1-1 By: Cain S.B. No. 1209 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 11, 1999; March 11, 1999, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Intergovernmental 1-4 Relations; April 6, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 5, Nays 0; April 6, 1999, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to communication in an electronic format between a 1-9 property owner and a chief appraiser of an appraisal district for 1-10 the purpose of ad valorem taxation. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Subsection (a), Section 1.07, Tax Code, is 1-13 amended to read as follows: 1-14 (a) An official or agency required by this title to deliver 1-15 a notice to a property owner may deliver the notice by regular 1-16 first-class mail, with postage prepaid, unless this section or 1-17 another provision of this title requires a different method of 1-18 delivery or the parties agree that the notice must be delivered as 1-19 provided by Section 1.085. 1-20 SECTION 2. Chapter 1, Tax Code, is amended by adding Section 1-21 1.085 to read as follows: 1-22 Sec. 1.085. COMMUNICATION IN ELECTRONIC FORMAT. (a) Except 1-23 as provided by Section 1.07(d), any notice, rendition, application 1-24 form, or completed application that is required or permitted by 1-25 this title to be delivered between a chief appraiser and a property 1-26 owner or between a chief appraiser and a person designated by a 1-27 property owner under Section 1.111(f) may be delivered in an 1-28 electronic format if the chief appraiser and the property owner 1-29 agree under this section. 1-30 (b) An agreement between a chief appraiser and a property 1-31 owner must: 1-32 (1) be in writing; 1-33 (2) be signed by the chief appraiser and the property 1-34 owner; and 1-35 (3) specify: 1-36 (A) the medium of communication; 1-37 (B) the type of communication covered; and 1-38 (C) the means for protecting the security of a 1-39 communication. 1-40 (c) An agreement may address other matters. 1-41 (d) Unless otherwise provided by an agreement, the delivery 1-42 of any information in an electronic format is effective on receipt 1-43 by a chief appraiser, property owner, or person designated by a 1-44 property owner. 1-45 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 1-46 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the 1-47 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-48 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-49 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-50 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-51 * * * * *