The subcommittee reported a substitute to the appraisal licensing bill (bill number not specified in the transcript excerpt) by a recorded vote the clerk summarized as 6-2.

The substitute requires appraiser pre-licensing instruction to include: the legacy of segregation and unequal treatment in housing, unequal access to amenities and resources by race or disability, federal and state fair-housing law, and anti-bias practices. Sponsor remarks said the change would align Virginia law with new Appraisal Foundation qualification criteria that take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Laura Dodds of Housing Opportunities Made Equal testified the requirement is a pre-licensing addition and complements continuing-education requirements enacted earlier; she cited a HUD conciliation agreement with the Appraisal Foundation that led to updated training criteria. Supporters at the hearing included Virginia Realtors, the Virginia Poverty Law Center, the Virginia Bankers Association and the Virginia Housing Alliance.

Some members asked whether prior 2022 requirements already covered fair-housing training for appraisers and whether courses had been developed; supporters said the substitute is pre-licensing (not a continuing-education) requirement and is intended to capture the Appraisal Foundation’s new criteria. After debate and public testimony, the clerk recorded the substitute as recommended for reporting by a vote announced as "62" in the record. The transcript identifies broad stakeholder support and the committee’s action to report the substitute.