By: Eltife  S.B. No. 402
         (In the Senate - Filed January 5, 2009; February 17, 2009,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Finance;
  April 14, 2009, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 13,
  Nays 0; April 14, 2009, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the authority of the voters of a municipality or a
  county to adopt a one-quarter cent sales and use tax in the
  municipality or county to provide property tax relief.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle C, Title 3, Tax Code, is amended by
  adding Chapter 326 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 326. MUNICIPAL AND COUNTY SALES AND USE TAX FOR PROPERTY
  TAX RELIEF
  SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
         Sec. 326.001.  APPLICABLE LAW.  Except as otherwise provided
  by this chapter:
               (1)  Chapter 321 applies to the municipal tax
  authorized by this chapter in the same manner as that chapter
  applies to the tax authorized by that chapter; and
               (2)  Chapter 323 applies to the county tax authorized
  by this chapter in the same manner as that chapter applies to the
  tax authorized by that chapter.
         Sec. 326.002.  EFFECT ON COMBINED LOCAL TAX RATE.  
  (a)  Sections 321.101 and 323.101 do not apply to the municipal or
  county tax authorized by this chapter.
         (b)  The rate of a municipal or county sales and use tax
  imposed under this chapter may not be considered in determining the
  combined or overlapping rate of local sales and use taxes in any
  area under this subtitle or another law, including:
               (1)  the Health and Safety Code;
               (2)  the Local Government Code;
               (3)  the Special District Local Laws Code; or
               (4)  the Transportation Code.
  [Sections 326.003-326.050 reserved for expansion]
  SUBCHAPTER B. IMPOSITION OF TAX
         Sec. 326.051.  TAX AUTHORIZED.  (a)  A municipality or a
  county may adopt or abolish the sales and use tax authorized by this
  chapter at an election held in the municipality or county.
         (b)  The adoption of the tax authorized by this chapter by
  one political subdivision does not affect the authority of another
  political subdivision that has overlapping boundaries to also adopt
  the tax authorized by this chapter.
         Sec. 326.052.  TAX RATE. The rate of the tax authorized by
  this chapter is one-fourth of one percent.
         Sec. 326.053.  SALES AND USE TAX EFFECTIVE DATE.  (a)  The
  adoption or abolition of the tax takes effect on the first day of
  the first calendar quarter occurring after the expiration of the
  first complete calendar quarter occurring after the date on which
  the comptroller receives a notice of the results of the election
  from the municipality or county.
         (b)  If the comptroller determines that an effective date
  provided by Subsection (a) will occur before the comptroller can
  reasonably take the action required to begin collecting the tax or
  to implement the abolition of the tax, the effective date may be
  extended by the comptroller until the first day of the next
  succeeding calendar quarter.
  [Sections 326.054-326.100 reserved for expansion]
  SUBCHAPTER C. TAX ELECTION PROCEDURES
         Sec. 326.101.  CALLING ELECTION.  (a)  An election
  authorized by this chapter in a municipality is called by the
  adoption of an ordinance by the governing body of the municipality.
         (b)  An election authorized by this chapter in a county is
  called by the adoption of an order by the commissioners court of the
  county.
         Sec. 326.102.  ELECTION DATE.  An election under this
  chapter must be held on the next uniform election date that occurs
  after the date of the election order and that allows sufficient time
  to comply with the requirements of other law.
         Sec. 326.103.  BALLOT.  (a)  At an election to adopt the tax,
  the ballot shall be prepared to permit voting for or against the
  proposition: "The adoption of a local sales and use tax in (name of
  municipality or county) at the rate of one-fourth of one percent to
  reduce the (municipal or county) property tax rate."
         (b)  At an election to abolish the tax, the ballot shall be
  prepared to permit voting for or against the proposition:  "The
  abolition of the one-fourth of one percent sales and use tax in
  (name of municipality or county) used to reduce the (municipal or
  county) property tax rate."
  [Sections 326.104-326.150 reserved for expansion]
  SUBCHAPTER D. USE OF TAX REVENUE
         Sec. 326.151.  USE OF REVENUE.  Any amount derived by a
  municipality or county from the sales and use tax under this chapter
  is additional sales and use tax revenue for purposes of Section
  26.041.
         Sec. 326.152.  CALCULATION OF MUNICIPAL OR COUNTY ROLLBACK
  TAX RATE. For a municipality or county in which the voters have
  approved the imposition of the sales and use tax under this chapter,
  for an ad valorem tax year that begins on or after the date the sales
  and use tax takes effect, in the formula for calculating the
  rollback tax rate of the municipality or county, the officer or
  employee designated by the governing body of the municipality or
  the commissioners court of the county to make the calculation shall
  substitute 1.05 for 1.08.
         SECTION 2.  Subdivision (1), Section 26.012, Tax Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
               (1)  "Additional sales and use tax" means an additional
  sales and use tax imposed by:
                     (A)  a municipality [city] under Section
  321.101(b) or Chapter 326;
                     (B)  a county under Chapter 323 or 326; or
                     (C)  a hospital district, other than a hospital
  district created on or after September 1, 2001, that:
                           (i)  imposes the sales and use tax under
  Subchapter I, Chapter 286, Health and Safety Code; or
                           (ii)  imposes the sales and use tax under
  Subchapter L, Chapter 285, Health and Safety Code.
         SECTION 3.  Subsection (i), Section 31.01, Tax Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (i)  For a municipality [city or town] that imposes an
  additional sales and use tax under Section 321.101(b) or Chapter
  326 [of this code], or a county that imposes a sales and use tax
  under Chapter 323 or 326 [of this code], the tax bill shall indicate
  the amount of additional ad valorem taxes, if any, that would have
  been imposed on the property if additional ad valorem taxes had been
  imposed in an amount equal to the amount of revenue estimated to be
  collected from the additional municipal [city] sales and use tax or
  from the county sales and use tax, as applicable, for the year
  determined as provided by Section 26.041 [of this code].
         SECTION 4.  Sections 2 and 3 of this Act apply only to ad
  valorem taxes that are imposed for an ad valorem tax year that
  begins on or after January 1, 2010.
         SECTION 5.  (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this
  section, this Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
         (b)  Sections 2 and 3 of this Act take effect January 1, 2010.
 
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