BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1814

By: Vo

Higher Education

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law provides the ballot language for an election to annex new areas into a junior college district. The ballot language required for an annexing election omits any mention of the corresponding tax information. A change in the ballot language to include the pertinent tax information should be made in the interest of transparency and maximizing voter information.
 

C.S.H.B. 1814 requires the ballot language for an election on the question of annexation of land by a junior collect district to also include the question of imposition of a property tax for district purposes.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1814 amends the Education Code to require the ballot language for an election on the question of a junior college district's annexation of land to provide for voting for or against both approving the annexation and authorizing the imposition of a property tax for junior college purposes, with the property tax rate of the district for the current year or, if that rate has not been adopted, the tax rate for the preceding year specified on the ballot.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2009.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

C.S.H.B. 1814 differs from the original by specifying that the proposition is on approving authorization to impose a tax rather than on approving the imposition of the tax.  The substitute differs from the original by requiring the ballot to state either the tax rate for the current year or, if that rate has not been adopted, the tax rate for the preceding year, whereas the original requires the ballot to state the district's maximum permissible tax rate.