| 1 | 1 | | 81R10127 JAM-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Howard of Fort Bend H.B. No. 2550 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the regulation of property tax consultants. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 1152.152, Occupations Code, is amended |
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| 10 | 10 | | by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (c) A registered senior property tax consultant or an |
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| 12 | 12 | | attorney described by Subsection (a)(2) may not employ, claim an |
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| 13 | 13 | | association with, or sponsor more than 10 registered property tax |
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| 14 | 14 | | consultants. |
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| 15 | 15 | | SECTION 2. Section 1152.156(a), Occupations Code, is |
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| 16 | 16 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (a) In addition to satisfying the requirements of Section |
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| 18 | 18 | | 1152.155, an applicant for registration as a property tax |
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| 19 | 19 | | consultant must: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) complete at least 30 [15] classroom hours of |
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| 21 | 21 | | educational courses approved by the executive director, including |
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| 22 | 22 | | at least four hours of instruction on laws and legal issues in this |
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| 23 | 23 | | state related to property tax consulting services and pass a |
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| 24 | 24 | | competency examination under Section 1152.163; or |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) if the person is eligible for registration under |
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| 26 | 26 | | Section 1152.155(b), submit to the commission evidence that the |
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| 27 | 27 | | applicant has completed at least four classroom hours of |
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| 28 | 28 | | educational programs or courses on the laws and legal issues in this |
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| 29 | 29 | | state related to property tax consulting services. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 3. Subchapter D, Chapter 1152, Occupations Code, is |
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| 31 | 31 | | amended by adding Section 1152.161 to read as follows: |
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| 32 | 32 | | Sec. 1152.161. PROPERTY TAX CONSULTANT REGISTRATION |
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| 33 | 33 | | EXAMINATION. (a) The executive director shall: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (1) adopt a competency examination for registration |
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| 35 | 35 | | as a property tax consultant; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | (2) establish the standards for grading and passing |
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| 37 | 37 | | the examination. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (b) To be eligible to take the examination, an applicant |
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| 39 | 39 | | must pay to the department an examination fee. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (c) The examination must: |
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| 41 | 41 | | (1) test the applicant's knowledge of: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (A) property taxation; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (B) the property tax system; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (C) property tax administration; |
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| 45 | 45 | | (D) ethical standards; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (E) general principles of appraisal, accounting, |
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| 47 | 47 | | and law as they relate to property tax consulting services; and |
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| 48 | 48 | | (2) be graded according to rules adopted by the |
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| 49 | 49 | | commission. |
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| 50 | 50 | | (d) The department shall offer the examination at times and |
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| 51 | 51 | | places designated by the executive director. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 4. Not later than December 31, 2009, the executive |
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| 53 | 53 | | director of the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation shall |
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| 54 | 54 | | adopt the examination required by Section 1152.161, Occupations |
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| 55 | 55 | | Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 56 | 56 | | SECTION 5. The change in law made by this Act to Section |
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| 57 | 57 | | 1152.156(a), Occupations Code, applies only to an application for |
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| 58 | 58 | | registration as a property tax consultant that is submitted to the |
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| 59 | 59 | | Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation on or after March 1, |
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| 60 | 60 | | 2010. An application for registration submitted before that date |
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| 61 | 61 | | is governed by the law in effect at the time the application was |
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| 62 | 62 | | submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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| 63 | 63 | | purpose. |
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| 64 | 64 | | SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 65 | 65 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 66 | 66 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 67 | 67 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 68 | 68 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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