SB995 sought to enhance the training requirements for real estate appraisers by mandating a course on fair-housing laws and appraisal bias as part of the educational prerequisites for licensure. This initiative sought to address and mitigate discriminatory practices in property valuation.

The Virginia State Senate passed SB995 on January 29, 2025 by a vote of 35 to 2. We have assigned pluses to the nays because the government should not interfere with private entities or the free market. This bill imposes unnecessary regulations on appraisers, potentially leading to artificially adjusted property valuations that do not accurately reflect market conditions. In turn, this will increase taxes on the property. By mandating anti-bias training and restricting the factors appraisers can consider, SB995 subjects professionals to government oversight that could pressure them into valuations based on political considerations rather than economic realities. Such interference undermines property rights, distorts fair-market pricing, and sets a dangerous precedent for further state control over private industry, particularly private-property evaluations.