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.