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  H.B. No. 2317
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to appraisal review board members.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 5.041, Tax Code, is amended by amending
  Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (e-1), (e-2), and (e-3) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  The comptroller shall:
               (1)  approve curricula and provide materials for use in
  training and educating members of an appraisal review board; [and]
               (2)  supervise a comprehensive course for training and
  education of appraisal review board members and issue certificates
  indicating course completion;
               (3)  make all materials for use in training and
  educating members of an appraisal review board freely available
  online;
               (4)  establish and maintain a toll-free telephone
  number that appraisal review board members may call for answers to
  technical questions relating to the duties and responsibilities of
  appraisal review board members and property appraisal issues; and
               (5)  provide, as feasible, online technological
  assistance to improve the operations of appraisal review boards and
  appraisal districts.
         (e-1)  In addition to the course established under
  Subsection (a), the comptroller shall approve curricula and provide
  materials for use in a continuing education course for members of an
  appraisal review board.  The curricula and materials must include
  information regarding:
               (1)  the cost, income, and market data comparison
  methods of appraising property;
               (2)  the appraisal of business personal property;
               (3)  the determination of capitalization rates for
  property appraisal purposes;
               (4)  the duties of an appraisal review board;
               (5)  the requirements regarding the independence of an
  appraisal review board from the board of directors and the chief
  appraiser and other employees of the appraisal district;
               (6)  the prohibitions against ex parte communications
  applicable to appraisal review board members;
               (7)  the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal
  Practice;
               (8)  the duty of the appraisal district to substantiate
  the district's determination of the value of property;
               (9)  the requirements regarding the equal and uniform
  appraisal of property;
               (10)  the right of a property owner to protest the
  appraisal of the property as provided by Chapter 41; and
               (11)  a detailed explanation of each of the actions
  described by Sections 41.41(a), 41.411, 41.412, 41.413, 41.42, and
  41.43 so that members are fully aware of each of the grounds on
  which a property appraisal can be appealed.
         (e-2)  As soon as practicable after the beginning of the
  second year of an appraisal review board member's term of office,
  the member must successfully complete the course established under
  Subsection (e-1). A person who fails to timely complete the course
  established under Subsection (e-1) may not be reappointed to an
  additional term on the appraisal review board. If the person is
  reappointed to an additional term on the appraisal review board,
  the person must successfully complete the course established under
  Subsection (e-1) in each year the member continues to serve.
         (e-3)  The comptroller may contract with service providers
  to assist with the duties imposed under Subsection (e-1), but the
  course required by that subsection may not be provided by an
  appraisal district or a taxing unit. The comptroller may assess a
  fee to recover a portion of the costs incurred for the continuing
  education course, but the fee may not exceed $50 for each person
  trained.
         SECTION 2.  Section 6.42(a), Tax Code, is amended to read as
  follows:
         (a)  A majority of the appraisal review board constitutes a
  quorum. The board of directors of the appraisal district by
  resolution shall select [elect] a chairman and a secretary from
  among the [its] members of the appraisal review board. The board of
  directors of the appraisal district is encouraged to select as
  chairman of the appraisal review board a member of the appraisal
  review board, if any, who has a background in law and property
  appraisal.
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act to continuing
  education requirements under Section 5.041, Tax Code, applies only
  to a term of office that expires on or after the effective date of
  this Act.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2317 was passed by the House on April
  28, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 134, Nays 12, 1 present, not
  voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
  No. 2317 on May 20, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 128, Nays 1,
  2 present, not voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2317 was passed by the Senate, with
  amendments, on May 13, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays
  0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate   
  APPROVED: __________________
                  Date       
   
           __________________
                Governor