SWB C.S.S.B. 1153 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS


WAYS & MEANS
C.S.S.B. 1153
By: Brown (Heflin)
5-23-97
Committee Report (Substituted)



BACKGROUND 

During the 74th Legislature, HB 2940 by Heflin amended the Property Tax
Code to provide certain appraisal procedures for boats and outboard motors
held in inventory by Texas boat dealers.  That legislation contained an
erroneous reference in the enforcement section.  Also it left the method
of appraising the dealer's boat trailer inventory unclear. 

PURPOSE

The bill corrects the statutory enforcement reference, and further
clarifies to whom it is applicable.  It also includes the definition of
boat trailers into this section of the Tax Code, thereby unifying
appraisal methods for boat dealer's inventory. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or
institution. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.Amends Subdivisions (11) and (14) and adds Subdivision (15) to
Section 23.12D(a), Tax Code (Dealer's Vessel and Outboard Motor Inventory;
Value), to treat boat trailers similarly for property tax purposes. 

SECTION 2.Amends subsection (j) of Section 23.12D, Tax Code (Dealer's
Vessel and Outboard Motor Inventory; Value), to change the reference from
Subsection (h) to (g) and changes "person" to "dealer" to further clarify
intent. 

SECTION 3. Effective date of January 1, 1998.

SECTION 4. Emergency clause.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE

C.S.S.B. 1153 adds boat trailers to the definition of "sales price," and
gives further definition to the term "vessel," by defining "Trailer
treated as vessel".