86R70 CJC-D

By: Geren H.B. No. 322

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the establishment of a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that taxing units may impose on the residence homesteads of individuals who are disabled or elderly and their surviving spouses.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. The heading to Section 11.26, Tax Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 11.26. LIMITATION OF TAXES [SCHOOL TAX] ON HOMESTEADS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ELDERLY OR DISABLED.

SECTION 2. Sections 11.26(a), (a-1), (a-2), (a-3), (b), (c), (e), (g), (h), (i), (j), (k), and (o), Tax Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) The tax officials shall appraise [the] property to which this section applies and calculate taxes as on other property, but if the tax [so] calculated exceeds the limitation imposed by this section, the tax imposed is the amount of the tax as limited by this section, except as otherwise provided by this section. A taxing unit [school district] may not increase the total annual amount of ad valorem tax it imposes on the residence homestead of an individual 65 years of age or older or on the residence homestead of an individual who is disabled, as defined by Section 11.13, above the amount of the tax it imposed in the first tax year in which the individual qualified that residence homestead for the applicable exemption provided by Section 11.13(c) for an individual who is 65 years of age or older or is disabled. If the individual qualified that residence homestead for the exemption after the beginning of that first year and the residence homestead remains eligible for the same exemption for the next year, and if the [school district] taxes imposed by a taxing unit on the residence homestead in the next year are less than the amount of those taxes imposed in that first year, the taxing unit [a school district] may not subsequently increase the total annual amount of ad valorem taxes it imposes on the residence homestead above the amount it imposed in the year immediately following the first year for which the individual qualified that residence homestead for the same exemption, except as provided by Subsection (b). [If the first tax year the individual qualified the residence homestead for the exemption provided by Section 11.13(c) for individuals 65 years of age or older or disabled was a tax year before the 2015 tax year, the amount of the limitation provided by this section is the amount of tax the school district imposed for the 2014 tax year less an amount equal to the amount determined by multiplying $10,000 times the tax rate of the school district for the 2015 tax year, plus any 2015 tax attributable to improvements made in 2014, other than improvements made to comply with governmental regulations or repairs.]

(a-1) If the first tax year the individual qualified the residence homestead for the exemption provided by Section 11.13(c) for individuals 65 years of age or older or disabled was a tax year before the 2020 tax year, the amount of the limitation on school district taxes provided by this section is the amount of those taxes imposed for the 2019 tax year plus any 2020 tax attributable to improvements made in 2019, other than improvements made to comply with governmental regulations or repairs [Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, if in the 2007 tax year an individual qualifies for a limitation on tax increases provided by this section on the individual's residence homestead and the first tax year the individual or the individual's spouse qualified for an exemption under Section 11.13(c) for the same homestead was the 2006 tax year, the amount of the limitation provided by this section on the homestead in the 2007 tax year is equal to the amount computed by:

[(1) multiplying the amount of tax the school district imposed on the homestead in the 2006 tax year by a fraction the numerator of which is the tax rate of the district for the 2007 tax year and the denominator of which is the tax rate of the district for the 2006 tax year; and

[(2) adding any tax imposed in the 2007 tax year attributable to improvements made in the 2006 tax year as provided by Subsection (b) to the lesser of the amount computed under Subdivision (1) or the amount of tax the district imposed on the homestead in the 2006 tax year].

(a-2) If the first tax year the individual qualified the residence homestead for the exemption provided by Section 11.13(c) for individuals 65 years of age or older or disabled was a tax year before the 2020 tax year and the homestead qualified for a limitation on county, municipal, or junior college district taxes under former Section 11.261, the amount of the limitation on county, municipal, or junior college district taxes, as applicable, provided by this section is the amount of the tax imposed by the applicable taxing unit for the 2019 tax year, plus any 2020 tax attributable to improvements made in 2019, other than improvements made to comply with governmental regulations or repairs [Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, if in the 2007 tax year an individual qualifies for a limitation on tax increases provided by this section on the individual's residence homestead and the first tax year the individual or the individual's spouse qualified for an exemption under Section 11.13(c) for the same homestead was a tax year before the 2006 tax year, the amount of the limitation provided by this section on the homestead in the 2007 tax year is equal to the amount computed by:

