[118th Congress Public Law 230]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[[Page 2825]]
ACCELERATING APPRAISALS AND CONSERVATION EFFORTS ACT
[[Page 138 STAT. 2826]]
Public Law 118-230
118th Congress
An Act
To establish a policy regarding appraisal and valuation services for
real property for a transaction over which the Secretary of the Interior
has jurisdiction, and for other purposes. <<NOTE: Jan. 4, 2025 - [H.R.
5443]>>
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled, <<NOTE: Accelerating
Appraisals and Conservation Efforts Act.>>
SECTION <<NOTE: 43 USC 1451 note.>> 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Accelerating Appraisals and
Conservation Efforts Act'' or the ``AACE Act''.
SEC. 2. <<NOTE: 43 USC 1478.>> APPRAISAL AND VALUATION SERVICES
FOR REAL PROPERTY.
(a) License, Certification Requirement.--A covered appraiser needs
to be licensed or certified in only 1 State to perform appraisal or
valuation services for real property in any State for a transaction over
which the Secretary has jurisdiction.
(b) Use of Non-Federal Covered Appraisers.--If the Secretary uses a
non-Federal covered appraiser to perform appraisal or valuation services
for real property for a transaction described in subsection (a), the
Secretary--
(1) shall, to the maximum extent practicable, use a non-
Federal covered appraiser who is a certified general real
property appraiser licensed in a State in which the real
property that is the subject of the transaction is located; and
(2) <<NOTE: Determination.>> may only use a non-Federal
covered appraiser who is a certified general real property
appraiser licensed in a State other than one in which the real
property that is the subject of the transaction is located if a
non-Federal covered appraiser described in paragraph (1) is, as
determined by the Secretary--
(A) unavailable to complete an assignment within a
reasonable period of time;
(B) not assignment qualified; or
(C) not cost competitive.
(c) <<NOTE: Time period.>> Report.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter for at
least the following 4 years, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a
report that includes the following:
(1) <<NOTE: Data. Time period.>> A comparison using
quantitative data of--
(A) the number of requests for appraisal and
valuation services received by the Department during the
reporting period and the number of requests for such
services received by the Department in each of the 5
years before the reporting period; and
[[Page 138 STAT. 2827]]
(B) the amount of time required for the Department
to complete a request for appraisal or valuation
services before the date of the enactment of this
section and after the date of the enactment of this
section.
(2) <<NOTE: Assessment.>> A qualitative assessment of the
impact of subsection (a) in providing flexibility to the
Secretary when contracting with non-Federal covered appraisers.
(3) <<NOTE: Recommenda- tions.>> Recommendations, if any,
for congressional action that could help the Department operate
more efficiently or overcome challenges with respect to timely
completion of requests for appraisal or valuation services while
ensuring the independence, impartiality, and objectivity of such
services.
(4) <<NOTE: Overview.>> An overview of the workforce of the
Department with regard to appraisal and valuation services
provided by the Department, including hiring and staffing during
the reporting period with respect to employees and contractors
of the Department.
(5) <<NOTE: List. Criteria.>> A complete list of cases in
which the authority granted under section 2 of this Act was used
during the reporting period, describing for each case the
specific criteria used to satisfy the conditions of this Act.
(d) Statutory Clarifications.--
(1) Applicability of relevant laws and regulations.--Except
as provided in paragraph (3), nothing in this section shall be
interpreted to affect the application of any Federal or State
law or regulation to a non-Federal covered appraiser with regard
to the performance by such non-Federal covered appraiser of
appraisal and valuation services for real property.
(2) Jurisdiction requirement.--Nothing in this section shall
be interpreted to authorize a non-Federal covered appraiser to
perform appraisal and valuation services for real property in a
State in which such non-Federal covered appraiser is not
licensed or certified to perform such services except to the
extent that such services are performed for a transaction over
which the Secretary has jurisdiction.
(3) Nonapplicability of certain relevant laws and
regulations.--Any provision of a Federal or State law or
regulation enacted before the date of the enactment of this
section that requires a covered appraiser to be licensed or
certified in a specific State to perform appraisal or valuation
services for real property in that State shall not apply to any
transaction over which the Secretary has jurisdiction.
(e) <<NOTE: Deadline.>> Public Availability.--Not later than 90
days after the enactment of this Act, the text of all policies
(including any successor policies), including reference manuals,
guidance documents, handbooks, standard operating procedures, and
statements of policy specific to the scoping, contracting, and review of
appraisals performed for the Department by Federal or non-Federal
covered appraisers, shall be made publicly available online and provided
upon request.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Covered appraiser.--The term ``covered appraiser'' means
a State-licensed or -certified real property appraiser.
(2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of the Interior.
[[Page 138 STAT. 2828]]
(3) Reporting period.--The term ``reporting period'' means
the 1-year period before the date on which a report is submitted
under subsection (c).
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(5) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, and each territory and
possession of the United States.
Approved January 4, 2025.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 5443:
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HOUSE REPORTS: No. 118-565 (Comm. on Natural Resources).
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 170 (2024):
July 8, considered and passed House.
Dec. 18, considered and passed Senate.
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