| 4 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 5 | 7 | | relating to disclosure under the public information law of certain |
|---|
| 6 | 8 | | records of an appraisal district. |
|---|
| 7 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 8 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 552.149(b), Government Code, is amended |
|---|
| 9 | 11 | | to read as follows: |
|---|
| 10 | 12 | | (b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the property owner or |
|---|
| 11 | 13 | | the owner's agent may, on request, obtain from the chief appraiser |
|---|
| 12 | 14 | | of the applicable appraisal district a copy of each item of |
|---|
| 13 | 15 | | information described by Section 41.461(a)(2), Tax Code, and a copy |
|---|
| 14 | 16 | | of each item of information that the chief appraiser took into |
|---|
| 15 | 17 | | consideration but does not plan to introduce at the hearing on the |
|---|
| 16 | 18 | | protest. In addition, the property owner or agent may, on request, |
|---|
| 17 | 19 | | obtain from the chief appraiser comparable sales data from a |
|---|
| 18 | 20 | | reasonable number of sales that is relevant to any matter to be |
|---|
| 19 | 21 | | determined by the appraisal review board at the hearing on the |
|---|
| 20 | 22 | | property owner's protest or by the arbitrator at the hearing on the |
|---|
| 21 | 23 | | property owner's appeal under Chapter 41A, Tax Code, of the |
|---|
| 22 | 24 | | appraisal review board's order determining the protest. |
|---|
| 23 | 25 | | Information obtained under this subsection: |
|---|
| 24 | 26 | | (1) remains confidential in the possession of the |
|---|
| 25 | 27 | | property owner or agent; and |
|---|
| 26 | 28 | | (2) may not be disclosed or used for any purpose except |
|---|
| 27 | 29 | | as evidence or argument at the hearing on: |
|---|
| 28 | 30 | | (A) the protest; or |
|---|
| 29 | 31 | | (B) the appeal under Chapter 41A, Tax Code. |
|---|
| 30 | 32 | | SECTION 2. Section 552.149(e), Government Code, is |
|---|
| 31 | 33 | | repealed. |
|---|
| 32 | 34 | | SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
|---|
| 33 | 35 | | a request described by Section 552.149(b), Government Code, as |
|---|
| 34 | 36 | | amended by this Act, received by the chief appraiser of an appraisal |
|---|
| 35 | 37 | | district on or after the effective date of this Act. A request |
|---|
| 36 | 38 | | received by a chief appraiser before the effective date of this Act |
|---|
| 37 | 39 | | is governed by the law in effect on the date the request was |
|---|
| 38 | 40 | | received, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
|---|
| 39 | 41 | | purpose. |
|---|
| 40 | 42 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 41 | 43 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 42 | 44 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 43 | 45 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 44 | 46 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
|---|
| 45 | | - | ______________________________ ______________________________ |
|---|
| 46 | | - | President of the Senate Speaker of the House |
|---|
| 47 | | - | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 334 passed the Senate on |
|---|
| 48 | | - | April 20, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1. |
|---|
| 49 | | - | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 50 | | - | Secretary of the Senate |
|---|
| 51 | | - | I hereby certify that S.B. No. 334 passed the House on |
|---|
| 52 | | - | May 26, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 0, one present |
|---|
| 53 | | - | not voting. |
|---|
| 54 | | - | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 55 | | - | Chief Clerk of the House |
|---|
| 56 | | - | Approved: |
|---|
| 57 | | - | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 58 | | - | Date |
|---|
| 59 | | - | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 60 | | - | Governor |
|---|