[(1) multiplying the amount of tax the school district imposed on the homestead in the 2005 tax year by a fraction the numerator of which is the tax rate of the district for the 2006 tax year and the denominator of which is the tax rate of the district for the 2005 tax year;

[(2) adding any tax imposed in the 2006 tax year attributable to improvements made in the 2005 tax year as provided by Subsection (b) to the lesser of the amount computed under Subdivision (1) or the amount of tax the district imposed on the homestead in the 2005 tax year;

[(3) multiplying the amount computed under Subdivision (2) by a fraction the numerator of which is the tax rate of the district for the 2007 tax year and the denominator of which is the tax rate of the district for the 2006 tax year; and

[(4) adding to the lesser of the amount computed under Subdivision (2) or (3) any tax imposed in the 2007 tax year attributable to improvements made in the 2006 tax year, as provided by Subsection (b)].

(a-3) Except as provided by Subsection (a-2), for the purpose of calculating a limitation on tax increases by a taxing unit other than a school district under this section, an individual who qualified a residence homestead before January 1, 2020, for an exemption under Section 11.13(c) for individuals 65 years of age or older or disabled is considered to have qualified the homestead for that exemption on January 1, 2020 [(b), a limitation on tax increases provided by this section on a residence homestead computed under Subsection (a-1) or (a-2) continues to apply to the homestead in subsequent tax years until the limitation expires].

(b) If an individual makes improvements to the individual's residence homestead, other than improvements required to comply with governmental requirements or repairs, a taxing unit [the school district] may increase the tax on the homestead in the first year the value of the homestead is increased on the appraisal roll because of the enhancement of value by the improvements. The amount of the tax increase is determined by applying the taxing unit's current tax rate to the difference in the assessed value of the homestead with the improvements and the assessed value it would have had without the improvements. A limitation under [imposed by] this section [then] applies to the increased amount of tax in subsequent tax years until more improvements, if any, are made.

(c) The limitation on tax increases required by this section expires if on January 1:

(1) none of the owners of the structure who qualify for the exemption under Section 11.13(c) for individuals 65 years of age or older or disabled and who owned the structure when the limitation first took effect is using the structure as a residence homestead; or

(2) none of the owners of the structure qualifies for the exemption described by Subdivision (1).

(e) For each school district participating in an appraisal district, the chief appraiser shall determine the portion of the appraised value of residence homesteads of individuals on which school district taxes are not imposed in a tax year because of the limitation on tax increases imposed by this section. That portion is calculated by determining the taxable value that, if multiplied by the tax rate adopted by the school district for the tax year, would produce an amount equal to the amount of tax that would have been imposed by the school district on those residence homesteads if the limitation on tax increases imposed by this section were not in effect, but that was not imposed because of that limitation. The chief appraiser shall determine that taxable value and certify it to the comptroller as soon as practicable for each tax year.

(g) Except as provided by Subsection (b), if an individual who receives a limitation on tax increases imposed by this section, including a surviving spouse who receives a limitation under Subsection (i), subsequently qualifies a different residence homestead for the same exemption under Section 11.13, a taxing unit [school district] may not impose ad valorem taxes on the subsequently qualified homestead in a year in an amount that exceeds the amount of taxes the taxing unit [school district] would have imposed on the subsequently qualified homestead in the first year in which the individual receives that same exemption for the subsequently qualified homestead had the limitation on tax increases imposed by this section not been in effect, multiplied by a fraction the numerator of which is the total amount of [school district] taxes imposed by a taxing unit of the same type on the former homestead in the last year in which the individual received that same exemption for the former homestead and the denominator of which is the total amount of [school district] taxes that would have been imposed by the taxing unit of the same type on the former homestead in the last year in which the individual received that same exemption for the former homestead had the limitation on tax increases imposed by this section not been in effect. A limitation under this subsection does not apply to a taxing unit if the former homestead was not subject to taxation by a taxing unit of the same type in the last year in which the individual received the exemption for the former homestead.

