By Telford, McReynolds, Glaze, Kamel, H.B. No. 1723 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to appraisal for property tax purposes of open-space land 1-3 that is converted to production of timber. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 23, Tax Code, is amended by 1-6 adding Section 23.59 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 23.59. APPRAISAL OF OPEN-SPACE LAND THAT IS CONVERTED 1-8 TO TIMBER PRODUCTION. (a) If land that has been appraised under 1-9 this subchapter for at least five preceding years is converted to 1-10 production of timber after September 1, 1997, the owner may elect 1-11 to have the land continue to be appraised under this subchapter for 1-12 15 years after the date of the conversion, so long as the land 1-13 qualifies for appraisal as timber land under Subchapter E. In that 1-14 event, the land is deemed to be the same category of land under 1-15 this subchapter as it was immediately before conversion to timber 1-16 production. 1-17 (b) The election must be made by a new application filed as 1-18 provided by Section 23.54 and remains in effect for 15 years or 1-19 until a change in use of the land occurs. 1-20 (c) This section applies to the appraisal of land converted 1-21 to timber production only until the end of the tax year in which 1-22 the 15th anniversary of the date of the conversion occurs. In the 1-23 16th and subsequent years, the land shall be appraised as timber 1-24 land as provided by Subchapter E, so long as it qualifies as timber 1-25 land under Subchapter E. 2-1 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 2-2 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-3 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-4 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-5 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-6 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.