By Hunter                                              H.B. No. 555
         76R220 GJH-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the tax appraisal of certain land owned or formerly
 1-3     owned by a veteran and designated for agricultural use.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter D, Chapter 23, Tax Code, is amended by
 1-6     adding Section 23.551 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 23.551.  VETERANS LAND EXEMPTED FROM SANCTIONS.  (a)  In
 1-8     this section, "veteran" means an honorably discharged veteran of
 1-9     the armed services of the United States.
1-10           (b)  The sanctions provided by Section 23.55(a) do not apply
1-11     to a change of use of land:
1-12                 (1)  owned by a veteran or the unmarried surviving
1-13     spouse of a veteran; or
1-14                 (2)  purchased from a veteran or from the unmarried
1-15     surviving spouse of a veteran, if the change of use occurs while
1-16     the land is owned exclusively by the purchaser.
1-17           SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-18     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-19     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-20     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-21     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
1-22     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
1-23     passage, and it is so enacted.