By:  Cain                                             S.B. No. 1737
         2001S0482/1                            
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to a property owner's right of access to records and
 1-3     information used in appraising property for property taxation.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 25.195, Tax Code, is amended by amending
 1-6     Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
 1-7           (a)  After the chief appraiser has submitted the appraisal
 1-8     records to the appraisal review board as provided by Section
 1-9     25.22(a), a property owner or the owner's designated agent is
1-10     entitled to [may] inspect and copy the appraisal records relating
1-11     to property of the property owner, together with supporting data,
1-12     schedules, and, except as provided by Subsection (b), any other
1-13     material or information held by the chief appraiser or required by
1-14     Section 25.01(c) to be available to the chief appraiser, including
1-15     material or information obtained under Section 22.27, that is
1-16     obtained or used in making appraisals for the appraisal records
1-17     relating to that property.
1-18           (c)  A property owner or the designated agent of an owner
1-19     whose property is appraised by a private appraisal firm under an
1-20     appraisal district contract for appraisal services is entitled to
1-21     inspect and copy, at the office of the appraisal firm, all
1-22     information the appraisal firm considers in appraising the
1-23     property, including the appraisal demonstrating the approaches to
1-24     value used and the calculations made and personal notes,
1-25     correspondence, working papers, and thought processes.  The
 2-1     appraisal firm shall make the information available for inspection
 2-2     and copying within 15 days after the date the owner or agent
 2-3     delivers a written request to inspect the information unless the
 2-4     owner or agent agrees in writing to a later date.  If a property
 2-5     owner or agent states under oath in a document filed with an
 2-6     appraisal review board in connection with a proceeding initiated
 2-7     under Chapter 41 or Section 25.25 that an appraisal firm has not
 2-8     allowed inspection and copying of information as required by this
 2-9     subsection, the board may not hold a hearing concerning the merits
2-10     of any claim relating to the property and may not approve the
2-11     appraisal records relating to the property until it has determined
2-12     in a hearing that the appraisal firm has allowed inspection and
2-13     copying as required by this subsection or the owner or agent has
2-14     withdrawn the protest or motion that initiated the proceeding.
2-15           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
2-16     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-17     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
2-18     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-19     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.