Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1167 Compare Versions

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11 87R2021 CJC-D
22 By: Metcalf H.B. No. 1167
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55 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
66 AN ACT
77 relating to the selection and administration of an appraisal review
88 board; authorizing a fee.
99 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1010 SECTION 1. Section 5.103(b), Tax Code, is amended to read as
1111 follows:
1212 (b) The model hearing procedures shall address:
1313 (1) the statutory duties of an appraisal review board;
1414 (2) the process for conducting a hearing;
1515 (3) the scheduling of hearings;
1616 (4) the postponement of hearings;
1717 (5) the notices required under this title;
1818 (6) the determination of good cause under Section
1919 41.44(b);
2020 (7) the determination of good cause under Sections
2121 41.45(e) and (e-1);
2222 (8) a party's right to offer evidence and argument;
2323 (9) a party's right to examine or cross-examine
2424 witnesses or other parties;
2525 (10) a party's right to appear by an agent;
2626 (11) the prohibition of an appraisal review board's
2727 consideration of information not provided at a hearing;
2828 (12) ex parte and other prohibited communications;
2929 (13) the exclusion of evidence at a hearing as
3030 required by Section 41.67(d);
3131 (14) the postponement of a hearing as required by
3232 Section 41.66(h);
3333 (15) conflicts of interest; and
3434 (16) [the process for the administration of
3535 applications for membership on an appraisal review board; and
3636 [(17)] any other matter related to fair and efficient
3737 appraisal review board hearings.
3838 SECTION 2. Sections 6.41(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (j),
3939 and (k), Tax Code, are amended to read as follows:
4040 (a) An [The] appraisal review board is established for each
4141 appraisal district.
4242 (b) The [Except as provided by Subsection (b-1) or (b-2),
4343 an] appraisal review board consists of five [three] members elected
4444 at the general election for state and county officers. One member
4545 is elected from each of the four commissioners precincts in the
4646 county in which the appraisal district is established and one
4747 member is elected at large from the county. The members serve
4848 two-year terms beginning on January 1 of odd-numbered years.
4949 (c) To be eligible to serve on the board, an individual
5050 must:
5151 (1) be a resident of:
5252 (A) the commissioners precinct from which the
5353 member is elected, in the case of a member elected from a
5454 commissioners precinct; or
5555 (B) the county in which the appraisal district is
5656 established, in the case of a member elected at large; [district]
5757 and
5858 (2) [must] have resided in the county [district] for
5959 at least two years.
6060 (d) [Except as provided by Subsection (d-1), members of the
6161 board are appointed by resolution of a majority of the appraisal
6262 district board of directors.] A vacancy on the board is filled by
6363 appointment by the commissioners court of the county in which the
6464 appraisal district is established [in the same manner] for the
6565 unexpired portion of the term. An individual appointed to fill a
6666 vacancy on the board must meet the qualifications of the vacated
6767 position.
6868 (e) If as a result of a change in the boundaries of a
6969 commissioners precinct an individual serving as a member no longer
7070 resides in the precinct from which the office is elected, the
7171 individual is not for that reason disqualified from office during
7272 the remainder of the term of office being served at the time the
7373 boundary change takes effect. If as a result of a change in the
7474 boundaries of a commissioners precinct an individual elected as a
7575 member before the boundary change to a term that begins after the
7676 boundary change no longer resides in the precinct from which
7777 elected, the individual is not for that reason disqualified from
7878 serving the term to which elected. [Members of the board hold
7979 office for terms of two years beginning January 1. The appraisal
8080 district board of directors by resolution shall provide for
8181 staggered terms, so that the terms of as close to one-half of the
8282 members as possible expire each year. In making the initial or
8383 subsequent appointments, the board of directors or the local
8484 administrative district judge or the judge's designee shall
8585 designate those members who serve terms of one year as needed to
8686 comply with this subsection.]
