By: Ratliff S.B. No. 765 97S0460/1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to appraisal for property tax purposes of open-space land 1-2 that is converted to production of timber. 1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-4 SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 23, Tax Code, is amended by 1-5 adding Section 23.59 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 23.59. APPRAISAL OF OPEN-SPACE LAND THAT IS CONVERTED 1-7 TO TIMBER PRODUCTION. (a) If land that has been appraised under 1-8 this subchapter for at least five preceding years is converted to 1-9 production of timber after September 1, 1997, the owner may elect 1-10 to have the land continue to be appraised under this subchapter for 1-11 15 years after the date of the conversion, so long as the land 1-12 qualifies for appraisal as timber land under Subchapter E. In that 1-13 event, the land is deemed to be the same category of land under 1-14 this subchapter as it was immediately before conversion to timber 1-15 production. 1-16 (b) The election must be made by a new application filed as 1-17 provided by Section 23.54 and remains in effect for 15 years or 1-18 until a change in use of the land occurs. 1-19 (c) This section applies to the appraisal of land converted 1-20 to timber production only until the end of the tax year in which 1-21 the 15th anniversary of the date of the conversion occurs. In the 1-22 16th and subsequent years, the land shall be appraised as timber 1-23 land as provided by Subchapter E, so long as it qualifies as timber 2-1 land under Subchapter E. 2-2 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997. 2-3 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-4 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-5 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-6 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-7 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.