78R1025(1) JD
By:  Chavez                                                       H.B. No. 104
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the exemption from ad valorem taxation of tangible 
personal property held at certain locations only temporarily for 
assembling, manufacturing, processing, or other commercial 
purposes.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 11, Tax Code, is amended by 
adding Section 11.253 to read as follows:
	Sec. 11.253.  TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY IN TRANSIT.  
(a)  In this section, "goods-in-transit" means tangible personal 
property that meets the requirements of Section 1-n, Article VIII, 
Texas Constitution, as proposed by S.J.R. No. 6, 77th Legislature, 
Regular Session, 2001.
	(b)  A person is entitled to an exemption from taxation of 
the appraised value of that portion of the person's property that 
consists of goods-in-transit.
	(c)  The exemption provided by Subsection (b) is subtracted 
from the market value of the property determined under Section 
23.01 or 23.12, as applicable, to determine the taxable value of the 
property.
	(d)  Except as provided by Subsections (f) and (g), the chief 
appraiser shall determine the appraised value of goods-in-transit 
under this subsection.  The chief appraiser shall determine the 
percentage of the market value of inventory or other property owned 
by the property owner in the preceding calendar year that was 
contributed by goods-in-transit.  For the first year to which the 
exemption applies to a taxing unit, the chief appraiser shall 
determine that percentage as if the exemption applied to the 
preceding year.  The chief appraiser shall apply that percentage to 
the market value of the property owner's inventory or other 
property for the current year to determine the appraised value of 
goods-in-transit for the current year.
	(e)  In determining the market value of goods-in-transit 
that in the preceding year were assembled, manufactured, repaired, 
maintained, processed, or fabricated in this state, the chief 
appraiser shall exclude the cost of equipment, machinery, or 
materials that entered into and became component parts of the 
goods-in-transit but were not themselves goods-in-transit or that 
were not transported to another location in this state or out of 
this state before the expiration of 270 days after the date they 
were brought into this state by the property owner or acquired by 
the property owner in this state.  For component parts held in bulk, 
the chief appraiser may use the average length of time a component 
part was held by the owner of the component parts during the 
preceding year at a location in this state that was not owned by or 
under the control of the owner of the component parts in determining 
whether the component parts were transported to another location in 
this state or out of this state before the expiration of 270 days.
	(f)  If the property owner was not engaged in transporting 
goods-in-transit to another location in this state or out of this 
state for the entire preceding year, the chief appraiser shall 
calculate the percentage of the market value described in 
Subsection (d) for the portion of the year in which the property 
owner was engaged in transporting goods-in-transit to another 
location in this state or out of this state.
	(g)  If the property owner or the chief appraiser 
demonstrates that the method provided by Subsection (d) 
significantly understates or overstates the market value of the 
property qualified for an exemption under Subsection (b) in the 
current year, the chief appraiser shall determine the market value 
of the goods-in-transit to be exempt by determining, according to 
the property owner's records and any other available information, 
the market value of those goods-in-transit owned by the property 
owner on January 1 of the current year, excluding the cost of 
equipment, machinery, or materials that entered into and became 
component parts of the goods-in-transit but were not themselves 
goods-in-transit or that were not transported to another location 
in this state or out of this state before the expiration of 270 days 
after the date they were brought into this state by the property 
owner or acquired by the property owner in this state.
	(h)  The chief appraiser by written notice delivered to a 
property owner who claims an exemption under this section may 
require the property owner to provide copies of property records to 
determine the amount and value of goods-in-transit and whether the 
location in this state where the goods-in-transit were detained for 
assembling, storing, manufacturing, processing, or fabricating 
purposes was not owned by or under the control of the owner of the 
goods-in-transit.  If the property owner fails to deliver the 
information requested in the notice before the 31st day after the 
date the notice is delivered to the property owner, the property 
owner forfeits the right to claim or receive the exemption for that 
year.
	(i)  Property that meets the requirements of Section 1-n(a), 
Article VIII, Texas Constitution, as proposed by S.J.R. No. 6, 77th 
Legislature, Regular Session, 2001, constitutes goods-in-transit 
regardless of whether the person who owns the property on January 1 
is the person who transports it to another location in this state or 
out of this state.