8787 (f) For purposes of Chapter 87, Local Government Code,
8888 grounds [A member of the board may be removed from the board by a
8989 majority vote of the appraisal district board of directors, or by
9090 the local administrative district judge or the judge's designee, as
9191 applicable, that appointed the member. Grounds] for removal of a
9292 member of an appraisal review board include [are]:
9393 (1) a violation of Section 6.412, 6.413, 41.66(f), or
9494 41.69;
9595 (2) good cause relating to the attendance of members
9696 at called meetings of the board as established by written policy
9797 adopted by a majority of the appraisal district board of directors;
9898 [or]
9999 (3) evidence of repeated bias or misconduct; or
100100 (4) failure to complete a course required by Section
101101 5.041.
102102 (j) A chief appraiser or another employee or agent of an
103103 appraisal district commits an offense if the person communicates
104104 with a member of the appraisal review board for the appraisal
105105 district or[,] a member of the board of directors of the appraisal
106106 district[, or, if the appraisal district is an appraisal district
107107 described by Subsection (d-1), the local administrative district
108108 judge] regarding a ranking, scoring, or reporting of the percentage
109109 by which the appraisal review board or a panel of the board reduces
110110 the appraised value of property.
111111 (k) An offense under Subsection [(i) or] (j) is a Class A
112112 misdemeanor.
113113 SECTION 3. Section 6.411(c-1), Tax Code, is amended to read
114114 as follows:
115115 (c-1) This section does not apply to communications with a
116116 member of an appraisal review board by the chief appraiser or
117117 another employee or a member of the board of directors of an
118118 appraisal district or a property tax consultant or attorney
119119 representing a party to a proceeding before the appraisal review
120120 board:
121121 (1) during a hearing on a protest or other proceeding
122122 before the appraisal review board;
123123 (2) that constitute social conversation;
124124 (3) that are specifically limited to and involve
125125 administrative, clerical, or logistical matters related to the
126126 scheduling and operation of hearings, the processing of documents,
127127 the issuance of orders, notices, and subpoenas, and the operation,
128128 appointment, composition, or attendance at training of the
129129 appraisal review board; or
130130 (4) that are necessary and appropriate to enable the
131131 appraisal review board [of directors of the appraisal district] to
132132 determine whether to appoint, reappoint, or remove a person as an
133133 auxiliary board [a] member or as the chairman or secretary of the
134134 appraisal review board.
135135 SECTION 4. Section 6.412(d), Tax Code, is amended to read as
136136 follows:
137137 (d) A person is ineligible to serve on the appraisal review
138138 board of an appraisal district established in [for] a county with a
139139 population of 120,000 or more [described by Section 6.41(d-1)] if
140140 the person:
141141 (1) is a former member of the board of directors,
142142 former officer, or former employee of the appraisal district;
143143 (2) served as a member of the governing body or officer
144144 of a taxing unit for which the appraisal district appraises
145145 property, until the fourth anniversary of the date the person
146146 ceased to be a member or officer;
147147 (3) appeared before the appraisal review board for
148148 compensation during the two-year period preceding the date the
149149 person is elected or appointed; or
150150 (4) served for all or part of four [three] previous
151151 terms as a board member or auxiliary board member on the appraisal
152152 review board.
153153 SECTION 5. Section 6.413(a), Tax Code, is amended to read as
154154 follows:
155155 (a) An individual is not eligible to be elected or appointed
156156 to or to serve on the appraisal review board established for an
157157 appraisal district if the individual or a business entity in which
158158 the individual has a substantial interest is a party to a contract
159159 with the appraisal district or with a taxing unit that participates
160160 in the appraisal district.
161161 SECTION 6. Section 6.414, Tax Code, is amended by amending
162162 Subsections (a), (b), and (f) and adding Subsection (a-1) to read as
163163 follows:
164164 (a) An [The board of directors of an] appraisal review board
165165 [district] by resolution of a majority of the members may provide
166166 for a number of auxiliary appraisal review board members that the
167167 board considers appropriate to hear taxpayer protests before the
168168 appraisal review board and to assist the board in performing its
169169 duties.
