| 1 | 1 | | 84R8231 LEH-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Dutton H.B. No. 1537 |
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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 sunset review of the authority of the governing |
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| 8 | 8 | | bodies of taxing units to contract with attorneys to represent the |
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| 9 | 9 | | taxing units in enforcing the collection of delinquent ad valorem |
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| 10 | 10 | | taxes on property in the taxing units. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. (a) The Sunset Advisory Commission shall review |
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| 13 | 13 | | the authority of the governing bodies of taxing units under Section |
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| 14 | 14 | | 6.30(c), Tax Code, to contract with attorneys to represent the |
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| 15 | 15 | | taxing units in the enforcement of the collection of delinquent ad |
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| 16 | 16 | | valorem taxes, including: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (1) the appropriateness of the terms and conditions of |
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| 18 | 18 | | contracts entered into under that subsection; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (2) the reasonableness of the compensation set in |
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| 20 | 20 | | contracts entered into under that subsection; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (3) the quality of the actual representation of |
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| 22 | 22 | | attorneys contracted to represent taxing units under that |
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| 23 | 23 | | subsection; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (4) the effectiveness of attorneys with which taxing |
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| 25 | 25 | | units have contracted under that subsection in collecting |
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| 26 | 26 | | delinquent ad valorem taxes on behalf of the taxing units; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (5) the procedure for determining the property owners |
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| 28 | 28 | | against which delinquent tax suits should be brought by attorneys |
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| 29 | 29 | | with which taxing units have contracted. |
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| 30 | 30 | | (b) The Sunset Advisory Commission shall report its |
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| 31 | 31 | | findings to the legislature not later than December 1, 2016. |
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| 32 | 32 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 33 | 33 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 34 | 34 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 35 | 35 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 36 | 36 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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