By Craddick                                           H.B. No. 3541
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to delinquent tax collection of a mineral royalty
 1-3     interest.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 33.23, Property Tax Code, is amended by
 1-6     adding Subsection (1) to 33.23(c) to read as follows:
 1-7                 (1)  A tax warrant issued against a royalty interest
 1-8     owner in a producing mineral property cannot be served against the
 1-9     operator of that property.
1-10     and
1-11                 (2)  Royalty payments held by the operator of a
1-12     producing mineral property for monthly distribution shall not be
1-13     surrendered by the operator to the collector.
1-14     and by adding Section 33.23(d) to read as follows:
1-15           (d)  A tax warrant issued for an undivided interest in
1-16     minerals in place can be served only on the owner(s) of that
1-17     interest.
1-18           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
1-19           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
1-20     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
1-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
1-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
1-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.