SRC-LBB H.B. 500 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center H.B. 500 78R9114 RCJ-FBy: Goolsby (Carona) State Affairs 5/5/2003 Engrossed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, state law requires that an appraisal agency must collect either a driver's license or Social Security number from applicants for an exemption. This information is open to the public. H.B. 500 prohibits disclosure of any driver's license, personal identification certificate number, or social security number provided as part of an exemption application to a chief tax appraiser for a residential homestead. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 11, Tax Code, by adding Section 11.48, as follows: Sec. 11.48. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. (a) Provides that a driver's license number, personal identification certificate number, or social security account number provided in an application for an exemption filed with a chief appraiser is confidential and not open to public inspection. Prohibits the information from being disclosed to anyone other than an employee of the appraisal office who appraises property, except as authorized by Subsection (b). (b) Authorizes information made confidential by this section to be disclosed under certain circumstances. (c) Provides that a person who legally has access to an application for an exemption or who legally obtains the information from the application made confidential by this section commits an offense if the person knowingly: (1) permits inspection of the confidential information by a person not authorized by Subsection (b) to inspect the information; or (2) discloses the confidential information to a person not authorized by Subsection (b) to receive the information. (d) Provides that an offense under Subsection (c) is a Class B misdemeanor. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2003.