La. Admin. Code tit. 46 § XL-119

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section XL-119 - Education/Training and Testing; Initial Licensure

A. Initial applicants for licensure must pass a board-approved licensing examination covering home inspection methods and techniques, the standards of practice set forth in §301 et seq., and code of ethics set forth in §501

B. Any person filing an initial application for licensure shall present evidence to the board that he has satisfactorily completed at least 130 hours of required home inspection instruction and training by training providers and instructors approved by the board.

C. The 130 hours of home inspection instruction and training shall consist of the following:

1. 90 hours of home inspection course work approved by the board and taught by a certified pre-licensing education provider as set forth in §120;

2. a minimum of 30 hours of in-field platform training from a certified infield trainer;

3. a minimum of 10 hours of instruction and training from a certified infield trainer, which shall consist of attending 10 live home inspections at a residential structure where a fee is paid and a report is provided to a client;

4. in addition to completion of the 130 hours of home inspection instruction and in-field training, the applicant shall also attend the report writing seminar conducted on behalf of the board by its approved representative and pass the board-approved examination of the standards of practice and Code of Ethics.

D.

1. The 90 hours of course work as set forth in §119. C.1 above, may only include a combination of any of the following methods of instruction:

a. live lectures by a certified home inspector instructor;

b. DVD, CD ROM, videotape, streaming or other electronic means of video lecture, with a certified home inspector instructor available during classroom hours for questioning and discussion;

c. in-classroom or remote demonstration of techniques; or

d. periodic, in-classroom testing.

2. No credit towards the 90 hours of course work shall be given for:

a. in-classroom study;

b. instruction received from an education provider not duly qualified by the board;

c. time spent listening to audiotapes; or

d. classroom time devoted to non-approved course materials.

3. Before the trainee can be certified as having completed the required 90 hours of course work, the trainee must have:

a. attended and completed the 90 hours of course work within 180 days of commencement;

b. passed, with a grade of 70 percent or higher, the final examination and all periodic examinations given by the educational provider; and

c. mailed a completed LHI application form.

E. Before registering for the 90 hours of course work with a certified pre- licensing educational provider, the trainee must first apply with the board. After enrolling with a certified educational provider, the trainee must provide the board with the name of the provider and the commencement date of instruction.

F. Prior to admission to an infield training program, the trainee shall complete the required 90 hours of course work described in §119. C 1

G . Infield training shall consist of platform training and live training.

1. Platform training shall consist of attending 30 hours of hands-on training with a certified infield trainer at a residential structure or using residential components or equipment. All systems of a residential structure shall be examined and inspected during platform training. The applicant shall be given one credit hour for each hour of platform training attended. No more than four applicants may be trained at one time during platform training. Platform training shall not be conducted during a live home inspection where an inspection fee is paid and an inspection report is provided to a client.

2. Live training shall consist of attending 10 live home inspections with a certified infield trainer at a resale residential structure where a fee is paid and a report is provided to the client. The applicant shall be given one credit hour for each live inspection attended. No more than two applicants may be trained at a time during a live home inspection. Within five days from the inspection, the trainee shall prepare a mock home inspection report in a format that conforms to the requirements of the standards of practice for each home inspected during live training. The report shall be delivered to the trainer within five days of the inspections. The applicant shall retain these reports for three years from the date of completion of training.

H. Upon registering trainees for a 90-hour course, all certified pre-licensing education providers shall:

1. notify the board of the date of the commencement and completion of each 90-hour course of instruction of each trainee on the board-approved registration form;

2. keep records of attendance of each trainee enrolled in the pre-licensing course to confirm satisfactory completion of the required 90 hours of instruction;

3. provide the trainee with an education provider evaluation form approved by the board prior to final testing and completion of the required 90 hours of instruction;

4. provide a final examination and multiple periodic examinations to the trainee covering course contents; and

5. provide a copy of certificates of completion to the board on the board approved completion form of only those trainees who have successfully completed the full 90 hours of instruction.

I. Certified infield trainers shall:

1. instruct the trainee on how to complete and file the monthly state reporting form;

2. provide the trainee with a copy of the Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics;

3. issue to the trainee a certificate of completion of platform training and/or live training; and

4. maintain for three years a list of all trainees and the dates of training.

5. instruct the trainee on how to perform home inspections in compliance with the standards of practice and Code of Ethics;

J. The board shall adopt and approve a licensing examination, which may be administered by a nationally accepted testing service as determined by the board.

K. The board shall review examination material relative to the adoption and approval of licensing examinations. The board shall have complete authority to enter into confidentiality agreements, which prohibit the public dissemination of information pertaining to review of questions or materials, including any questions or materials certified as proprietary by the person or facility submitting them for evaluation. Any person or testing facility submitting evaluation materials for review, certification, or otherwise, conveys and assigns to the board a right of limited use and license solely for use in the certification process and any related inquiry.

La. Admin. Code tit. 46, § XL-119

Promulgated by the Department of Economic Development, Board of Home Inspectors, LR 26:2741 (December 2000), amended by the Office of the Governor, Board of Home Inspectors, LR 30:1687 (August 2004), LR 35:1519 (August 2009), LR 36:2858 (December 2010), LR 38:2529 (October 2012), LR 40:1003 (May 2014), LR 41:920 (May 2015), Amended by the Office of the Governor, Board of Home Inspectors, LR 43311 (2/1/2017).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 37:1475 and R.S. 37:1485-1487.