H.R. 5520 — Portal for Appraisal Licensing Act of 2025

This section directs the Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) to establish and maintain a cloud-based "Portal for Appraiser Credentialing and AMC Registration Information" (the Portal) as a new duty under 12 U.S.C. 3332(a)(7). (The ASC oversees state appraiser certification and licensing programs and maintains national registries of appraisers and appraisal management companies (AMCs) eligible for federally related transactions, i.e., mortgages and loans subject to federal financial regulation.) The Portal (1) serves as a central depository for appraisers and AMCs to submit license, certification, and registration applications and renewals; (2) provides state appraiser certifying and licensing agencies access to related information, including education, experience logs, exam results, and background checks; and (3) enables payment of fees and delivery of letters of good standing to states (and may use an existing platform). Additionally, the section (1) requires the Attorney General to provide FBI criminal history record access for state-required background checks on appraisers and AMCs, with the ASC serving as a channeling agent and the Portal processing fingerprint submissions (satisfying federal oversight requirements); (2) allows states and education providers to submit approved course and completion data; (3) mandates unique identifiers for users; (4) preserves states' independent authority over approvals; and (5) requires ASC to form an advisory committee of industry, appraiser, lender, AMC, and state representatives. The ASC may fund the Portal through revenue-neutral user fees and grants to states for system connectivity. (Thus, the Portal streamlines national appraiser and AMC credentialing while centralizing data and background checks previously handled separately by states.)