1-1     By:  Telford, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Ratliff)       H.B. No. 1723

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 1997;

 1-3     May 6, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on State

 1-4     Affairs; May 16, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:

 1-5     Yeas 13, Nays 0; May 16, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to appraisal for property tax purposes of open-space land

 1-9     that is converted to production of timber.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 23, Tax Code, is amended by

1-12     adding Section 23.59 to read as follows:

1-13           Sec. 23.59.  APPRAISAL OF OPEN-SPACE LAND THAT IS CONVERTED

1-14     TO TIMBER PRODUCTION.  (a)  If land that has been appraised under

1-15     this subchapter for at least five preceding years is converted to

1-16     production of timber after September 1, 1997, the owner may elect

1-17     to have the land continue to be appraised under this subchapter for

1-18     15 years after the date of the conversion, so long as the land

1-19     qualifies for appraisal as timber land under Subchapter E.  In that

1-20     event, the land is deemed to be the same category of land under

1-21     this subchapter as it was immediately before conversion to timber

1-22     production.

1-23           (b)  The election must be made by a new application filed as

1-24     provided by Section 23.54 and remains in effect for 15 years or

1-25     until a change in use of the land occurs.

1-26           (c)  This section applies to the appraisal of land converted

1-27     to timber production only until the end of the tax year in which

1-28     the 15th anniversary of the date of the conversion occurs.  In the

1-29     16th and subsequent years, the land shall be appraised as timber

1-30     land as provided by Subchapter E, so long as it qualifies as timber

1-31     land under Subchapter E.

1-32           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-33           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-34     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-35     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-36     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-37     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

1-38                                  * * * * *