BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 348
	By: Springer
	Local Government
	5/23/2023
	Enrolled

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Some have claimed that the prohibition of certain residential properties has created an arbitrary obstacle from individuals accessing information about their own property. Interested parties have stated that allowing a basic sketch of property to be posted online would enable a property owner to more easily access appraisal information that could assist the owner in contesting property taxes. In an effort to address this issue, the bill seeks to provide property owners online access to certain basic property information without resulting in the disclosure of vulnerable property features.

S.B. 348 amends current law relating to the prohibition on posting on the Internet information held by an appraisal district regarding certain residential property.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 25.027(b), Tax Code, as follows:

(b) Provides that Subsection (a)(1) (relating to prohibiting information in appraisal records from being posted on the Internet if the information is a photograph, sketch, or floor plan of a property improvement for a human residence) does not apply to:

(1) an aerial photograph that depicts more than one separately owned building, rather than five or more separately owned buildings;

(2) a street level photograph of only the exterior of a building; or

(3) a field record or overhead sketch of the property that depicts only:

(A) the outline of one or more buildings on the property;

(B) the general landscape features of the property, including ponds, pools, and walls; and

(C) the dimensions of or distances between the buildings and features depicted.

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2023.