By Craddick                                           H.B. No. 1537
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the calculation of the effective tax rate for taxing
    1-3  units.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 26.012(11), Tax Code, is amended to read
    1-6  as follows:
    1-7              (11)  "Last year's debt levy" means the amount of taxes
    1-8  that would be generated by multiplying the total taxable value of
    1-9  property on the appraisal roll for the preceding year, including
   1-10  all appraisal roll supplements and corrections, other than
   1-11  corrections made pursuant to Section 25.25 of this code, as of the
   1-12  date of calculation, by the debt rate adopted by the governing body
   1-13  in the preceding year under Section 26.05(b)(1) of this code plus
   1-14  the amount of debt taxes refunded during the preceding year for tax
   1-15  years prior to the preceding year.
   1-16        SECTION 2.  Section 26.012(13), Tax Code, is amended to read
   1-17  as follows:
   1-18              (13)  "Last year's levy" means the amount of taxes that
   1-19  would be generated by multiplying the total tax rate adopted by the
   1-20  governing body in the preceding year by the total taxable value of
   1-21  property on the appraisal roll for the preceding year, including
   1-22  all appraisal roll supplements and corrections, other than
   1-23  corrections made pursuant to Section 25.25 of this code, as of the
    2-1  date of the calculation, except that last year's taxable value for
    2-2  a school district excludes the total value of homesteads that
    2-3  qualified for a tax limitation as provided by Section 11.26 of this
    2-4  code plus the amount of taxes refunded during the preceding year
    2-5  for tax years prior to the preceding year.
    2-6        SECTION 3.  Section 26.012(14), Tax Code, is amended to read
    2-7  as follows:
    2-8              (14)  "Last year's total value" means the total taxable
    2-9  value of property listed on the appraisal roll for the preceding
   2-10  year, including all appraisal roll supplements and corrections,
   2-11  other than corrections made pursuant to Section 25.25 of this code,
   2-12  as of the date of the calculation, except that last year's taxable
   2-13  value for a school district excludes the total value of homesteads
   2-14  that qualified for a tax limitation as provided by Section 11.26 of
   2-15  this code.
   2-16        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-17  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-18  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-19  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-20  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
   2-21                       COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1
   2-22        Amends HB 1537:
   2-23        Section 1, line 11 of page 1 delete "25.25" and substitute
   2-24  "25.25(d)"
   2-25        Section 2, line 25 of page 1 delete "25.25" and substitute
    3-1  "25.25(d)"
    3-2        Section 3, line 12 of page 2 delete "25.25" and substitute
    3-3  "25.25(d)"
    3-4                                                             Marchant