By: Cain S.B. No. 1209 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to communication in an electronic format between a 1-2 property owner and a chief appraiser of an appraisal district for 1-3 the purpose of ad valorem taxation. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subsection (a), Section 1.07, Tax Code, is 1-6 amended to read as follows: 1-7 (a) An official or agency required by this title to deliver 1-8 a notice to a property owner may deliver the notice by regular 1-9 first-class mail, with postage prepaid, unless this section or 1-10 another provision of this title requires a different method of 1-11 delivery or the parties agree that the notice must be delivered as 1-12 provided by Section 1.085. 1-13 SECTION 2. Chapter 1, Tax Code, is amended by adding Section 1-14 1.085 to read as follows: 1-15 Sec. 1.085. COMMUNICATION IN ELECTRONIC FORMAT. (a) Except 1-16 as provided by Section 1.07(d), any notice, rendition, application 1-17 form, or completed application that is required or permitted by 1-18 this title to be delivered between a chief appraiser and a property 1-19 owner or between a chief appraiser and a person designated by a 1-20 property owner under Section 1.111(f) may be delivered in an 1-21 electronic format if the chief appraiser and the property owner 1-22 agree under this section. 1-23 (b) An agreement between a chief appraiser and a property 1-24 owner must: 2-1 (1) be in writing; 2-2 (2) be signed by the chief appraiser and the property 2-3 owner; and 2-4 (3) specify: 2-5 (A) the medium of communication; 2-6 (B) the type of communication covered; and 2-7 (C) the means for protecting the security of a 2-8 communication. 2-9 (c) An agreement may address other matters. 2-10 (d) Unless otherwise provided by an agreement, the delivery 2-11 of any information in an electronic format is effective on receipt 2-12 by a chief appraiser, property owner, or person designated by a 2-13 property owner. 2-14 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-15 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 2-16 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-17 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-18 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-19 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.