Background checks have always been reserved as an added security measure for high-profile or high risk situations such as firearm purchases, security-related job applications, and safety-related fields. However, a South Carolina State representative seems to want to make it as a requirement for people who want to apply for a real estate license and for current holders to be able to renew theirs.

The brand new bill was recently pre-filed by State Representative, Chip Huggins, who believes that background checks should be a sensible requirement before allowing the release of real estate licenses. The filing of the bill was initially instigated due to a recent incident in Spartanburg Country, where a real estate agent is accused of killing seven people.

Following the incident, several state lawmakers considered adding a criminal background check as a standard requirement for processing and renewing real estate licenses. Some realtors in the country and the state have expressed their agreement to the proposed law and mentioned that going through a background check would also help to build an additional trust between them and their clients.

“We are dealing with people’s homes, their money–it’s a major transaction in most people’s lives and they need to be able to trust us,” a realtor in the area mentioned in an interview with ABC 15.

As for the proposed law itself, Huggins had acknowledged that there were still a lot of things that needed to be ironed-out. The details would include the cost of the background check itself for applicants, and the process that would be followed if a criminal record was indeed found in one of the checks. The bill still needs to be debated and then go to the State’s Governor, Nikki Haley. If he bill passes, it could be made into law as early as 2018.