By: Johnson  S.B. No. 334
         (In the Senate - Filed January 13, 2021; March 9, 2021, read
  first time and referred to Committee on Local Government;
  April 14, 2021, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
  Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; April 14, 2021,
  sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
  COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 334 By:  Menéndez
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to disclosure under the public information law of certain
  records of an appraisal district.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 552.149(b), Government Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (b)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the property owner or
  the owner's agent may, on request, obtain from the chief appraiser
  of the applicable appraisal district a copy of each item of
  information described by Section 41.461(a)(2), Tax Code, and a copy
  of each item of information that the chief appraiser took into
  consideration but does not plan to introduce at the hearing on the
  protest.  In addition, the property owner or agent may, on request,
  obtain from the chief appraiser comparable sales data from a
  reasonable number of sales that is relevant to any matter to be
  determined by the appraisal review board at the hearing on the
  property owner's protest or by the arbitrator at the hearing on the
  property owner's appeal under Chapter 41A, Tax Code, of the
  appraisal review board's order determining the protest.  
  Information obtained under this subsection:
               (1)  remains confidential in the possession of the
  property owner or agent; and
               (2)  may not be disclosed or used for any purpose except
  as evidence or argument at the hearing on:
                     (A)  the protest; or
                     (B)  the appeal under Chapter 41A, Tax Code.
         SECTION 2.  Section 552.149(e), Government Code, is
  repealed.
         SECTION 3.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  a request described by Section 552.149(b), Government Code, as
  amended by this Act, received by the chief appraiser of an appraisal
  district on or after the effective date of this Act.  A request
  received by a chief appraiser before the effective date of this Act
  is governed by the law in effect on the date the request was
  received, and the former law is continued in effect for that
  purpose.
         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, 2021.
 
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