Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4013 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R16229 MLH-D
2	2	By: Plesa H.B. No. 4013
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the composition of the board of directors of certain
10	10	appraisal districts.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 6.0301, Tax Code, is amended by amending
13	13	Subsections (c), (d), and (g) and adding Subsections (b-1), (c-1),
14	14	(c-2), and (c-3) to read as follows:
15	15	(b-1) The board of directors of the appraisal district shall
16	16	divide the district into four numbered, single-member districts for
17	17	electing directors.
18	18	(c) The appraisal district is governed by a board of nine
19	19	directors. Four [Five] directors are appointed by the taxing units
20	20	that participate in the district in the manner prescribed by
21	21	Section 6.03. One director is elected from each single-member
22	22	district. To be elected to a position on the board of directors of
23	23	the district, a candidate must receive more votes than any other
24	24	candidate for that position. The district shall hold an election to
25	25	elect the appropriate number of directors on the uniform election
26	26	date prescribed by Section 41.001, Election Code, in November of
27	27	each even-numbered year. [Three directors are elected by majority
28	28	vote at the general election for state and county officers by the
29	29	voters of the county in which the district is established.] The
30	30	county assessor-collector serves as an ex officio director.
31	31	(c-1) The board of directors may revise the single-member
32	32	districts as necessary or appropriate.
33	33	(c-2) The board of directors shall revise each
34	34	single-member district after each federal decennial census to
35	35	reflect population changes.
36	36	(c-3) When the boundaries of the single-member districts
37	37	are changed, a director in office on the effective date of the
38	38	change, or elected or appointed before the effective date of the
39	39	change to a term of office beginning on or after the effective date
40	40	of the change, is entitled to serve the term or the remainder of the
41	41	term in the single-member district to which elected or appointed
42	42	even though the change in boundaries places the director's
43	43	residence outside the single-member district from which the
44	44	director was elected or appointed.
45	45	(d) To be eligible to serve in an appointive position on the
46	46	board of directors, an individual [other than the county
47	47	assessor-collector] must be a resident of the district and must
48	48	have resided in the district for at least two years immediately
49	49	preceding the date the individual takes office. To be eligible to
50	50	serve in an elective position on the board of directors, an
51	51	individual must be a resident of the single-member district from
52	52	which the individual is elected and have resided in the
53	53	single-member district for at least two years immediately preceding
54	54	the date the individual takes office. An individual who is
55	55	otherwise eligible to serve on the board is not ineligible because
56	56	of membership on the governing body of a taxing unit. An employee
57	57	of a taxing unit that participates in the district is not eligible
58	58	to serve on the board unless the individual is also a member of the
59	59	governing body or an elected official of a taxing unit that
60	60	participates in the district.
61	61	(g) If a vacancy occurs in an elective position on the board
62	62	of directors, the board of directors shall appoint by majority vote
63	63	of its members a person to fill the vacancy. A person appointed to
64	64	fill a vacancy in an elective position must have the qualifications
65	65	required of a director elected at a general election for the
66	66	position on the board to which the person is appointed.
67	67	SECTION 2. Section 6.032, Tax Code, is amended by adding
68	68	Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
69	69	(a-1) A person shall indicate on the application for a place
70	70	on the ballot the single-member district that the person seeks to
71	71	represent.
72	72	SECTION 3. Not later than January 1, 2026, the board of
73	73	directors of each appraisal district established in a county with a
74	74	population of 75,000 or more shall divide the district into
75	75	single-member districts as required by Section 6.0301(b-1), Tax
76	76	Code, as added by this Act.
77	77	SECTION 4. Sections 5.13(b), (c), and (d), Chapter 1 (S.B.
78	78	2), Acts of the 88th Legislature, 2nd Called Session, 2023, are
79	79	repealed.
80	80	SECTION 5. (a) The changes in law made by this Act apply
81	81	only to an election of members of the board of directors of an
82	82	appraisal district that is held on or after January 1, 2026.
83	83	(b) At the first meeting of the board of directors of an
84	84	appraisal district described by Section 6.0301, Tax Code, as
85	85	amended by this Act, that is held on or after January 1, 2027, the
86	86	four directors elected on the uniform election date prescribed by
87	87	Section 41.001, Election Code, in November 2026 shall draw lots to
88	88	determine which two directors shall serve a term of two years and
89	89	which two directors shall serve a term of four years. Thereafter,
90	90	all elected directors serve four-year terms.
91	91	(c) The term of an appointed appraisal district director
92	92	serving on December 31, 2026, on the board of directors of an
93	93	appraisal district described by Section 6.0301, Tax Code, as
94	94	amended by this Act, expires on January 1, 2027. Not later than
95	95	December 31, 2026, the taxing units participating in the appraisal
96	96	district that are entitled to appoint directors shall appoint four
97	97	directors to serve terms that begin on January 1, 2027. Two
98	98	directors shall be appointed to serve a term of one year, and the
99	99	other two directors shall be appointed to serve a term of three
100	100	years. Thereafter, all appointed directors serve four-year terms.
101	101	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
102	102	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
103	103	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
104	104	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
105	105	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.