170170 (a-1) This subsection applies only to the appraisal review
171171 board of an appraisal district established in a county with a
172172 population of one million or more. If the appraisal review board
173173 appoints auxiliary board members under this section, the appraisal
174174 review board shall appoint an adequate number of qualified
175175 individuals as auxiliary board members to permit the chairman of
176176 the appraisal review board to fill the positions on each special
177177 panel established under Section 6.425.
178178 (b) An auxiliary board member is appointed to a two-year
179179 term by resolution of a majority of the [in the same manner and for
180180 the same term as an] appraisal review board members. An auxiliary
181181 board member [under Section 6.41 and] is subject to the same
182182 eligibility requirements and restrictions as a board member under
183183 Sections 6.41, 6.411, 6.412, and 6.413. A vacancy among the
184184 auxiliary board members is filled in the same manner as the original
185185 appointment to the appraisal review board.
186186 (f) An auxiliary board member is entitled to compensation
187187 and [as provided by the appraisal district budget and is not
188188 entitled to a per diem or] reimbursement of expenses as provided by
189189 [under] Section 6.42(c).
190190 SECTION 7. Section 6.42(a), Tax Code, is amended to read as
191191 follows:
192192 (a) A majority of the appraisal review board constitutes a
193193 quorum. The board by resolution [local administrative district
194194 judge under Subchapter D, Chapter 74, Government Code, in the
195195 county in which the appraisal district is established] shall select
196196 a chairman and a secretary from among the board's members [of the
197197 appraisal review board]. The board [judge] is encouraged to select
198198 as chairman a member of the [appraisal review] board, if any, who
199199 has a background in law and property appraisal.
200200 SECTION 8. Sections 6.425(a) and (e), Tax Code, are amended
201201 to read as follows:
202202 (a) This section applies only to the appraisal review board
203203 for an appraisal district established in a county with a population
204204 of one million or more [described by Section 6.41(b-2)].
205205 (e) Notwithstanding Subsection (d), the chairman of the
206206 appraisal review board may appoint to a special panel described by
207207 this section a member of the appraisal review board who does not
208208 meet the qualifications prescribed by that subsection if:
209209 (1) the number of board members [persons appointed to
210210 the board by the local administrative district judge] who meet
211211 those qualifications is not sufficient to fill the positions on
212212 each special panel; and
213213 (2) the board member being appointed to the panel
214214 holds a bachelor's degree in any field.
215215 SECTION 9. Section 25.19(b-3), Tax Code, is amended to read
216216 as follows:
217217 (b-3) This subsection applies only to an appraisal district
218218 established in a county with a population of one million or more
219219 [described by Section 6.41(b-2)]. In addition to the information
220220 required by Subsection (b), the chief appraiser shall state in a
221221 notice of appraised value of property described by Section 6.425(b)
222222 that the property owner has the right to have a protest relating to
223223 the property heard by a special panel of the appraisal review board.
224224 SECTION 10. Section 41.45(d), Tax Code, is amended to read
225225 as follows:
226226 (d) This subsection does not apply to a special panel
227227 established under Section 6.425. An appraisal review board
228228 [consisting of more than three members] may sit in panels of not
229229 fewer than three members to conduct protest hearings. If the
230230 recommendation of a panel is not accepted by the board, the board
231231 may refer the matter for rehearing to a panel composed of members
232232 who did not hear the original protest or, if there are not at least
233233 three members who did not hear the original protest, the board may
234234 determine the protest.
235235 SECTION 11. Section 41.66(g), Tax Code, is amended to read
236236 as follows:
237237 (g) At the beginning of a hearing on a protest, each member
238238 of the appraisal review board hearing the protest must sign an
239239 affidavit stating that the board member has not communicated with
240240 another person in violation of Subsection (f). If a board member
241241 has communicated with another person in violation of Subsection
242242 (f), the member must be recused from the proceeding and may not
243243 hear, deliberate on, or vote on the determination of the protest.
244244 The appraisal review board [of directors of the appraisal district]
245245 shall adopt and implement a policy concerning the temporary
246246 replacement of an appraisal review board member who has
247247 communicated with another person in violation of Subsection (f).
