course of study of

21  not less than 80 hours, which requires a passing score on a

22  psychometrically valid examination in home inspections, and

23  which includes, but is not limited to, each of the following

24  components of a home: structure; electrical system; roof

25  covering; plumbing system; interior components; exterior

26  components; and site conditions that affect the structure, and

27  heating, ventilation, and cooling systems. Courses of study

28  prescribed under this section must be accredited by a

29  nationally recognized third-party independent accrediting

30  entity that sets programs and standards that ensure competence

31  as a home inspector.

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 1         (b)  Annually completes 8 hours of continuing education

 2  related to home inspections.

 3         (c)  Discloses to the consumer in writing prior to

 4  contracting for or commencing a home inspection:

 5         1.  That the home inspector meets the education and

 6  examination requirements of this section.

 7         2.  That the home inspector maintains the commercial

 8  general liability insurance policy as required by this part.

 9         3.  The scope and any exclusions of the home

10  inspection.

11         4.  A statement of experience that includes either the

12  approximate number of home inspections the home inspector has

13  performed for a fee or the number of years of experience as a

14  home inspector.

15         (2)  A business entity may not provide or offer to

16  provide home inspection services unless each of the home

17  inspectors employed by the business entity satisfies all the

18  requirements of this part.

19         (3)  A business entity may not use, in connection with

20  the name or signature of the business entity, the title " home

21  inspectors" to describe the business entity's services unless

22  each of the home inspectors employed by the business entity

23  satisfies all the requirements of this part.

24         468.843  Exemptions.--The following persons are not

25  required to comply with this part when acting within the scope

26  of practice authorized by such license, except when such

27  persons are conducting, producing, disseminating, or charging

28  a fee for a home inspection or otherwise operating within the

29  scope of this part:

30         (1)  A construction contractor licensed under chapter

31  489.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2670
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 1         (2)  An architect licensed under chapter 481.

 2         (3)  An engineer licensed under chapter 471.

 3         (4)  A building code administrator, plans examiner, or

 4  building code inspector licensed under part XII of chapter

 5  468.

 6         (5)  A certified real estate appraiser, licensed real

 7  estate appraiser, or registered real estate appraiser licensed

 8  under part II of chapter 475.

 9         (6)  An inspector whose report is being provided to,

10  and is solely for the benefit of, the Federal Housing

11  Administration or the Veterans Administration.

12         (7)  An inspector conducting inspections for

13  wood-destroying organisms on behalf of a licensee under

14  chapter 482.

15         (8)  A firesafety inspector certified under s. 633.081.

16         (9)  An insurance adjuster licensed under part VI of

17  chapter 626.

18         (10)  An officer appointed by the court.

19         (11)  A master septic tank contractor licensed under

20  part III of chapter 489.

21         (l2)  A certified energy auditor performing an energy

22  audit of any home or building conducted under chapter 366 or

23  rules adopted by the Public Service Commission.

24         (13)  A mobile home manufacturer, dealer, or installer

25  regulated or licensed under chapter 320 and any employees or

26  agents of the manufacturer, dealer, or installer.

27         468.844  Prohibited acts; penalties.--

28         (1)  A home inspector, a company that employs a home

29  inspector, or a company that is controlled by a company that

30  has a financial interest in a company employing a home

31  inspector may not:

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2670
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 1         (a)  Perform or offer to perform, prior to closing, for

 2  any additional fee, any repairs to a home on which the

 3  inspector or the inspector's company has prepared a home

 4  inspection report. This paragraph does not apply to a home

 5  warranty company that is affiliated with or retains a home

 6  inspector to perform repairs pursuant to a claim made under a

 7  home warranty contract.

 8         (b)  Inspect for a fee any property in which the

 9  inspector or the inspector's company has any financial or

10  transfer interest.

11         (c)  Offer or deliver any compensation, inducement, or

12  reward to the owner of the inspected property, or any broker

13  or agent therefor, for the referral of any business to the

14  inspector or the inspector's company.

15         (d)  Accept an engagement to make an omission or

16  prepare a report in which the inspection itself, or the fee

17  payable for the inspection, is contingent upon the conclusions

18  in the report, the preestablished findings, or the close of

19  escrow.

20         (2)  Any person who violates any provision of this

21  section commits:

22         (a)  A misdemeanor of the second degree for a first

23  violation, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

24         (b)  A misdemeanor of the first degree for a second

25  violation, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

26         (c)  A felony of the third degree for a third or

27  subsequent violation, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s.

28  775.083, or s. 775.084.

29         468.845  Insurance.--A home inspector must maintain a

30  commercial general liability insurance policy in an amount of

31  not less that $300,000.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2670
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 1         468.846  Repair cost estimates.--Home inspectors are

 2  not required to provide estimates related to the cost of

 3  repair of an inspected property.

 4         468.847  Statute of limitations.--Chapter 95 governs

 5  when an action to enforce an obligation, duty, or right

 6  arising under this part must be commenced.

 7         468.848  Grandfather clause.--Until January 1, 2008,

 8  notwithstanding any other provision of this part, a person who

 9  meets the following criteria may work as a home inspector:

10         (1)  Has successfully completed high school or its

11  equivalent or has been in the business of home inspection

12  services for at least 5 years.

13         (2)  Has been engaged in the practice of home

14  inspection for compensation for at least 3 years prior to

15  January 1, 2007.

16         (3)  Has performed of not fewer than 250 home

17  inspections for compensation.

18         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 2670
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 1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
 2                         Senate Bill 2670

 3                                 

 4  The CS provides that the legislative intent for the regulation
    of mold accessors and remediators, and home inspectors be done
 5  in a manner that does not unnecessarily restrict entry into
    professions or occupations and protects homeowners.
 6  
    It provides that mold assessors and mold remediators be
 7  required to work under the direct supervision of someone who
    either has a two-year degree in microbiology, engineering,
 8  architecture, industrial hygiene, occupational safety, or
    related field along with a minimum one year of documented
 9  field experience or high school equivalency with two years of
    documented field experience or certification related to
10  performing mold assessment or mold remediation issued by a
    not-for-profit industry association, society or certification
11  body or college or university that offers training or
    education.
12  
    It exempts certain persons, trained professionals, business
13  organizations and government employees from the requirements
    of the act.
14  
    It provides for acts that are prohibited and the criminal
15  penalties for failing to comply with the act.

16  It requires that the mold assessor or remediator maintain a
    general liability and errors and omissions insurance coverage
17  in an amount of not less than $250,000 and a general liability
    insurance policy of not less than $500,000 that includes
18  specific coverage for mold related claims.

19  It requires a contract to perform mold assessment or mold
    remediation, a statute of limitations and grandfathering
20  provisions.

21  It deletes the provision that provided that home inspectors
    are not regulated by any state agency but violations of the
22  section constitute a deceptive and unfair trade practice.

23  It provides a grandfather clause for practicing home
    inspectors that meet certain criteria until January 1, 2008.
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