1-1     By:  Brown                                             S.B. No. 485

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed February 6, 1997; February 11, 1997,

 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;

 1-4     March 25, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 11,

 1-5     Nays 0; March 25, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the joint listing on an ad valorem tax appraisal roll

 1-9     of separate interests in minerals in place.

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

1-11           SECTION 1.  Subsection (b), Section 25.12, Tax Code, is

1-12     amended to read as follows:

1-13           (b)  Separate interests in minerals in place, other than

1-14     interests having a taxable value of less than $500, shall be listed

1-15     jointly in the name of the operator designated with the railroad

1-16     commission or the name of all owners or any combination of owners

1-17     if the designated operator files with the appraisal office before

1-18     May 1 a written request for joint taxation on a form furnished for

1-19     that purpose.  A qualification pursuant to this subsection for

1-20     joint taxation remains effective in subsequent tax years and need

1-21     not be requested again.  However, the qualification ceases when the

1-22     designated operator files a request to cancel joint taxation.

1-23           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect January 1, 1998.

1-24           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-25     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-26     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-27     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-28     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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