Increases the membership of the assessor's certification program committee and provides for educational requirements for certification and recertification of assessors (EG NO IMPACT See Note)

House Bill 553 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes 47:1907 to restructure the assessors' certification program committee and modify the educational pathways for assessor certification and recertification. The bill increases the committee membership from five to eleven members by replacing the previous structure with one Education Coordinator from the Louisiana Assessors Association serving as chairman, two members appointed by the Louisiana Tax Commission, and eight members appointed by the president of the Louisiana Assessors Association who must include at least one representative from each of the eight Board of Director districts. Additionally, the bill changes the required certification courses from the Fundamentals of Real Property Appraisal and Income Approach to Valuation to Fundamentals of Real Property Appraisal and Assessment Administration, both courses offered by the International Association of Assessing Officers. For recertification, the bill expands eligible courses to include Workshop 191 National USPAP Update and approved Appraisal Foundation one or two-day Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice courses while maintaining the existing hour requirements of either fifty-nine or seventy-four continuing education hours depending on whether assessors complete a thirty-hour appraisal course with a written examination.

The practical effect of this legislation is a significant expansion of representation on the assessors' certification committee, which now requires broader geographic distribution across Louisiana's eight assessor districts and allows more practitioners to participate in governance of the certification program. Assessors and deputy assessors currently pursuing or maintaining certification will encounter modified course requirements, though the bill maintains the existing number of required continuing education hours for recertification and provides additional flexibility by permitting shorter USPAP training options. The Louisiana Tax Commission gains additional appointment authority with two positions rather than one, and the Louisiana Assessors Association's role is similarly expanded with eight appointment positions rather than the previous three combined positions.

The changes operate within the existing framework of Louisiana property tax assessment administration, which is governed by statutes contained in Chapter 19 of Title 47 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes. The certification committee established under this statute operates as part of the professional regulation system for assessors and exists to ensure minimum competency standards for those seeking certified designation. The bill's expansion of eligible courses from specific Appraisal Institute offerings to include options from the International Association of Assessing Officers reflects a broader recognition of professional education providers within the appraisal industry. The effective date of January 1, 2027 allows sufficient time for stakeholders to adjust to the new committee structure and updated educational requirements before implementation.