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        |  | AN ACT | 
      
        |  | relating to auxiliary members of an appraisal review board. | 
      
        |  | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
        |  | SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 6, Tax Code, is amended by | 
      
        |  | adding Section 6.414 to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | Sec. 6.414.  AUXILIARY APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD MEMBERS.  (a) | 
      
        |  | The board of directors of an appraisal district by resolution of a | 
      
        |  | majority of the members may provide for a number of auxiliary | 
      
        |  | appraisal review board members that the board considers appropriate | 
      
        |  | to hear taxpayer protests before the appraisal review board and to | 
      
        |  | assist the board in performing its duties. | 
      
        |  | (b)  An auxiliary board member is appointed in the same | 
      
        |  | manner and for the same term as an appraisal review board member | 
      
        |  | under Section 6.41 and is subject to the same eligibility | 
      
        |  | requirements and restrictions as a board member under Sections | 
      
        |  | 6.41, 6.411, 6.412, and 6.413. | 
      
        |  | (c)  An auxiliary board member may attend meetings of the | 
      
        |  | appraisal review board but may not vote in a determination made by | 
      
        |  | the board or serve as chairman or secretary of the board.  An | 
      
        |  | auxiliary board member is not included in determining what | 
      
        |  | constitutes a quorum of the board or whether a quorum is present at | 
      
        |  | any meeting of the board. | 
      
        |  | (d)  An auxiliary board member may hear taxpayer protests | 
      
        |  | before the appraisal review board. If one or more auxiliary board | 
      
        |  | members sit on a panel established under Section 41.45 to conduct a | 
      
        |  | protest hearing, the number of regular appraisal review board | 
      
        |  | members required by that section to constitute the panel is reduced | 
      
        |  | by the number of auxiliary board members sitting. An auxiliary | 
      
        |  | board member sitting on a panel is considered a regular board member | 
      
        |  | for all purposes related to the conduct of the hearing. | 
      
        |  | (e)  An auxiliary board member is entitled to make a | 
      
        |  | recommendation to the appraisal review board regarding a protest | 
      
        |  | heard by the member but is not entitled to vote on the determination | 
      
        |  | of the protest by the board. | 
      
        |  | (f)  An auxiliary board member is entitled to compensation as | 
      
        |  | provided by the appraisal district budget and is not entitled to a | 
      
        |  | per diem or reimbursement of expenses under Section 6.42(c). | 
      
        |  | (g)  Except as provided by this section, in this title, | 
      
        |  | "appraisal review board member" includes an auxiliary appraisal | 
      
        |  | review board member. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 2.  Section 6.412(f), Tax Code, is amended to read | 
      
        |  | as follows: | 
      
        |  | (f)  In this section, a reference to an auxiliary board | 
      
        |  | member includes [ means] an appraisal review board auxiliary member | 
      
        |  | appointed under Section 6.411, as that law existed before January | 
      
        |  | 1, 2002. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 3.  Section 6.414, Tax Code, as added by this Act, | 
      
        |  | applies only to the appointment of an auxiliary member of an | 
      
        |  | appraisal review board for a term beginning on or after January 1, | 
      
        |  | 2012. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | 
      
        |  | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | 
      
        |  | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this | 
      
        |  | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | 
      
        |  | Act takes effect September 1, 2011. | 
      
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        |  | ______________________________ | ______________________________ | 
      
        |  | President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | 
      
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        |  | I certify that H.B. No. 896 was passed by the House on April | 
      
        |  | 20, 2011, by the following vote:  Yeas 145, Nays 1, 2 present, not | 
      
        |  | voting. | 
      
        |  |  | 
      
        |  | ______________________________ | 
      
        |  | Chief Clerk of the House | 
      
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        |  | 
      
        |  | I certify that H.B. No. 896 was passed by the Senate on May | 
      
        |  | 25, 2011, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0 | 
      
        |  | . | 
      
        |  |  | 
      
        |  | ______________________________ | 
      
        |  | Secretary of the Senate | 
      
        |  | APPROVED:  _____________________ | 
      
        |  | Date | 
      
        |  |  | 
      
        |  | _____________________ | 
      
        |  | Governor |