Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2665 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
OldNewDifferences
11 89R14370 CJC-D
22 By: Hinojosa of Hidalgo S.B. No. 2665
33
44
55
66
77 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
88 AN ACT
99 relating to the authority of a taxing unit to adopt an exemption or
1010 a tax rate that is contingent on voter approval of the adoption of a
1111 tax rate or the issuance of bonds by that taxing unit or another
1212 taxing unit.
1313 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1414 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 11, Tax Code, is amended by
1515 adding Section 11.136 to read as follows:
1616 Sec. 11.136. CONDITIONAL ADOPTION OR INCREASE IN PERCENTAGE
1717 OF LOCAL OPTION RESIDENCE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. (a) The governing
1818 body of a taxing unit may condition the adoption of an exemption
1919 under Section 11.13(n), or an increase in the percentage of an
2020 exemption previously adopted by the governing body under that
2121 subsection, on the outcome of an election ordered by the governing
2222 body or the governing body of another taxing unit to approve:
2323 (1) a tax rate under Section 26.07 or 26.08; or
2424 (2) the issuance of bonds for which an election is
2525 required to be held under:
2626 (A) Section 45.003, Education Code; or
2727 (B) Chapter 1251, Government Code.
2828 (b) If the governing body of a taxing unit proposes to
2929 conditionally adopt or increase the percentage of an exemption
3030 under Section 11.13(n) under this section, the governing body must
3131 include in the ordinance, resolution, or order adopting or
3232 increasing the percentage of the exemption:
3333 (1) a description of the specific condition that must
3434 occur before the adoption or increase in the percentage of the
3535 exemption may take effect; and
3636 (2) a statement that the adoption or increase in the
3737 percentage of the exemption:
3838 (A) does not take effect unless the condition
3939 described by Subdivision (1) occurs; and
4040 (B) takes effect on January 1 of the first tax
4141 year following the year in which the condition described by
4242 Subdivision (1) occurs if that condition occurs.
4343 SECTION 2. Chapter 26, Tax Code, is amended by adding
4444 Section 26.0502 to read as follows:
4545 Sec. 26.0502. CONDITIONAL TAX RATE. (a) At the time the
4646 governing body of a taxing unit adopts a tax rate for the taxing
4747 unit for the current tax year under Section 26.05(a), the governing
4848 body may also adopt a conditional tax rate for the current tax year
4949 that is lower than the tax rate adopted under that subsection,
5050 conditioned on the outcome of an election ordered by the governing
5151 body or the governing body of another taxing unit to approve:
5252 (1) a tax rate under Section 26.07 or 26.08; or
5353 (2) the issuance of bonds for which an election is
5454 required to be held under:
5555 (A) Section 45.003, Education Code; or
5656 (B) Chapter 1251, Government Code.
5757 (b) If the governing body of a taxing unit adopts a
5858 conditional tax rate under Subsection (a) for a tax year, the
5959 governing body shall:
6060 (1) include the conditional tax rate and a description
6161 of the specific condition that must occur for the conditional tax
6262 rate to be the tax rate for the taxing unit in the ordinance,
6363 resolution, or order adopted under Section 26.05;
6464 (2) comply with the requirements of Section 26.05 as
6565 to the conditional tax rate; and
6666 (3) include in any tax rate notice the taxing unit is
6767 required to provide under this chapter or Chapter 44, Education
6868 Code:
6969 (A) the conditional tax rate;
7070 (B) a description of the specific condition that
7171 must occur for the conditional tax rate to be the tax rate for the
7272 taxing unit; and
7373 (C) a statement that the conditional tax rate is
7474 the tax rate for the taxing unit only if the specific condition
7575 described by Paragraph (B) occurs.
7676 (c) If the conditional tax rate becomes the tax rate for a
7777 taxing unit for a tax year as the result of a specific condition
7878 that occurs after the assessor for the taxing unit has mailed the
7979 taxing unit's tax bills for that tax year, the assessor shall
8080 prepare and mail corrected tax bills in the manner provided by
8181 Chapter 31, and include with the corrected bill a brief explanation
8282 of the reason for and effect of the corrected bill. A property
8383 owner that paid the tax due as provided in the initial tax bill is
8484 entitled to a refund in an amount equal to the difference between
8585 the tax paid and the tax due as provided in the corrected bill. A
8686 property owner is not required to apply for a refund under this
8787 subsection to receive the refund. Section 31.11 does not apply to a
8888 refund under this subsection.
8989 SECTION 3. Sections 31.12(a) and (b), Tax Code, are amended
9090 to read as follows:
9191 (a) If a refund of a tax provided by Section 11.431(b),
9292 26.07(g), 26.075(k), 26.0502(c), 26.15(f), 31.11, 31.111, or
9393 31.112 is paid on or before the 60th day after the date the
9494 liability for the refund arises, no interest is due on the amount
9595 refunded. If not paid on or before that 60th day, the amount of the
9696 tax to be refunded accrues interest at a rate of one percent for
9797 each month or part of a month that the refund is unpaid, beginning
9898 with the date on which the liability for the refund arises.
9999 (b) For purposes of this section, liability for a refund
100100 arises:
101101 (1) if the refund is required by Section 11.431(b), on
102102 the date the chief appraiser notifies the collector for the taxing
103103 unit of the approval of the late homestead exemption;
104104 (2) if the refund is required by Section 26.07(g) or
105105 26.075(k), on the date the results of the election to approve or
106106 reduce the tax rate, as applicable, are certified;
107107 (2-a) if the refund is required by Section 26.0502(c),
108108 on the date the conditional tax rate becomes the adopted tax rate
109109 for the taxing unit;
110110 (3) if the refund is required by Section 26.15(f):
111111 (A) for a correction to the tax roll made under
112112 Section 26.15(b), on the date the change in the tax roll is
113113 certified to the assessor for the taxing unit under Section 25.25;
114114 or
115115 (B) for a correction to the tax roll made under
116116 Section 26.15(c), on the date the change in the tax roll is ordered
117117 by the governing body of the taxing unit;
118118 (4) if the refund is required by Section 31.11, on the
119119 date the auditor for the taxing unit determines that the payment was
120120 erroneous or excessive or, if the amount of the refund exceeds the
121121 applicable amount specified by Section 31.11(a), on the date the
122122 governing body of the taxing unit approves the refund;
123123 (5) if the refund is required by Section 31.111, on the
124124 date the collector for the taxing unit determines that the payment
125125 was erroneous; or
126126 (6) if the refund is required by Section 31.112, on the
127127 date required by Section 31.112(d) or (e), as applicable.
128128 SECTION 4. This Act applies to an ad valorem tax year that
129129 begins on or after the effective date of this Act.
130130 SECTION 5. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026.