PRINTER'S NO. 668
No. 635 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY L. I. COHEN, YOUNGBLOOD, MASLAND, ORIE, BEBKO-
JONES, SNYDER, ROBINSON, READSHAW, FICHTER, MYERS, CORRIGAN,
M. COHEN, HARHART, TRAVAGLIO, CURRY, RUBLEY, HORSEY, MELIO,
BROWNE, WILLIAMS, DALEY, RAMOS, SAYLOR, HARHAI, STEELMAN,
FREEMAN, JOSEPHS, CASORIO, KIRKLAND, McCALL, CIVERA AND
JAMES, FEBRUARY 22, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FEBRUARY 22, 1999
AN ACT
1 Requiring liability insurance for house inspectors; and imposing
2 penalties.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Short title.
6 This act shall be known and may be cited as the House
7 Inspector Liability Insurance Act.
8 Section 2. Definitions.
9 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
10 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
11 context clearly indicates otherwise:
12 "House inspection." An examination of a residential building
13 to determine:
14 (1) quality of construction;
15 (2) current condition of physical plant; and
16 (3) safety.
1 "House inspector." A person that, for consideration,
2 performs a house inspection for a prospective purchaser.
3 Section 3. Liability insurance.
4 (a) Requirement.--A house inspector shall maintain liability
5 insurance in the amount of at least $500,000 for errors and
6 omissions in the performance of a house inspection.
7 (b) Term.--
8 (1) Except as set forth in paragraph (2), a house
9 inspector shall maintain insurance under subsection (a) for
10 at least two years after the latest house inspection the
11 house inspector performs.
12 (2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to a house inspection
13 which was performed prior to the effective date of this act.
14 Section 4. Penalty.
15 A person who violates section 3 commits a summary offense and
16 shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a fine of $300 or to
17 imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both.
18 Section 5. Effective date.
19 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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