(h) An individual who receives a limitation on tax increases under this section, including a surviving spouse who receives a limitation under Subsection (i), and who subsequently qualifies a different residence homestead for an exemption under Section 11.13, or an agent of the individual, is entitled to receive from the chief appraiser of the appraisal district in which the former homestead was located a written certificate providing the information necessary to determine whether the individual may qualify for that same limitation on the subsequently qualified homestead under Subsection (g) and to calculate the amount of taxes the taxing units [school district] may impose on the subsequently qualified homestead.

(i) If an individual who receives a limitation on tax increases under this section [qualifies for the exemption provided by Section 11.13(c) for an individual 65 years of age or older] dies, the surviving spouse of the individual is entitled to the limitation applicable to the residence homestead of the individual if:

(1) the surviving spouse is 55 years of age or older or disabled when the individual dies; and

(2) the residence homestead of the individual:

(A) is the residence homestead of the surviving spouse on the date that the individual dies; and

(B) remains the residence homestead of the surviving spouse.

(j) If an individual who qualifies for an exemption provided by Section 11.13(c) for an individual 65 years of age or older dies in the first year in which the individual qualified for the exemption and the individual first qualified for the exemption after the beginning of that year, except as provided by Subsection (k), the amount to which the surviving spouse's [school district] taxes imposed by a taxing unit are limited under Subsection (i) is the amount of [school district] taxes imposed by the taxing unit on the residence homestead in that year determined as if the individual qualifying for the exemption had lived for the entire year.

(k) If in the first tax year after the year in which an individual dies in the circumstances described by Subsection (j) the amount of [school district] taxes imposed by a taxing unit on the residence homestead of the surviving spouse is less than the amount of [school district] taxes imposed by the taxing unit in the preceding year as limited by Subsection (j), in a subsequent tax year the [surviving spouse's school district] taxes imposed by that taxing unit on that residence homestead are limited to the amount of taxes imposed by the district in that first tax year after the year in which the individual dies.

(o) Notwithstanding Subsections (a)[, (a-3),] and (b), an improvement to property that would otherwise constitute an improvement under Subsection (b) is not treated as an improvement under that subsection if the improvement is a replacement structure for a structure that was rendered uninhabitable or unusable by a casualty or by wind or water damage. For purposes of appraising the property in the tax year in which the structure would have constituted an improvement under Subsection (b), the replacement structure is considered to be an improvement under that subsection only if:

(1) the square footage of the replacement structure exceeds that of the replaced structure as that structure existed before the casualty or damage occurred; or

(2) the exterior of the replacement structure is of higher quality construction and composition than that of the replaced structure.

SECTION 3. Sections 23.19(b) and (g), Tax Code, are amended to read as follows:

(b) If an appraisal district receives a written request for the appraisal of real property and improvements of a cooperative housing corporation according to the separate interests of the corporation's stockholders, the chief appraiser shall separately appraise the interests described by Subsection (d) if the conditions required by Subsections (e) and (f) have been met. Separate appraisal under this section is for the purposes of administration of tax exemptions, determination of applicable limitations of taxes under Section 11.26 [or 11.261], and apportionment by a cooperative housing corporation of property taxes among its stockholders but is not the basis for determining value on which a tax is imposed under this title. A stockholder whose interest is separately appraised under this section may protest and appeal the appraised value in the manner provided by this title for protest and appeal of the appraised value of other property.

(g) A tax bill or a separate statement accompanying the tax bill to a cooperative housing corporation for which interests of stockholders are separately appraised under this section must state, in addition to the information required by Section 31.01, the appraised value and taxable value of each interest separately appraised. Each exemption claimed as provided by this title by a person entitled to the exemption shall also be deducted from the total appraised value of the property of the corporation. The total tax imposed by a taxing unit [school district, county, municipality, or junior college district] shall be reduced by any amount that represents an increase in taxes attributable to separately appraised interests of the real property and improvements that are subject to a [the] limitation of taxes prescribed by Section 11.26 [or 11.261]. The corporation shall apportion among its stockholders liability for reimbursing the corporation for property taxes according to the relative taxable values of their interests.

