By Bosse                                              H.B. No. 1563
         76R5032 PAM-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to prohibiting subdividing or amending in any manner the
 1-3     subdivision of real property if ad valorem taxes are delinquent.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter Z, Chapter 212, Local Government Code,
 1-6     is amended by adding Section 212.905 to read as follows:
 1-7           Sec. 212.905.  TAX CERTIFICATES REQUIRED.  (a)  A municipal
 1-8     authority responsible for approving plats may not approve a plat,
 1-9     replat, vacation of a plat, or amendment of a plat of real property
1-10     under this chapter unless the person requesting approval submits an
1-11     original tax certificate from each taxing unit with jurisdiction of
1-12     the property indicating that no delinquent ad valorem taxes are
1-13     owed on the real property.
1-14           (b)  This section does not apply if more than one person
1-15     acquired the real property from a decedent under a will or by
1-16     inheritance and those persons owning an undivided interest in the
1-17     property request approval to subdivide the property to provide each
1-18     person with a divided interest and a separate title to the
1-19     property.
1-20           SECTION 2.  Chapter 232, Local Government Code, is amended by
1-21     adding Subchapter Z to read as follows:
1-22                        SUBCHAPTER Z.  MISCELLANEOUS
1-23           Sec. 232.901.  TAX CERTIFICATES REQUIRED.  (a)  The
1-24     commissioners court of a county may not approve a plat, replat,
 2-1     cancellation of a plat, or revision of a plat of real property
 2-2     under this chapter unless the person requesting approval submits an
 2-3     original tax certificate from each taxing unit indicating that no
 2-4     delinquent ad valorem taxes are owed on the real property.
 2-5           (b)  This section does not apply if more than one person
 2-6     acquired the real property from a decedent under a will or by
 2-7     inheritance and those persons request approval to subdivide the
 2-8     property.
 2-9           SECTION 3.  (a)  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-10           (b)  The change in law made by this Act applies only to:
2-11                 (1)  a request for the approval of a plat, replat,
2-12     vacation of a plat, or amendment of a plat submitted to a municipal
2-13     authority responsible for approving plats on or after the effective
2-14     date of this Act; and
2-15                 (2)  a request for the approval of a plat, replat,
2-16     cancellation of a plat, or revision of a plat submitted to the
2-17     commissioners court of a county on or after the effective date of
2-18     this Act.
2-19           (c)  A request for approval by a municipal authority
2-20     responsible for approving plats or a commissioners court of a
2-21     county that is submitted before the effective date of this Act is
2-22     governed by the law in effect when the request for approval was
2-23     submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for that
2-24     purpose.
2-25           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-26     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-27     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 3-1     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 3-2     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.