By Harris                                              S.B. No. 625
       74R2238 SMH-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the filing of a notice of protest with an appraisal
    1-3  review board by an undesignated agent.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 41, Tax Code, is amended by
    1-6  adding Section 41.445 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 41.445.  FILING OF NOTICE OF PROTEST BY UNDESIGNATED
    1-8  AGENT.  (a)  An agent of a property owner may file a notice of
    1-9  protest under Section 41.44 on behalf of the property owner
   1-10  regardless of whether a designation of the agent under Section
   1-11  1.111 is on file with the appraisal district.
   1-12        (b)  On the filing of the notice by the agent, the appraisal
   1-13  review board shall:
   1-14              (1)  schedule a hearing on the protest under Section
   1-15  41.45; and
   1-16              (2)  send notice of the hearing on the protest under
   1-17  Section 41.46 to the property owner or any person the property
   1-18  owner has designated to receive the notice under Section 1.111.
   1-19        (c)  If the notice of protest was filed by an agent for the
   1-20  property owner and a designation of the agent is not on file with
   1-21  the appraisal district, the notice of hearing shall state that an
   1-22  agent may not represent the property owner at the hearing on the
   1-23  protest unless a designation of the agent is on file with the
   1-24  appraisal district on the date of the hearing.
    2-1        (d)  An agent may not represent a property owner at a hearing
    2-2  under Section 41.45 unless a designation of the agent is on file
    2-3  with the appraisal district on the date of the hearing.
    2-4        SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
    2-5  to a notice of protest filed on or after the effective date of this
    2-6  Act.  A notice of protest filed before the effective date of this
    2-7  Act is covered by the law in effect when the notice was filed, and
    2-8  that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
    2-9        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-10        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-11  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-12  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-13  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-14  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.