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               A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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               AN ACT
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            relating to an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the residence  | 
         
         
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            homestead of the surviving spouse of a member of the armed services  | 
         
         
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            of the United States who is killed or fatally injured in the line of  | 
         
         
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            duty. | 
         
         
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                   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 1.  The heading to Section 11.133, Tax Code, is  | 
         
         
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            amended to read as follows: | 
         
         
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                   Sec. 11.133.  RESIDENCE HOMESTEAD OF SURVIVING SPOUSE OF  | 
         
         
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            MEMBER OF ARMED SERVICES KILLED IN LINE OF DUTY [ACTION]. | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 2.  Section 11.133(b), Tax Code, is amended to read  | 
         
         
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            as follows: | 
         
         
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                   (b)  The surviving spouse of a member of the armed services  | 
         
         
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            of the United States who is killed or fatally injured in the line of  | 
         
         
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            duty [in action] is entitled to an exemption from taxation of the  | 
         
         
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            total appraised value of the surviving spouse's residence homestead  | 
         
         
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            if the surviving spouse has not remarried since the death of the  | 
         
         
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            member of the armed services. | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 3.  Section 11.431(a), Tax Code, is amended to read  | 
         
         
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            as follows: | 
         
         
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                   (a)  The chief appraiser shall accept and approve or deny an  | 
         
         
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            application for a residence homestead exemption, including an  | 
         
         
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            exemption under Section 11.131 or 11.132 for the residence  | 
         
         
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            homestead of a disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a  | 
         
         
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            disabled veteran, an exemption under Section 11.133 for the  | 
         
         
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            residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a member of the armed  | 
         
         
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            services of the United States who is killed or fatally injured in  | 
         
         
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            the line of duty [in action], or an exemption under Section 11.134  | 
         
         
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            for the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a first  | 
         
         
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            responder who is killed or fatally injured in the line of duty,  | 
         
         
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            after the deadline for filing it has passed if it is filed not later  | 
         
         
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            than two years after the delinquency date for the taxes on the  | 
         
         
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            homestead. | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 4.  Section 11.133, Tax Code, as amended by this Act,  | 
         
         
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            applies only to a tax year beginning on or after January 1, 2022. | 
         
         
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                   SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect January 1, 2022, but only  | 
         
         
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            if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 87th Legislature,  | 
         
         
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            Regular Session, 2021, authorizing the legislature to provide for  | 
         
         
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            an exemption from ad valorem taxation of all or part of the market  | 
         
         
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            value of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of a member  | 
         
         
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            of the armed services of the United States who is killed or fatally  | 
         
         
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            injured in the line of duty is approved by the voters.  If that  | 
         
         
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            amendment is not approved by the voters, this Act has no effect. |