Notice of Proposed Rule

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION
Florida Real Estate Commission
RULE NO: RULE TITLE
61J2-3.010: License Reactivation Education for Brokers and Sales Associates
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The Commission proposes the rule amendment to add language to the rule setting forth the required contents of the course to reactivate a license that has been inactive for more than 12 months but less than 24 months. The rule amendment will also set forth the requirements for retesting.
SUMMARY: The Commission proposes the rule amendment to add language to the rule setting forth the required contents of the course to reactivate a license that has been inactive for more than 12 months but less than 24 months. The rule amendment will also set forth the requirements for retesting.
SUMMARY OF STATEMENT OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS: No Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost was prepared.
Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 475.05 FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 475.04, 475.17, 475.182, 475.183, 475.451 FS.
IF REQUESTED WITHIN 21 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE, A HEARING WILL BE SCHEDULED AND ANNOUNCED IN FAW.
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: Lori Crawford, Deputy Clerk, Division of Real Estate, 400 West Robinson Street, Hurston Building, Suite N801, Orlando, Florida 32801

THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:

61J2-3.010 License Reactivation Education for Brokers and Sales Associates.

(1) Brokers and sales associates holding an involuntarily inactive license may only maintain this status for 2 years. The first day of this allowable 2-year period is the first day the broker or sales associate failed to hold a valid and current active or voluntarily inactive license. After the second year, the broker’s or sales associate’s right to request an active or voluntarily inactive license automatically expires, by operation of law.

(2) Effective October 1, 2007, a A licensee may reactivate a license that has been involuntarily inactive for more than 12 months but less than 24 months by satisfactorily completing 28 hours of a Commission-prescribed education course derived from the Florida Real Estate Commission Salesperson Course Syllabus (FREC for licensure as a sales associate Course I). The Course I hours must be based on an approved course as set forth in Rule 61J2-3.008, F.A.C. Emphasis shall be placed on the real estate law and license law portions. The course shall contain coverage of the following topics: Real Estate License Law and Qualifications for Licensure (Session 2); Real Estate License Law and Commission Rules (Session 3); Authorized Relationships, Duties and Disclosure (Session 4); Real Estate Brokerage Activities: Guides for Salespersons (Session 5); Violations of License Law, Penalties and Procedures (Session 6); Federal and State Laws Pertaining to Real Estate (Session 7); Real Estate Contracts (Session 11); Real Estate Related Computations and Closing of Transactions (Session 14); and Real Estate Investments and Business Opportunity Brokerage (Session 17).

(3) Students who fail the Commission-prescribed end-of-course examination must wait at least 30 days from the date of the original examination to retest. Within one year of the original examination, a student may retest a maximum of one time. Otherwise, students who fail the end-of-course examination must repeat the course again  to become eligible to take the end-of-course examination. Schools shall administer a different end-of-course examination to a student who  retakes the exam or repeats the course.

(4)(3) A licensee may demonstrate satisfactory completion for reactivation by achieving a grade of 70% or higher on the Commission-prescribed 25 item end-of-course examination. The end-of-course examination shall contain 2 items per instructional hour or a minimum of 50 questions. The school must develop at least two forms of the end-of-course examination and submit them to the Department for approval. All courses shall conform to the requirements of Rule 61J2-3.008, F.A.C. The school shall test only students who have completed at least 90% of the required hours of instruction.

(5)(4) The school offering these Commission-prescribed courses shall inform each student of the standards and requirements at the commencement of each course and issue a notice of course completion as prescribed by the Commission in Rule 61J2-3.015, F.A.C.

(6)(5) Accredited universities, colleges, community colleges in this state, area technical centers or real estate schools registered pursuant to Section 475.451, F.S., may offer the Commission-prescribed courses. Satisfactory completion of these courses will not entitle any person to reactivate an involuntary inactive license as a real estate broker or sales associate until such person has met all other requirements of law.

(7)(6) Any active member in good standing with The Florida Bar, who is otherwise qualified under the real estate license law, is exempt from the reactivation education requirements of this rule.

Specific Authority 475.05 FS. Law Implemented 475.04, 475.17, 475.182, 475.183, 475.451 FS. History–New 1-1-80, Amended 8-24-80, 9-16-84, Formerly 21V-3.10, Amended 10-13-88, 6-28-93, Formerly 21V-3.010, Amended 12-30-97, 10-25-98, 1-18-00, 3-15-04, 11-8-06,_________.


NAME OF PERSON ORIGINATING PROPOSED RULE: Florida Real Estate Commission
NAME OF SUPERVISOR OR PERSON WHO APPROVED THE PROPOSED RULE: Florida Real Estate Commission
DATE PROPOSED RULE APPROVED BY AGENCY HEAD: May 15, 2007
DATE NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT PUBLISHED IN FAW: June 29, 2007