By Edwards                                      H.B. No. 2808

      75R9018 T                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to limits on attorney's fees in certain ad valorem tax

 1-3     appeals of real property.

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

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 42, Tax Code, is amended by amending

 1-6     Section 42.29, as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 42.29.  ATTORNEY'S FEES.  A property owner who prevails

 1-8     in an appeal to the court under Section 42.25 or Section 42.26 of

 1-9     this code may be awarded reasonable attorney's fees not to exceed

1-10     the greater of $15,000 or 20 percent of the total amount by which

1-11     the property owner's tax liability is reduced as a result of the

1-12     appeal.  [The award of attorney's fees, however, may not exceed the

1-13     total amount by which the property owner's tax liability is reduced

1-14     as a result of the appeal.]

1-15           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.  The

1-16     change in law made by this Act applies to any appeal filed under

1-17     Section 42.25 or 42.26, Tax Code, on or after that date and to any

1-18     appeal under those sections that is pending before a court on that

1-19     date.

1-20           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.