| 1 | 1 | | By: Estes S.J.R. No. 51 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (Darby) |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature |
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| 6 | 6 | | to provide that the eligibility of open-space land for ad valorem |
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| 7 | 7 | | taxation on the basis of its productive capacity does not end |
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| 8 | 8 | | because an oil and gas lessee begins conducting oil and gas |
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| 9 | 9 | | operations on the land if the land otherwise continues to be devoted |
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| 10 | 10 | | to farm, ranch, or wildlife management purposes or timber |
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| 11 | 11 | | production. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Section 1-d-1(a), Article VIII, Texas |
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| 14 | 14 | | Constitution, is amended to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (a) To promote the preservation of open-space land, the |
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| 16 | 16 | | legislature shall provide by general law for taxation of open-space |
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| 17 | 17 | | land devoted to farm, ranch, or wildlife management purposes on the |
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| 18 | 18 | | basis of its productive capacity and may provide by general law for |
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| 19 | 19 | | taxation of open-space land devoted to timber production on the |
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| 20 | 20 | | basis of its productive capacity. The legislature by general law |
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| 21 | 21 | | may provide eligibility limitations under this section and may |
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| 22 | 22 | | impose sanctions in furtherance of the taxation policy of this |
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| 23 | 23 | | section. The legislature by general law may provide that the |
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| 24 | 24 | | eligibility of open-space land for taxation on the basis of its |
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| 25 | 25 | | productive capacity does not end because a lessee under an oil and |
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| 26 | 26 | | gas lease begins conducting oil and gas operations on the land if |
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| 27 | 27 | | the portion of the land on which oil and gas operations are not |
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| 28 | 28 | | being conducted otherwise continues to be devoted to a purpose |
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| 29 | 29 | | described by this subsection. |
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| 30 | 30 | | SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be |
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| 31 | 31 | | submitted to the voters at an election to be held November 7, 2017. |
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| 32 | 32 | | The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the |
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| 33 | 33 | | proposition: "The constitutional amendment authorizing the |
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| 34 | 34 | | legislature to provide that the eligibility of open-space land for |
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| 35 | 35 | | ad valorem taxation on the basis of its productive capacity does not |
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| 36 | 36 | | end because an oil and gas lessee begins conducting oil and gas |
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| 37 | 37 | | operations on the land if the land otherwise continues to be devoted |
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| 38 | 38 | | to farm, ranch, or wildlife management purposes or timber |
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| 39 | 39 | | production." |
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