Governor Matt Bevin issued an executive order Friday altering the Office of Occupations and Professions to form the Department of Professional Licensing and restructuring four real estate boards to establish a new Kentucky Real Estate Authority.
The four boards are the the Real Estate Commission, the Real Estate Appraisers Board, the Board of Auctioneers and the Kentucky Board of Home Inspectors. The newly formed authority will include one member from each board and an executive director. According to a news release, the system will centralize collaboration and industry development recommendations.
Alluding to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year regarding a North Carolina dental board teeth-whitening case (more on this case here and here), the release says the reorganization transfers regulatory authority to the new department to protect board members from the threat of antitrust liability. Under the new order, the authority would approve regulatory changes to be recommended to the department.
Public Protection Cabinet Secretary David Dickerson said, “The Governor’s executive order creates a consolidated structure that will safeguard board members and encourage a more efficient system for shaping and reviewing industry regulations.”
The effort is part of Governor Bevin’s Red Tape Reduction Initiative. Bevin has made numerous changes to state boards in an effort to streamline government, including overhauling the Kentucky Arts Council in November.
