84R11504 CJC-D
 
  By: Guillen H.B. No. 2282
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the procedures for protests and appeals of certain ad
  valorem tax determinations.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 41.45(b), Tax Code, is amended to read as
  follows:
         (b)  The property owner initiating the protest is entitled to
  an opportunity to appear to offer evidence or argument. The
  property owner may offer the owner's [his] evidence or argument by
  affidavit without personally appearing if the owner [he] attests to
  the affidavit before an officer authorized to administer oaths and
  submits the affidavit to the board hearing the protest before it
  begins the hearing on the protest. On receipt of an affidavit, the
  board shall notify the chief appraiser. The chief appraiser [may
  inspect the affidavit and] is entitled to a copy of the affidavit on
  request. The board and the chief appraiser shall review the
  evidence or argument provided by the property owner before the
  hearing on the protest.
         SECTION 2.  Chapter 42, Tax Code, is amended by adding
  Subchapter B-1 to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER B-1. APPEALS FROM APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD DETERMINATIONS
  IN CERTAIN COUNTIES
         Sec. 42.35.  APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter
  applies only to the appeal of an order issued by an appraisal review
  board that is located in a county:
               (1)  that has a population of less than 45,500;
               (2)  that shares a border with a county that has a
  population of 1.5 million or more and is within 200 miles of an
  international border; and
               (3)  through which the Atascosa River flows.
         Sec. 42.36.  APPEALS TO JUSTICE COURT. (a) As an
  alternative to bringing an appeal under Section 42.01(a)(1) to a
  district court as provided by Subchapter B, a property owner may
  bring the appeal to a justice court if:
               (1)  the appeal relates only to a determination of
  appraised value or eligibility for an exemption from taxation; and
               (2)  the amount of taxes due on the portion of the
  taxable value of the property that is in dispute, calculated using
  the preceding year's tax rates, is $10,000 or less.
         (b)  Venue of an action brought under Section 42.01(a)(1) in
  justice court is in any justice precinct in the county in which the
  appraisal review board that issued the order appealed is located.
         (c)  If the justice court determines that the justice court
  does not have jurisdiction of the appeal, the court shall dismiss
  the appeal. In that event, the property owner may appeal the order
  to a district court by filing a petition for review with the
  district court not later than the 30th day after the date of the
  dismissal.
         (d)  Sections 42.21, 42.23, 42.24, 42.25, and 42.26 apply to
  an appeal brought under Section 42.01(a)(1) to a justice court in
  the same manner as those sections apply to an appeal brought under
  Section 42.01(a)(1) to a district court.
         Sec. 42.37.  REPRESENTATION IN JUSTICE COURT. In an appeal
  brought under Section 42.01(a)(1) to a justice court, an appraisal
  district may be, but is not required to be, represented by legal
  counsel.
         Sec. 42.38.  JUSTICE COURT JUDGMENT NOT APPEALABLE. The
  final judgment of a justice court in an appeal to the justice court
  brought under Section 42.01(a)(1) may not be appealed by any
  person.
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies to the
  appeal of an order of an appraisal review board without regard to
  whether the order was issued before the effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.