LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
                                   Austin, Texas
         
                                   FISCAL NOTE
                               75th Regular Session
         
                                  April 3, 1997
         
         
      TO: Honorable Tom Craddick, Chair            IN RE:  House Bill No. 1614, Committee Report 1st House, 
as amended
          Committee on Ways & Means                              By: Jackson
          House
          Austin, Texas
         
         
         
         
         FROM:  John Keel, Director    
         
In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on HB1614 ( relating 
to the appraisal of signs and related property for ad valorem 
tax purposes) this office has detemined the following:
         
         Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by HB1614-Committee Report 1st House, as amended
         
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
         

         
 
The bill would amend Chapter 23 of the Tax Code to require that, 
for property tax purposes, signs be appraised on the basis of 
their replacement cost less the amount of that cost lost to 
depreciation.  Current law requires all taxable property to 
be appraised at its market value as of January 1, and that market 
value be determined by application of generally accepted appraisal 
techniques.

The bill would take effect January 1, 1998 and 
would only apply to an appraisal of a sign or other property 
for ad valorem tax purposes for a tax year that would begin 
on or after the effective date.
          
No significant fiscal implication to units of local government 
is anticipated.
          
   Source:            Agencies:   
                                         
                      LBB Staff:   JK ,RR ,BR