SECTION 4. Sections 26.012(6), (13), and (14), Tax Code, are amended to read as follows:

(6) "Current total value" means the total taxable value of property listed on the appraisal roll for the current year, including all appraisal roll supplements and corrections as of the date of the calculation, less the taxable value of property exempted for the current tax year for the first time under Section 11.31 or 11.315, except that:

(A) the current total value for a school district excludes:

(i) the total value of homesteads that qualify for a tax limitation as provided by Section 11.26; and

(ii) new property value of property that is subject to an agreement entered into under Chapter 313; and

(B) the current total value for a taxing unit other than a school district [county, municipality, or junior college district] excludes the total value of homesteads that qualify for a tax limitation provided by Section 11.26 [11.261].

(13) "Last year's levy" means the total of:

(A) the amount of taxes that would be generated by multiplying the total tax rate adopted by the governing body in the preceding year by the total taxable value of property on the appraisal roll for the preceding year, including:

(i) taxable value that was reduced in an appeal under Chapter 42; and

(ii) all appraisal roll supplements and corrections other than corrections made pursuant to Section 25.25(d), as of the date of the calculation but excluding[, except that last year's taxable value for a school district excludes] the total value of homesteads that qualified for a tax limitation as provided by Section 11.26 [and last year's taxable value for a county, municipality, or junior college district excludes the total value of homesteads that qualified for a tax limitation as provided by Section 11.261]; and

(B) the amount of taxes refunded by the taxing unit in the preceding year for tax years before that year.

(14) "Last year's total value" means the total taxable value of property listed on the appraisal roll for the preceding year, including all appraisal roll supplements and corrections, other than corrections made pursuant to Section 25.25(d), as of the date of the calculation but excluding[, except that:

[(A) last year's taxable value for a school district excludes] the total value of homesteads that qualified for a tax limitation as provided by Section 11.26[; and

[(B) last year's taxable value for a county, municipality, or junior college district excludes the total value of homesteads that qualified for a tax limitation as provided by Section 11.261].

SECTION 5. Section 42.302(a-1), Education Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a-1) For purposes of Subsection (a), the dollar amount guaranteed level of state and local funds per weighted student per cent of tax effort ("GL") for a school district is:

(1) the greater of the amount of district tax revenue per weighted student per cent of tax effort that would be available to the Austin Independent School District, as determined by the commissioner in cooperation with the Legislative Budget Board, if the reduction of the limitation on tax increases as provided by Section 11.26(a-1), (a-2), or (a-3), Tax Code, as those provisions existed on January 1, 2019, did not apply, or the amount of district tax revenue per weighted student per cent of tax effort used for purposes of this subdivision in the preceding school year, for the first six cents by which the district's maintenance and operations tax rate exceeds the rate equal to the sum of the product of the state compression percentage, as determined under Section 42.2516, multiplied by the maintenance and operations tax rate adopted by the district for the 2005 tax year and any additional tax effort included in calculating the district's compressed tax rate under Section 42.101(a-1); and

(2) $31.95, for the district's maintenance and operations tax effort that exceeds the amount of tax effort described by Subdivision (1).

SECTION 6. The following provisions of the Tax Code are repealed:

(1) Sections 11.26(l) and (m); and

(2) Section 11.261.

SECTION 7. Section 11.26, Tax Code, as amended by this Act, applies only to ad valorem taxes imposed for a tax year beginning on or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 8. This Act takes effect January 1, 2020, but only if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 86th Legislature, Regular Session, 2019, establishing a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that political subdivisions may impose on the residence homesteads of individuals who are disabled or elderly and their surviving spouses is approved by the voters. If that constitutional amendment is not approved by the voters, this Act has no effect.