By:  Harris                                                       S.B. No. 1452


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to an offense for certain communications between an 
appraisal review board member and a chief appraiser or appraisal 
district employee concerning a matter related to an ad valorem tax 
protest.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 6, Tax Code, is amended by 
adding Section 6.411 to read as follows:
	Sec. 6.411.  EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS; PENALTY.  (a)  A 
member of an appraisal review board commits an offense if the member 
communicates with the chief appraiser or another employee of the 
appraisal district for which the appraisal review board is 
established in violation of Section 41.66(f).
	(b)  A chief appraiser or another employee of an appraisal 
district commits an offense if the chief appraiser or other 
employee communicates with a member of the appraisal review board 
established for the appraisal district in a circumstance in which 
the appraisal review board member is prohibited by Section 41.66(f) 
from communicating with the chief appraiser or other employee.
	(c)  This section does not apply to communications that do 
not discuss the specific evidence, argument, facts, merits, or 
property involved in a hearing currently pending before the 
appraisal review board or to communications between the board and 
its legal counsel.
	(d)  An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.            
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003.