Floor Packet Page No. 112
      Amend CSSB 4 between SECTIONS 1.31 and 1.32 of the bill
(House Committee Printing, between page 31, line 27, and page 32,
line 1) by inserting the following SECTION, appropriately numbered,
and renumbering the subsequent SECTIONS accordingly:
      SECTION ____.  Chapter 5, Tax Code, is amended by adding
Section 5.103 to read as follows:
      Sec. 5.103.  DETERMINATION OF FEASIBILITY OF AUTHORIZING
APPRAISAL DISTRICTS TO CONDUCT RATIO AND SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPERTY
VALUE STUDIES.  (a)  The comptroller shall determine the
feasibility of authorizing an appraisal district instead of the
comptroller to conduct the studies in the district required by
Section 5.10 of this code and Section 403.302, Government Code.
      (b)  The comptroller shall select from appraisal districts
that have agreed to conduct the studies:
            (1)  at least one appraisal district that appraises
property with a total appraised value of more than $40 billion;
            (2)  at least one appraisal district that appraises
property with a total appraised value of more than $10 billion but
not more than $40 billion; and
            (3)  at least one appraisal district that appraises
property with a total appraised value of $10 billion or less.
      (c)  In selecting appraisal districts to conduct the studies,
the comptroller shall consider the appraisal district
characteristics that best further the goals of the project.
      (d)  Each appraisal district selected by the comptroller
shall conduct the studies required by Section 5.10 of this code and
Section 403.302, Government Code, in the district for the 2000 tax
year.  The appraisal district shall conduct the studies in
accordance with procedures determined by the comptroller and submit
the studies to the comptroller not later than September 1, 2000.
      (e)  The comptroller shall also conduct the studies in each
selected appraisal district as required by Section 5.10 of this
code and Section 403.302, Government Code.
      (f)  A study conducted by an appraisal district under this
section is for purposes of comparison only, is not binding on the
comptroller, and may not be used for school district funding
purposes.
      (g)  Each appraisal district conducting a study under this
section shall keep a record of its costs incurred in conducting the
study and report those costs to the comptroller.
      (h)  An appraisal district conducting a study under this
section is not entitled to be reimbursed by this state for its
costs incurred in conducting the study.
      (i)  The comptroller shall audit each study conducted by an
appraisal district under this section.
      (j)  Not later than March 1, 2001, the comptroller shall
report to the 77th Legislature on whether authorizing appraisal
districts to conduct the studies required by Section 5.10 of this
code and Section 403.302, Government Code, would be sufficiently
cost-effective and accurate that it would be feasible to use the
resulting determinations of taxable property value in each school
district for school district funding purposes.
      (k)  This section expires March 2, 2001.