1 | 1 | | 89R14370 CJC-D |
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2 | 2 | | By: Hinojosa of Hidalgo S.B. No. 2665 |
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4 | 4 | | |
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5 | 5 | | |
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6 | 6 | | |
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7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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9 | 9 | | relating to the authority of a taxing unit to adopt an exemption or |
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10 | 10 | | a tax rate that is contingent on voter approval of the adoption of a |
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11 | 11 | | tax rate or the issuance of bonds by that taxing unit or another |
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12 | 12 | | taxing unit. |
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13 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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14 | 14 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 11, Tax Code, is amended by |
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15 | 15 | | adding Section 11.136 to read as follows: |
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16 | 16 | | Sec. 11.136. CONDITIONAL ADOPTION OR INCREASE IN PERCENTAGE |
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17 | 17 | | OF LOCAL OPTION RESIDENCE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. (a) The governing |
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18 | 18 | | body of a taxing unit may condition the adoption of an exemption |
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19 | 19 | | under Section 11.13(n), or an increase in the percentage of an |
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20 | 20 | | exemption previously adopted by the governing body under that |
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21 | 21 | | subsection, on the outcome of an election ordered by the governing |
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22 | 22 | | body or the governing body of another taxing unit to approve: |
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23 | 23 | | (1) a tax rate under Section 26.07 or 26.08; or |
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24 | 24 | | (2) the issuance of bonds for which an election is |
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25 | 25 | | required to be held under: |
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26 | 26 | | (A) Section 45.003, Education Code; or |
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27 | 27 | | (B) Chapter 1251, Government Code. |
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28 | 28 | | (b) If the governing body of a taxing unit proposes to |
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29 | 29 | | conditionally adopt or increase the percentage of an exemption |
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30 | 30 | | under Section 11.13(n) under this section, the governing body must |
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31 | 31 | | include in the ordinance, resolution, or order adopting or |
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32 | 32 | | increasing the percentage of the exemption: |
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33 | 33 | | (1) a description of the specific condition that must |
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34 | 34 | | occur before the adoption or increase in the percentage of the |
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35 | 35 | | exemption may take effect; and |
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36 | 36 | | (2) a statement that the adoption or increase in the |
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37 | 37 | | percentage of the exemption: |
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38 | 38 | | (A) does not take effect unless the condition |
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39 | 39 | | described by Subdivision (1) occurs; and |
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40 | 40 | | (B) takes effect on January 1 of the first tax |
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41 | 41 | | year following the year in which the condition described by |
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42 | 42 | | Subdivision (1) occurs if that condition occurs. |
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43 | 43 | | SECTION 2. Chapter 26, Tax Code, is amended by adding |
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44 | 44 | | Section 26.0502 to read as follows: |
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45 | 45 | | Sec. 26.0502. CONDITIONAL TAX RATE. (a) At the time the |
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46 | 46 | | governing body of a taxing unit adopts a tax rate for the taxing |
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47 | 47 | | unit for the current tax year under Section 26.05(a), the governing |
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48 | 48 | | body may also adopt a conditional tax rate for the current tax year |
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49 | 49 | | that is lower than the tax rate adopted under that subsection, |
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50 | 50 | | conditioned on the outcome of an election ordered by the governing |
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51 | 51 | | body or the governing body of another taxing unit to approve: |
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52 | 52 | | (1) a tax rate under Section 26.07 or 26.08; or |
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53 | 53 | | (2) the issuance of bonds for which an election is |
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54 | 54 | | required to be held under: |
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55 | 55 | | (A) Section 45.003, Education Code; or |
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56 | 56 | | (B) Chapter 1251, Government Code. |
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57 | 57 | | (b) If the governing body of a taxing unit adopts a |
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58 | 58 | | conditional tax rate under Subsection (a) for a tax year, the |
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59 | 59 | | governing body shall: |
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60 | 60 | | (1) include the conditional tax rate and a description |
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61 | 61 | | of the specific condition that must occur for the conditional tax |
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62 | 62 | | rate to be the tax rate for the taxing unit in the ordinance, |
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63 | 63 | | resolution, or order adopted under Section 26.05; |
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64 | 64 | | (2) comply with the requirements of Section 26.05 as |
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65 | 65 | | to the conditional tax rate; and |
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66 | 66 | | (3) include in any tax rate notice the taxing unit is |
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67 | 67 | | required to provide under this chapter or Chapter 44, Education |
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68 | 68 | | Code: |
