83R10658 CJC-F
By: Menendez H.B. No. 3542
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to appraisal review boards; providing penalties.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 6.41(d-1), Tax Code, is amended to read
as follows:
(d-1) In a county with a population of 200,000 [3.3 million]
or more, [or a county with a population of 550,000 or more that is
adjacent to a county with a population of 3.3 million or more] the
members of the board are appointed by the local administrative
district judge in the county in which the appraisal district is
established.
SECTION 2. Section 6.411, Tax Code, is amended by adding
Subsections (c-2) and (c-3) to read as follows:
(c-2) If the local administrative district judge in the
county in which the appraisal district is located appoints the
members of the appraisal review board as provided by Section
6.41(d-1), the chief appraiser or another employee of the appraisal
district, a member of the appraisal review board, or a member of the
board of directors of the appraisal district commits an offense if
the person communicates with the local administrative district
judge with the intent to influence a decision by the judge regarding
the appointment of a person as a member of the appraisal review
board. This subsection does not apply to communications involving
the local administrative district judge and:
(1) a person who is a current member of the appraisal
review board, if the communication relates solely to that person's
reappointment to the appraisal review board; or
(2) the taxpayer liaison officer for the appraisal
district, if the communication relates to the provision of clerical
services by the taxpayer liaison officer.
(c-3) A member of an appraisal review board commits an
offense if the person communicates with another member of the
appraisal review board, a member of the board of directors of the
appraisal district, or the local administrative district judge
regarding the ranking, scoring, or reporting of the percentage of
property value reductions determined by the appraisal review board
of an appraisal district.
SECTION 3. (a) As soon as practicable on or after January
1, 2014, the local administrative district judge or the judge's
designee in each county with a population of 200,000 or more that
does not already appoint the members of the appraisal review board
for the appraisal district established in the county shall appoint
the members of the appraisal review board for the appraisal
district in the manner provided by Section 6.41, Tax Code, as
amended by this Act. In making the initial appointments, the judge
or judge's designee shall designate those members who serve terms
of one year as necessary to comply with Section 6.41(e), Tax Code.
(b) The changes made to Section 6.41, Tax Code, as amended
by this Act, apply only to the appointment of appraisal review board
members in a county with a population of 200,000 or more to terms
beginning on or after January 1, 2014. This Act does not affect the
term of an appraisal review board member serving in such a county on
December 31, 2013, if the member was appointed before the effective
date of this Act to a term that began prior to December 31, 2013, and
expires December 31, 2014.
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect January 1, 2014.