House Bill No. introduced by E. Tilleman aims to enhance the regulation of home inspections in Montana by aligning the home inspection program with other licensing programs. The bill introduces new definitions for key terms such as "home inspection," "home inspection report," and "home inspector," and establishes a licensing requirement for home inspectors. This includes completing at least 40 hours of approved instruction, joining a national home inspection association, and maintaining a minimum of $125,000 in errors and omissions insurance coverage, which is an increase from the previous requirement of $100,000. The Department of Labor and Industry is granted rulemaking authority to implement these changes, and the bill sets standards for home inspection practices, including the necessity for written reports on inspected systems and any major defects.

Additionally, the bill streamlines the regulatory framework by repealing certain sections of the Montana Code Annotated related to home inspector registration and penalties. It mandates that fees collected under the new provisions be deposited into a special revenue account for the administration and enforcement of the home inspection program. The bill also outlines conditions for the repeal of specific sections of existing law if House Bill No. 239 is passed, ensuring that overlapping amendments do not create confusion. The legislation is set to take effect on January 1, 2026, allowing for a transition period for the proposed changes. Overall, this bill aims to improve the professionalism and accountability of home inspectors while enhancing consumer protection through better standards and insurance requirements.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_1(1): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_1(2): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_1(3): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_1(4): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_1(5): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_1(6): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_1: 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_2(1): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_2(10): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_2(11): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_2(12): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_2(2): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_2(3): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_2(4): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_2(5): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_2(6): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_2(7): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_2(8): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_2(9): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_2: 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_3(1): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_3(2): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_3(3): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_3(4): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_3(5): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_3(6): 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303
HB0225_3: 37-1-401, 39-9-101, 39-9-102, 39-9-206, 39-9-207, 39-9-301, 39-9-303