By Ritter H.B. No. 2412
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to ad valorem taxation.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Section 5.101(b), Tax Code, is amended to read as
1-5 follows:
1-6 (b) The committee shall:
1-7 (1) review the methodology used by the comptroller to
1-8 conduct the studies described in Subsection (a) [of this section];
1-9 (2) make an annual report to the comptroller that
1-10 includes the committee's findings and recommendations relating to
1-11 the methodology used to conduct the studies; and
1-12 (3) meet as often as necessary to perform its duties[,
1-13 but not less often than semi-annually].
1-14 SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 24, Tax Code, is amended by
1-15 adding Section 24.365 to read as follows:
1-16 Sec. 24.365. CORRECTION OF CERTIFIED AMOUNT. (a) A chief
1-17 appraiser who discovers that the chief appraiser's certification to
1-18 the comptroller of the amount of the market value of rolling stock
1-19 allocated to this state under Section 24.36 was incomplete or
1-20 incorrect shall immediately certify the correct amount of that
1-21 market value to the comptroller.
1-22 (b) As soon as practicable after the comptroller receives
1-23 the correct certification from the chief appraiser, the comptroller
1-24 shall certify to the county assessor-collector for each affected
2-1 county the information required by Section 24.38 as corrected.
2-2 SECTION 3. Section 25.195, Tax Code, is amended by amending
2-3 Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (c), (d), and (e) to read as
2-4 follows:
2-5 (a) After the chief appraiser has submitted the appraisal
2-6 records to the appraisal review board as provided by Section
2-7 25.22(a), a property owner or the owner's designated agent is
2-8 entitled to [may] inspect and copy the appraisal records relating
2-9 to property of the property owner, together with supporting data,
2-10 schedules, and, except as provided by Subsection (b), any other
2-11 material or information held by the chief appraiser or required by
2-12 Section 25.01(c) to be provided to the appraisal district under a
2-13 contract for appraisal services, including material or information
2-14 obtained under Section 22.27, that is obtained or used in making
2-15 appraisals for the appraisal records relating to that property.
2-16 (c) A property owner or the designated agent of an owner
2-17 whose property is appraised by a private appraisal firm under a
2-18 contract for appraisal services with an appraisal district is
2-19 entitled to inspect and copy, at the office of that firm, all
2-20 information pertaining to the property that the firm considered in
2-21 appraising the property, including information showing each method
2-22 of appraisal used to determine the value of the property and all
2-23 calculations, personal notes, correspondence, and working papers
2-24 used in appraising the property. This subsection does not apply to
2-25 information made confidential by Section 22.27, except that the
2-26 property owner or agent is entitled to inspect and copy any
2-27 information relating to the owner's property, including otherwise
3-1 confidential information.
3-2 (d) The appraisal firm shall make information covered by
3-3 Subsection (c) available for inspection and copying by the owner or
3-4 agent not later than the 15th day after the date the owner or agent
3-5 delivers a written request to inspect the information, unless the
3-6 owner or agent agrees in writing to a later date.
3-7 (e) If an owner or agent states under oath in a document
3-8 filed with an appraisal review board in connection with a
3-9 proceeding initiated under Section 25.25 or Chapter 41 that the
3-10 applicable appraisal firm has not complied with a request for
3-11 inspection or copying under Subsection (c) related to the property
3-12 that is the subject of the proceeding, the board may not conduct a
3-13 hearing on the merits of any claim relating to that property and
3-14 may not approve the appraisal records relating to that property
3-15 until the board determines in a hearing that:
3-16 (1) the appraisal firm has made the information
3-17 available for inspection and copying as required by Subsection (c);
3-18 or
3-19 (2) the owner or agent has withdrawn the motion or
3-20 protest that initiated the proceeding.
3-21 SECTION 4. Section 312.005(a), Tax Code, is amended to read
3-22 as follows:
3-23 (a) The comptroller shall maintain a central registry of
3-24 reinvestment zones designated under this chapter and of ad valorem
3-25 tax abatement agreements executed under this chapter. The chief
3-26 appraiser of each appraisal district that appraises property for a
3-27 [Each] taxing unit that has designated [designates] a reinvestment
4-1 zone or executed [executes] a tax abatement agreement under this
4-2 chapter shall deliver to the comptroller before July [April] 1 of
4-3 the year following the year in which the zone is designated or the
4-4 agreement is executed a report providing the following information:
4-5 (1) for a reinvestment zone, a general description of
4-6 the zone, including its size, the types of property located in it,
4-7 its duration, and the guidelines and criteria established for the
4-8 reinvestment zone under Section 312.002, including subsequent
4-9 amendments and modifications of the guidelines or criteria;
4-10 (2) a copy of each tax abatement agreement to which a
4-11 [the] taxing unit that participates in the appraisal district is a
4-12 party; and
4-13 (3) any other information required by the comptroller
4-14 to administer this section and Subchapter F, Chapter 111.
4-15 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.