248248 SECTION 12. Section 172.024(a), Election Code, is amended
249249 to read as follows:
250250 (a) The filing fee for a candidate for nomination in the
251251 general primary election is as follows:
252252 (1) United States senator $5,000
253253 (2) office elected statewide, except United States
254254 senator 3,750
255255 (3) United States representative 3,125
256256 (4) state senator 1,250
257257 (5) state representative 750
258258 (6) member, State Board of Education 300
259259 (7) chief justice or justice, court of appeals, other
260260 than a justice specified by Subdivision (8) 1,875
261261 (8) chief justice or justice of a court of appeals that
262262 serves a court of appeals district in which a county with a
263263 population of more than one million is wholly or partly
264264 situated 2,500
265265 (9) district judge or judge specified by Section
266266 52.092(d) for which this schedule does not otherwise prescribe a
267267 fee 1,500
268268 (10) district or criminal district judge of a court in
269269 a judicial district wholly contained in a county with a population
270270 of more than 1.5 million 2,500
271271 (11) judge, statutory county court, other than a judge
272272 specified by Subdivision (12) 1,500
273273 (12) judge of a statutory county court in a county with
274274 a population of more than 1.5 million 2,500
275275 (13) district attorney, criminal district attorney,
276276 or county attorney performing the duties of a district
277277 attorney 1,250
278278 (14) county commissioner, district clerk, county
279279 clerk, sheriff, county tax assessor-collector, county treasurer,
280280 or judge, constitutional county court:
281281 (A) county with a population of 200,000 or
282282 more 1,250
283283 (B) county with a population of under
284284 200,000 750
285285 (15) justice of the peace or constable:
286286 (A) county with a population of 200,000 or
287287 more 1,000
288288 (B) county with a population of under
289289 200,000 375
290290 (16) county surveyor75
291291 (17) office of the county government for which this
292292 schedule does not otherwise prescribe a fee 750
293293 (18) appraisal review board member:
294294 (A) county with a population of 200,000 or
295295 more 1,250
296296 (B) county with a population of under
297297 200,000 750
298298 SECTION 13. The following provisions of the Tax Code are
299299 repealed:
300300 (1) Section 6.052(f); and
301301 (2) Sections 6.41(b-1), (b-2), (d-1), (d-2), (d-3),
302302 (d-4), (d-5), (d-6), (d-7), (d-8), (d-9), (d-10), and (i).
303303 SECTION 14. (a) Appraisal review board members shall be
304304 elected under Section 6.41, Tax Code, as amended by this Act,
305305 beginning with the primary and general elections conducted in 2022.
306306 Members then elected take office January 1, 2023.
307307 (b) The change in the manner of selection of appraisal
308308 review board members made by Section 6.41, Tax Code, as amended by
309309 this Act, does not affect the selection of members who serve on the
310310 board before January 1, 2023.
311311 (c) The term of an appraisal review board member serving on
312312 December 31, 2022, expires on January 1, 2023.
313313 (d) Auxiliary members may be appointed under Section 6.414,
314314 Tax Code, as amended by this Act, by the elected appraisal review
315315 board members on or after January 1, 2023.
316316 (e) The change in the manner of selection of auxiliary
317317 members made by Section 6.414, Tax Code, as amended by this Act,
318318 does not affect the selection of auxiliary members who serve before
319319 January 1, 2023.
320320 (f) The term of an auxiliary member serving on December 31,
321321 2022, expires on January 1, 2023.
322322 SECTION 15. The repeal by this Act of Section 6.41(i), Tax
323323 Code, and the change in law made by this Act to Section 6.41(j), Tax
324324 Code, do not apply to an offense committed under either of those
325325 subsections before January 1, 2023. An offense committed before
326326 January 1, 2023, is governed by the applicable subsection as it
327327 existed on the date the offense was committed, and the former law is
328328 continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section,
329329 an offense was committed before January 1, 2023, if any element of
330330 the offense occurred before that date.
331331 SECTION 16. (a) Except as otherwise provided by this
332332 section, this Act takes effect January 1, 2023.
333333 (b) This section and Sections 12 and 14 of this Act take
334334 effect September 1, 2021.