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69 | 69 | | (A) the conditional tax rate; |
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70 | 70 | | (B) a description of the specific condition that |
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71 | 71 | | must occur for the conditional tax rate to be the tax rate for the |
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72 | 72 | | taxing unit; and |
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73 | 73 | | (C) a statement that the conditional tax rate is |
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74 | 74 | | the tax rate for the taxing unit only if the specific condition |
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75 | 75 | | described by Paragraph (B) occurs. |
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76 | 76 | | (c) If the conditional tax rate becomes the tax rate for a |
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77 | 77 | | taxing unit for a tax year as the result of a specific condition |
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78 | 78 | | that occurs after the assessor for the taxing unit has mailed the |
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79 | 79 | | taxing unit's tax bills for that tax year, the assessor shall |
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80 | 80 | | prepare and mail corrected tax bills in the manner provided by |
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81 | 81 | | Chapter 31, and include with the corrected bill a brief explanation |
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82 | 82 | | of the reason for and effect of the corrected bill. A property |
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83 | 83 | | owner that paid the tax due as provided in the initial tax bill is |
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84 | 84 | | entitled to a refund in an amount equal to the difference between |
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85 | 85 | | the tax paid and the tax due as provided in the corrected bill. A |
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86 | 86 | | property owner is not required to apply for a refund under this |
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87 | 87 | | subsection to receive the refund. Section 31.11 does not apply to a |
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88 | 88 | | refund under this subsection. |
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89 | 89 | | SECTION 3. Sections 31.12(a) and (b), Tax Code, are amended |
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90 | 90 | | to read as follows: |
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91 | 91 | | (a) If a refund of a tax provided by Section 11.431(b), |
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92 | 92 | | 26.07(g), 26.075(k), 26.0502(c), 26.15(f), 31.11, 31.111, or |
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93 | 93 | | 31.112 is paid on or before the 60th day after the date the |
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94 | 94 | | liability for the refund arises, no interest is due on the amount |
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95 | 95 | | refunded. If not paid on or before that 60th day, the amount of the |
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96 | 96 | | tax to be refunded accrues interest at a rate of one percent for |
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97 | 97 | | each month or part of a month that the refund is unpaid, beginning |
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98 | 98 | | with the date on which the liability for the refund arises. |
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99 | 99 | | (b) For purposes of this section, liability for a refund |
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100 | 100 | | arises: |
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101 | 101 | | (1) if the refund is required by Section 11.431(b), on |
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102 | 102 | | the date the chief appraiser notifies the collector for the taxing |
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103 | 103 | | unit of the approval of the late homestead exemption; |
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104 | 104 | | (2) if the refund is required by Section 26.07(g) or |
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105 | 105 | | 26.075(k), on the date the results of the election to approve or |
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106 | 106 | | reduce the tax rate, as applicable, are certified; |
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107 | 107 | | (2-a) if the refund is required by Section 26.0502(c), |
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108 | 108 | | on the date the conditional tax rate becomes the adopted tax rate |
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109 | 109 | | for the taxing unit; |
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110 | 110 | | (3) if the refund is required by Section 26.15(f): |
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111 | 111 | | (A) for a correction to the tax roll made under |
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112 | 112 | | Section 26.15(b), on the date the change in the tax roll is |
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113 | 113 | | certified to the assessor for the taxing unit under Section 25.25; |
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114 | 114 | | or |
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115 | 115 | | (B) for a correction to the tax roll made under |
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116 | 116 | | Section 26.15(c), on the date the change in the tax roll is ordered |
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117 | 117 | | by the governing body of the taxing unit; |
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118 | 118 | | (4) if the refund is required by Section 31.11, on the |
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119 | 119 | | date the auditor for the taxing unit determines that the payment was |
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120 | 120 | | erroneous or excessive or, if the amount of the refund exceeds the |
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121 | 121 | | applicable amount specified by Section 31.11(a), on the date the |
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122 | 122 | | governing body of the taxing unit approves the refund; |
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123 | 123 | | (5) if the refund is required by Section 31.111, on the |
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124 | 124 | | date the collector for the taxing unit determines that the payment |
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125 | 125 | | was erroneous; or |
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126 | 126 | | (6) if the refund is required by Section 31.112, on the |
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127 | 127 | | date required by Section 31.112(d) or (e), as applicable. |
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128 | 128 | | SECTION 4. This Act applies to an ad valorem tax year that |
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129 | 129 | | begins on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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130 | 130 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026. |
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