BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3307

By: Munoz, Jr.

Ways & Means

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Currently, property tax appraisal records are confidential if they contain the address information of certain categories of individuals whose personal safety could be jeopardized if their home address became available as a public record and if the individual chooses to restrict public access to the information. Interested parties contend that United States attorneys, assistant United States attorneys, and their spouses and children should be included among such groups, to protect against possible retaliation from those they prosecute. H.B. 3307 seeks to implement this inclusion.

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

H.B. 3307 amends the Tax Code to add a current or former United States attorney or assistant United States attorney and the spouse and child of the attorney to the list of individuals for whom information in property tax appraisal records is confidential and only available for the official use of the appraisal district, the state, the comptroller of public accounts, and taxing units and political subdivisions if the records identify the individual's home address and the individual chooses to restrict public access to the information in the records.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2011.