BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2179

By: Wray

Ways & Means

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There have been calls to provide for better oversight when an appraisal review board (ARB) member engages in certain misconduct from office. H.B. 2179 seeks to answer these calls by making it easier to remove an ARB member and providing for more effective communications regarding a member's conduct.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2179 amends the Tax Code to remove the clear and convincing evidentiary standard for evidence of repeated bias or misconduct by a member of an appraisal review board (ARB) to constitute grounds for removal of the member. The bill excludes communication between a property tax consultant or a property owner or an agent of the property owner and the local administrative district judge regarding information relating to the removal of an ARB member from the communications with respect to the appointment of ARB members for an appraisal district in a county with a population of 120,000 or more that constitute an offense. That exclusion applies to an offense committed before, on, or after the bill's effective date, except that a final conviction for an offense committed before the bill's effective date is unaffected.           

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.