54.1-2344 - Fair Housing Board; membership; terms; chairman; powers and duties.
§ 54.1-2344. Fair Housing Board; membership; terms; chairman; powers andduties.
A. The Fair Housing Board shall be composed of 12 members, to be appointed bythe Governor, as follows: one representative of local government, onearchitect licensed in accordance with Chapter 4 (§ 54.1-400 et seq.) of thistitle, one representative of the mortgage lending industry, onerepresentative of the property and casualty insurance industry, tworepresentatives of the residential property management industry not licensedin accordance with Chapter 21 (§ 54.1-2100 et seq.) of this title, at leastone of whom is a member of a property owners' association or condominium unitowners' association, one contractor licensed in accordance with Chapter 11 (§54.1-1100 et seq.) of this title, one representative of the disabilitycommunity, one representative of the residential land lease industry subjectto Chapter 13.3 (§ 55-248.41 et seq.) of Title 55, and three citizen membersselected in accordance with § 54.1-107. All terms of Board members shall befor terms of four years.
B. The Board shall elect a chairman from its membership.
C. The Board shall adopt a seal by which it shall authenticate itsproceedings.
D. The Board shall be responsible for the administration and enforcement ofthe Fair Housing Law. However, the Board shall have no authority with respectto a real estate broker, real estate salesperson, real estate brokerage firmlicensed in accordance with Chapter 21 (§ 54.1-2100 et seq.), or their agentsor employees who have allegedly violated, or who have in fact violated, theFair Housing Law.
The Board shall have the power and duty to establish, by regulation, aneducation-based certification or registration program for persons subject tothe Fair Housing Law who are involved in the business or activity of sellingor renting dwellings. The Board shall also establish, by regulation,educational materials on the Fair Housing Law and require a signed affidavitfrom persons in the business or activity of selling or renting dwellings,that they have read and understood the provided materials. The Board shallhave the authority to approve training courses and instructors in furtheranceof the provisions of this chapter.
No education-based program established by the Board shall require Boardcertification or registration where an individual holds a valid licenseissued by the Real Estate Board. Any courses approved by the Real EstateBoard to meet the fair housing requirement of § 54.1-2105.03 and theinstructors approved by the Real Estate Board to teach continuing educationcourses in accordance with § 54.1-2105.02 shall not require additionalapproval by the Fair Housing Board to meet any education requirements in thissection and in the regulations of the Fair Housing Board.
(2003, c. 575; 2007, cc. 809, 874; 2010, cc. 91, 457, 620.)