By Kubiak                                       H.B. No. 2178

      75R7183 JD-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to training for members of appraisal review boards and to

 1-3     the qualifications of the members of appraisal review boards.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 5, Tax Code, is amended by adding Section

 1-6     5.041 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 5.041.  TRAINING OF APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD MEMBERS.

 1-8     (a)  The comptroller shall:

 1-9                 (1)  provide standards for training and educating

1-10     members of an appraisal review board;

1-11                 (2)  approve curricula and materials for use in the

1-12     training and education of those persons; and

1-13                 (3)  establish standards for a certificate of training

1-14     and education completion and for the issuance of a certificate to a

1-15     person who successfully completes the training and education.

1-16           (b)  A member of an appraisal review board must complete

1-17     training and education that meets the standards established under

1-18     Subsection (a).  A member of an appraisal review board may not

1-19     participate in a hearing conducted by the board unless the person

1-20     has:

1-21                 (1)  successfully completed the required training and

1-22     education; and

1-23                 (2)  been issued a certificate of training and

1-24     education completion.

 2-1           (c)  The training and education required by this section may

 2-2     not be provided by an appraisal district or a taxing unit.

 2-3           SECTION 2.  Section 6.412, Tax Code, is amended by adding

 2-4     Subsection (c) to read as follows:

 2-5           (c)  A person is ineligible to serve on an appraisal review

 2-6     board if the person is:

 2-7                 (1)  a former officer or employee of the appraisal

 2-8     district or a taxing unit for which the appraisal district

 2-9     appraises property;

2-10                 (2)  a former member of the board of directors of the

2-11     appraisal district; or

2-12                 (3)  a former member of the governing body of a taxing

2-13     unit for which the appraisal district appraises property.

2-14           SECTION 3.  (a)  The changes in law made by this Act in the

2-15     qualifications of members of an appraisal review board do not

2-16     affect the entitlement of a member serving on a board immediately

2-17     before the effective date of this Act to continue to serve on the

2-18     board and to participate in board hearings for the remainder of the

2-19     member's term.  The changes in law apply only to a member appointed

2-20     on or after the effective date of this Act.  This Act does not

2-21     prohibit a person who is a member of an appraisal review board on

2-22     the effective date of this Act from being reappointed to the board

2-23     if the person has the qualifications required for a member under

2-24     the Tax Code as amended by this Act.

2-25           (b)  The comptroller of public accounts shall implement

2-26     Section 5.041, Tax Code, as added by this Act, before January 1,

2-27     1998.

 3-1           SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 3-2           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-3     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-4     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-5     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-6     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.