1-1 By: Patterson S.B. No. 1017 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 7, 1997; March 11, 1997, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental 1-4 Relations; April 18, 1997, reported adversely, with favorable 1-5 Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; 1-6 April 18, 1997, sent to printer.) 1-7 COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1017 By: Cain 1-8 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-9 AN ACT 1-10 relating to training for members of appraisal review boards and to 1-11 the qualifications of the members of appraisal review boards. 1-12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-13 SECTION 1. Chapter 5, Tax Code, is amended by adding Section 1-14 5.041 to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 5.041. TRAINING OF APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD MEMBERS. 1-16 (a) The comptroller shall: 1-17 (1) approve curricula and provide materials for use in 1-18 training and educating members of an appraisal review board; and 1-19 (2) supervise a course for training and education of 1-20 appraisal review board members and issue certificates indicating 1-21 course completion. 1-22 (b) A member of the appraisal review board established for 1-23 an appraisal district must complete the course established under 1-24 Subsection (a). A member of the appraisal review board may not 1-25 participate in a hearing conducted by the board unless the person 1-26 has completed the course established under Subsection (a) and 1-27 received a certificate of course completion. 1-28 (c) The comptroller may contract with service providers to 1-29 assist with the duties imposed under Subsection (a), but the course 1-30 required may not be provided by an appraisal district or a taxing 1-31 unit. The comptroller may assess a fee to recover a portion of the 1-32 costs incurred for the training course, but the fee may not exceed 1-33 $50 per person trained. 1-34 (d) The course material for the course required under 1-35 Subsection (a) is the comptroller's Appraisal Review Board Manual 1-36 in use on the effective date of this section. The manual shall be 1-37 updated regularly. It may be revised on request, in writing, to 1-38 the comptroller. The revision language must be approved on the 1-39 unanimous agreement of a committee selected by the comptroller and 1-40 representing, equally, taxpayers and chief appraisers. The person 1-41 requesting the revision shall pay the costs of mediation if the 1-42 comptroller determines that mediation is required. 1-43 (e) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection (b), an 1-44 appraisal review board member appointed after a course offering may 1-45 continue to serve until the completion of the subsequent course 1-46 offering. 1-47 (f) The comptroller may not give advice on or intervene in a 1-48 matter that may be protested before the appraisal review board. 1-49 SECTION 2. Section 6.412, Tax Code, is amended by adding 1-50 Subsection (c) to read as follows: 1-51 (c) A person is ineligible to serve on the appraisal review 1-52 board if the person is: 1-53 (1) a former officer or employee of the appraisal 1-54 district or a taxing unit for which the appraisal district 1-55 appraises property; 1-56 (2) a former member of the board of directors of the 1-57 appraisal district; or 1-58 (3) a former member of the governing body of a taxing 1-59 unit for which the appraisal district appraises property. 1-60 SECTION 3. (a) The changes in law made by this Act in the 1-61 qualifications of members of an appraisal review board do not 1-62 affect the entitlement of a member serving on a board immediately 1-63 before the effective date of this Act to continue to serve on the 1-64 board and to participate in board hearings for the remainder of the 2-1 member's term. The changes in law apply only to a member appointed 2-2 on or after the effective date of this Act. This Act does not 2-3 prohibit a person who is a member of an appraisal review board on 2-4 the effective date of this Act from being reappointed to the board 2-5 if the person has the qualifications required for a member under 2-6 the Tax Code as amended by this Act. 2-7 (b) The comptroller of public accounts shall implement 2-8 Section 5.041, Tax Code, as added by this Act, before January 1, 2-9 1998. 2-10 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-11 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-12 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-13 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-14 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 2-15 * * * * *