By:  Patterson                                        S.B. No. 1017

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

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

 1-2     the qualifications of the members of appraisal review boards.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Chapter 5, Tax Code, is amended by adding Section

 1-5     5.041 to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 5.041.  TRAINING OF APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD MEMBERS.

 1-7     (a)  The comptroller shall:

 1-8                 (1)  approve curricula and provide materials for use in

 1-9     training and educating members of an appraisal review board; and

1-10                 (2)  supervise a course for training and education of

1-11     appraisal review board members and issue certificates indicating

1-12     course completion.

1-13           (b)  A member of the appraisal review board established for

1-14     an appraisal district must complete the course established under

1-15     Subsection (a).  A member of the appraisal review board may not

1-16     participate in a hearing conducted by the board unless the person

1-17     has completed the course established under Subsection (a) and

1-18     received a certificate of course completion.

1-19           (c)  The comptroller may contract with service providers to

1-20     assist with the duties imposed under Subsection (a), but the course

1-21     required may not be provided by an appraisal district or a taxing

1-22     unit.  The comptroller may assess a fee to recover a portion of the

1-23     costs incurred for the training course, but the fee may not exceed

 2-1     $50 per person trained.

 2-2           (d)  The course material for the course required under

 2-3     Subsection (a) is the comptroller's Appraisal Review Board Manual

 2-4     in use on the effective date of this section.  The manual shall be

 2-5     updated regularly.  It may be revised on request, in writing, to

 2-6     the comptroller.  The revision language must be approved on the

 2-7     unanimous agreement of a committee selected by the comptroller and

 2-8     representing, equally, taxpayers and chief appraisers.  The person

 2-9     requesting the revision shall pay the costs of mediation if the

2-10     comptroller determines that mediation is required.

2-11           (e)  Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection (b), an

2-12     appraisal review board member appointed after a course offering may

2-13     continue to serve until the completion of the subsequent course

2-14     offering.

2-15           (f)  The comptroller may not give advice on or intervene in a

2-16     matter that may be protested before the appraisal review board.

2-17           SECTION 2.  Section 6.412, Tax Code, is amended by adding

2-18     Subsection (c) to read as follows:

2-19           (c)  A person is ineligible to serve on the appraisal review

2-20     board if the person is:

2-21                 (1)  a former officer or employee of the appraisal

2-22     district or a taxing unit for which the appraisal district

2-23     appraises property;

2-24                 (2)  a former member of the board of directors of the

2-25     appraisal district; or

 3-1                 (3)  a former member of the governing body of a taxing

 3-2     unit for which the appraisal district appraises property.

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

 3-4     qualifications of members of an appraisal review board do not

 3-5     affect the entitlement of a member serving on a board immediately

 3-6     before the effective date of this Act to continue to serve on the

 3-7     board and to participate in board hearings for the remainder of the

 3-8     member's term.  The changes in law apply only to a member appointed

 3-9     on or after the effective date of this Act.  This Act does not

3-10     prohibit a person who is a member of an appraisal review board on

3-11     the effective date of this Act from being reappointed to the board

3-12     if the person has the qualifications required for a member under

3-13     the Tax Code as amended by this Act.

3-14           (b)  The comptroller of public accounts shall implement

3-15     Section 5.041, Tax Code, as added by this Act, before January 1,

3-16     1998.

3-17           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the

3-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

3-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

3-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.