	(j)  The governing body of a taxing unit, in the manner 
required for official action by the governing body, may provide for 
the taxation of tangible personal property exempt under Subsection 
(b) and not exempt under other law.  Before acting to tax the exempt 
property, the governing body of the taxing unit must conduct a 
public hearing as required by Section 1-n(d), Article VIII, Texas 
Constitution, as proposed by S.J.R. No. 6, 77th Legislature, 
Regular Session, 2001.  If the governing body of a taxing unit 
provides for the taxation of the property as provided by this 
subsection, the exemption prescribed by Subsection (b) does not 
apply to that unit.
	SECTION 2.   Section 403.302(d), Government Code, is amended 
to read as follows:
	(d)  For the purposes of this section, "taxable value" means 
the market value of all taxable property less:
		(1)  the total dollar amount of any residence homestead 
exemptions lawfully granted under Section 11.13(b) or (c), Tax 
Code, in the year that is the subject of the study for each school 
district;
		(2)  one-half of the total dollar amount of any 
residence homestead exemptions granted under Section 11.13(n), Tax 
Code, in the year that is the subject of the study for each school 
district;
		(3)  the total dollar amount of any exemptions granted 
before May 31, 1993, within a reinvestment zone under agreements 
authorized by Chapter 312, Tax Code;
		(4)  subject to Subsection (e), the total dollar amount 
of any captured appraised value of property that:
			(A)  is within a reinvestment zone created on or 
before May 31, 1999, or is proposed to be included within the 
boundaries of a reinvestment zone as the boundaries of the zone and 
the proposed portion of tax increment paid into the tax increment 
fund by a school district are described in a written notification 
provided by the municipality or the board of directors of the zone 
to the governing bodies of the other taxing units in the manner 
provided by Section 311.003(e), Tax Code, before May 31, 1999, and 
within the boundaries of the zone as those boundaries existed on 
September 1, 1999, including subsequent improvements to the 
property regardless of when made;
			(B)  generates taxes paid into a tax increment 
fund created under Chapter 311, Tax Code, under a reinvestment zone 
financing plan approved under Section 311.011(d), Tax Code, on or 
before September 1, 1999; and
			(C)  is eligible for tax increment financing under 
Chapter 311, Tax Code;  
		(5)  the total dollar amount of any exemptions granted 
under Section 11.251 or 11.253, Tax Code;
		(6)  the difference between the comptroller's estimate 
of the market value and the productivity value of land that 
qualifies for appraisal on the basis of its productive capacity, 
except that the productivity value estimated by the comptroller may 
not exceed the fair market value of the land;
		(7)  the portion of the appraised value of residence 
homesteads of the elderly on which school district taxes are not 
imposed in the year that is the subject of the study, calculated as 
if the residence homesteads were appraised at the full value 
required by law;
		(8)  a portion of the market value of property not 
otherwise fully taxable by the district at market value because of:
			(A)  action required by statute or the 
constitution of this state that, if the tax rate adopted by the 
district is applied to it, produces an amount equal to the 
difference between the tax that the district would have imposed on 
the property if the property were fully taxable at market value and 
the tax that the district is actually authorized to impose on the 
property, if this subsection does not otherwise require that 
portion to be deducted; or
			(B)  action taken by the district under Subchapter 
B or C, Chapter 313, Tax Code;
		(9)  the market value of all tangible personal 
property, other than manufactured homes, owned by a family or 
individual and not held or used for the production of income;
		(10)  the appraised value of property the collection of 
delinquent taxes on which is deferred under Section 33.06, Tax 
Code;
		(11)  the portion of the appraised value of property 
the collection of delinquent taxes on which is deferred under 
Section 33.065, Tax Code; and
		(12)  the amount by which the market value of a 
residence homestead to which Section 23.23, Tax Code, applies 
exceeds the appraised value of that property as calculated under 
that section.
	SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2004, and 
applies only to taxes imposed for a tax year beginning on or after 
that date.