87R2694 SMT-F
 
  By: Shine H.B. No. 988
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the authority of a property owner to bring suit to
  compel an appraisal district, chief appraiser, or appraisal review
  board to comply with a procedural requirement applicable to an ad
  valorem tax protest.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 41, Tax Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter E to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER E. LIMITED SUIT TO COMPEL COMPLIANCE WITH PROCEDURAL
  REQUIREMENT
         Sec. 41.81.  LIMITED SUIT. (a)  A property owner who has
  filed a notice of protest under this chapter may bring suit against
  an appraisal district, chief appraiser, or appraisal review board
  to compel the appraisal district, chief appraiser, or appraisal
  review board to comply with a procedural requirement imposed under
  this chapter or under a rule established by the appraisal review
  board or the comptroller under this chapter that is applicable to
  the protest.
         (b)  A property owner may bring suit under this section by
  filing a petition or application in district court.
         (c)  A property owner may not bring suit under this section
  unless the property owner has delivered written notice of the
  procedural requirement the property owner alleges the appraisal
  district, chief appraiser, or appraisal review board failed to
  comply with and the appraisal district, chief appraiser, or
  appraisal review board, as applicable, refuses to comply with the
  requirement, or does not comply with or agree to comply with the
  requirement, on or before the 10th day after the date the notice is
  delivered.  The notice must state how the alleged failure to comply
  with the procedural requirement harms the property owner. The
  notice must be delivered by certified mail, return receipt
  requested, to the chief appraiser if the property owner alleges
  that the appraisal district or chief appraiser failed to comply
  with the procedural requirement, or to the chairman of the
  appraisal review board and the chief appraiser if the property
  owner alleges that the appraisal review board failed to comply with
  the requirement.  The property owner may not file a petition under
  this section:
               (1)  earlier than the earlier of:
                     (A)  the date the appraisal district, chief
  appraiser, or appraisal review board, as applicable, refuses to
  comply with the procedural requirement, if applicable; or
                     (B)  the 11th day after the date the notice is
  delivered; or
               (2)  later than the 30th day after the first date the
  property owner is authorized to file the petition under Subdivision
  (1).
         (d)  A property owner who delivers written notice under
  Subsection (c) is entitled to a postponement of a hearing on the
  protest that is the basis for the owner's allegation in the notice
  and that is scheduled to be held during:
               (1)  the 10-day period following delivery of the
  notice; or
               (2)  the pendency of a suit brought under this section.
         (e)  A suit brought under this section is for the limited
  purpose of determining whether the defendant failed to comply with
  the procedural requirement that is the subject of the suit.
         (f)  A suit brought under this section may not address the
  merits of a motion filed under Section 25.25 or a protest filed
  under this chapter.
         Sec. 41.82.  NO DISCOVERY.  Neither party may conduct
  discovery in a suit brought under Section 41.81.
         Sec. 41.83.  HEARING. (a)  The court in which a suit under
  Section 41.81 is filed shall set the matter described in the
  petition or application for hearing at the earliest possible date.
         (b)  At the end of the hearing, the court must determine the
  merits of the suit.
         (c)  If the court determines that the defendant failed to
  comply with a procedural requirement imposed on the defendant under
  this chapter or under a rule established by the appraisal review
  board or the comptroller under this chapter, the court:
               (1)  shall order the defendant to comply with the
  procedural requirement;
               (2)  shall enter any order necessary to preserve rights
  protected by, and impose duties required by, the law; and
               (3)  may award court costs and reasonable attorney's
  fees to the property owner.
         (d)  An order entered under this section is final and may not
  be appealed.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter E, Chapter 41, Tax Code, as added by
  this Act, applies only to a procedural requirement as described by
  Section 41.81 of that subchapter that a property owner alleges was
  required to have been complied with on or after the effective date
  of this Act.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2022.