| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to economic development. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Section 552.131(c), Government Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(c) This [After an agreement is made with the business
|
|
|
prospect, this] section does not except from the requirements of |
|
|
Section 552.021 information about a financial or other incentive |
|
|
being offered to a [the] business prospect: |
|
|
(1) by a [the] governmental body; or |
|
|
(2) by another person, if the financial or other |
|
|
incentive may directly or indirectly result in the expenditure of |
|
|
public funds by a governmental body or a reduction in revenue |
|
|
received by a governmental body from any source. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 312, Tax Code, is amended |
|
|
by adding Section 312.2035 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 312.2035. APPLICATION FOR TAX ABATEMENT. (a) The |
|
|
owner of taxable real property located in a municipality may apply |
|
|
to the governing body of the municipality for a tax abatement. |
|
|
(b) An owner of property described by Subsection (a) may |
|
|
submit an application under that subsection before the date the |
|
|
property is located in a reinvestment zone if the property is |
|
|
otherwise eligible to be considered for a tax abatement under this |
|
|
subchapter. |
|
|
(c) The governing body of a municipality that receives an |
|
|
application under this section may approve or refuse to approve the |
|
|
application. If the governing body elects to approve the |
|
|
application, the body must do so by an affirmative vote of a |
|
|
majority of the members of the body at a regularly scheduled meeting |
|
|
of the body. The governing body may approve the application before |
|
|
the property is located in a reinvestment zone. |
|
|
(d) The governing body of a municipality may not enter into |
|
|
a tax abatement agreement under this subchapter unless the body has |
|
|
approved an application for the tax abatement under this section. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Section 312.207(a), Tax Code, is amended to read |
|
|
as follows: |
|
|
(a) To be effective, an agreement made under this subchapter |
|
|
must be approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the |
|
|
members of the governing body of the municipality or other taxing |
|
|
unit at a regularly scheduled meeting of the governing body. The |
|
|
governing body of the municipality may not hold the meeting earlier |
|
|
than the 90th day after the date the governing body approves the |
|
|
application for the tax abatement that is the subject of the |
|
|
agreement under Section 312.2035. |
|
|
SECTION 4. The following provisions are repealed: |
|
|
(1) Sections 551.087 and 552.131(b), Government Code; |
|
|
and |
|
|
(2) Section 313.025(f-1), Tax Code. |
|
|
SECTION 5. Section 552.131, Government Code, as amended by |
|
|
this Act, applies only to a request for public information that is |
|
|
received by a governmental body or an officer for public |
|
|
information on or after the effective date of this Act. |
|
|
SECTION 6. Section 312.2035(d), Tax Code, as added by this |
|
|
Act, and Section 312.207(a), Tax Code, as amended by this Act, apply |
|
|
only to a tax abatement agreement entered into on or after the |
|
|
effective date of this Act. A tax abatement agreement entered into |
|
|
before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in |
|
|
effect when the agreement was entered into, and that law is |
|
|
continued in effect for that purpose. |
|
|
SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |