85S10083 SMH/TJB-F
 
  By: Bonnen of Brazoria H.B. No. 3
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to ad valorem taxation; authorizing fees.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
  ARTICLE 1. SHORT TITLE
         SECTION 1.01.  This Act may be cited as the Property Tax
  Payer Empowerment Act of 2017.
  ARTICLE 2. ADMINISTRATION OF AD VALOREM TAX SYSTEM
         SECTION 2.01.  Section 1.085(a), Tax Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Notwithstanding any other provision in this title and
  except as provided by this section, any notice, rendition,
  application form, or completed application, or information
  requested under Section 41.461(a)(2), that is required or permitted
  by this title to be delivered between a chief appraiser, an
  appraisal district, an appraisal review board, or any combination
  of those persons and a property owner or [between a chief appraiser,
  an appraisal district, an appraisal review board, or any
  combination of those persons and] a person designated by a property
  owner under Section 1.111(f) may be delivered in an electronic
  format if the chief appraiser and the property owner or person
  designated by the owner agree under this section.
         SECTION 2.02.  Chapter 5, Tax Code, is amended by adding
  Section 5.01 to read as follows:
         Sec. 5.01.  PROPERTY TAX ADMINISTRATION ADVISORY BOARD.
  (a)  The comptroller shall appoint the property tax administration
  advisory board to advise the comptroller with respect to the
  division or divisions within the office of the comptroller with
  primary responsibility for state administration of property
  taxation and state oversight of appraisal districts and local tax
  offices. The advisory board may make recommendations to the
  comptroller regarding improving the effectiveness and efficiency
  of the property tax system, best practices, and complaint
  resolution procedures. The comptroller shall post the
  recommendations of the advisory board on the comptroller's Internet
  website.
         (b)  The advisory board is composed of at least six members
  appointed by the comptroller. The members of the board should
  include:
               (1)  representatives of property tax payers, appraisal
  districts, and school districts; and
               (2)  a person who has knowledge or experience in
  conducting ratio studies.
         (c)  The members of the advisory board serve at the pleasure
  of the comptroller.
         (d)  Any advice to the comptroller relating to a matter
  described by Subsection (a) that is provided by a member of the
  advisory board must be provided at a meeting called by the
  comptroller.
         (e)  Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the
  advisory board.
         SECTION 2.03.  Sections 5.041(b), (c), and (e-1), Tax Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  A member of the appraisal review board established for
  an appraisal district must complete the course established under
  Subsection (a). The course must provide at least eight hours of
  classroom training and education. A member of the appraisal review
  board may not participate in a hearing conducted by the board unless
  the person has completed the course established under Subsection
  (a) and received a certificate of course completion.
         (c)  The comptroller may contract with service providers to
  assist with the duties imposed under Subsection (a), but the course
  required may not be provided by an appraisal district, the chief
  appraiser or another employee of an appraisal district, a member of
  the board of directors of an appraisal district, a member of an
  appraisal review board, or a taxing unit. The comptroller may
  assess a fee to recover a portion of the costs incurred for the
  training course, but the fee may not exceed $50 per person trained.
  If the training is provided to an individual other than a member of
  an appraisal review board, the comptroller may assess a fee not to
  exceed $50 per person trained.
         (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 course must provide at least four hours
  of classroom training and education. 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 25.25, 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.
         SECTION 2.04.  Chapter 5, Tax Code, is amended by adding
  Section 5.043 to read as follows:
         Sec. 5.043.  TRAINING OF ARBITRATORS. (a) This section
  applies only to persons who have agreed to serve as arbitrators
  under Chapter 41A.
         (b)  The comptroller shall:
               (1)  approve curricula and provide an arbitration
  manual and other materials for use in training and educating
  arbitrators;
               (2)  make all materials for use in training and
  educating arbitrators freely available online; and
               (3)  establish and supervise a training program on
  property tax law for the training and education of arbitrators.
         (c)  The training program must:
               (1)  emphasize the requirements regarding the equal and
  uniform appraisal of property; and
               (2)  be at least four hours in length.
         (d)  The training program may be provided online.  The
  comptroller by rule may prescribe the manner by which the
  comptroller may verify that a person taking the training program
  online has taken and completed the program.
         (e)  The comptroller may contract with service providers to
  assist with the duties imposed under Subsection (b), but the
  training program may not be provided by an appraisal district, the
  chief appraiser or another employee of an appraisal district, a
  member of the board of directors of an appraisal district, a member
  of an appraisal review board, or a taxing unit. The comptroller may
  assess a fee to recover a portion of the costs incurred for the
  training program, but the fee may not exceed $50 for each person
  trained.
         (f)  The comptroller shall prepare an arbitration manual for
  use in the training program. The manual shall be updated regularly
  and may be revised on request, in writing, to the comptroller. The
  revised language must be approved by the unanimous agreement of a
  committee selected by the comptroller and representing, equally,
  taxpayers and chief appraisers. The person requesting the revision
  must pay the costs of mediation if the comptroller determines that
  mediation is required.
         SECTION 2.05.  Section 5.07, Tax Code, is amended by adding
  Subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i) to read as follows:
         (f)  In conjunction with prescribing a uniform record system
  to be used by all appraisal districts as required by Subsection (c),
  the comptroller shall prescribe tax rate calculation forms to be
  used by the designated officer or employee of each:
               (1)  taxing unit other than a school district to
  calculate and submit the no-new-revenue tax rate and the rollback
  tax rate for the unit as required by Chapter 26; and
               (2)  school district to calculate and submit the
  no-new-revenue tax rate, the rollback tax rate, and the rate to
  maintain the same amount of state and local revenue per weighted
  student that the district received in the school year beginning in
  the preceding tax year as required by Chapter 26.
         (g)  The forms described by Subsection (f) must be in an
  electronic format and:
               (1)  have blanks that can be filled in electronically;
               (2)  be capable of being certified by the designated
  officer or employee after completion as accurately calculating the
  applicable tax rates and using values that are the same as the
  values shown in the taxing unit's certified appraisal roll; and
               (3)  be capable of being submitted electronically to
  the chief appraiser of each appraisal district in which the taxing
  unit is located.
         (h)  For purposes of Subsections (f) and (g), the comptroller
  shall use the forms published on the comptroller's Internet website
  as of January 1, 2017, as modified as necessary to comply with the
  requirements of those subsections. The forms may be updated at the
  discretion of the comptroller to reflect any statutory change in
  the values used to calculate a tax rate or to reflect formatting or
  other nonsubstantive changes.
         (i)  The comptroller may revise the forms to reflect
  statutory changes other than those described by Subsection (h) or
  on receipt of a request in writing. A revision under this
  subsection must be approved by the agreement of a majority of the
  members of a committee selected by the comptroller who are present
  at a committee meeting at which a quorum is present. The members of
  the committee must represent, equally, taxpayers and either taxing
  units or persons designated by taxing units. In the case of a
  revision for which the comptroller receives a request in writing,
  the person requesting the revision shall pay the costs of mediation
  if the comptroller determines that mediation is required.
         SECTION 2.06.  Section 5.091, Tax Code, is amended to read as
  follows:
         Sec. 5.091.  STATEWIDE LIST OF TAX RATES. (a) Each year the
  comptroller shall prepare a list that includes the total tax rate
  imposed by each taxing unit in this state, as [other than a school
  district, if the tax rate is] reported to the comptroller by each
  appraisal district, for the year [preceding the year] in which the
  list is prepared. The comptroller shall:
               (1)  prescribe the manner in which and deadline by
  which appraisal districts are required to submit the tax rates to
  the comptroller; and
               (2)  list the tax rates alphabetically according to:
                     (A)  the county or counties in which each taxing
  unit is located; and
                     (B)  the name of each taxing unit [in descending
  order].
         (b)  Not later than January 1 [December 31] of the following
  [each] year, the comptroller shall publish on the comptroller's
  Internet website the list required by Subsection (a).
         SECTION 2.07.  Section 5.102(a), Tax Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  At least once every two years, the comptroller shall
  review the governance of each appraisal district, taxpayer
  assistance provided, and the operating and appraisal standards,
  procedures, and methodology used by each appraisal district, to
  determine compliance with generally accepted standards,
  procedures, and methodology. After consultation with the property
  tax administration advisory board [committee created under Section
  403.302, Government Code], the comptroller by rule may establish
  procedures and standards for conducting and scoring the review.
         SECTION 2.08.  Chapter 5, Tax Code, is amended by adding
  Section 5.104 to read as follows:
         Sec. 5.104.  APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD SURVEY; REPORT.  (a)  The
  comptroller shall prepare:
               (1)  an appraisal review board survey form that allows
  an individual described by Subsection (b) to submit comments and
  suggestions to the comptroller regarding an appraisal review board;
  and
               (2)  instructions for completing and submitting the
  form.
         (b)  The following individuals may complete and submit a
  survey form under this section:
               (1)  a property owner who files a motion under Section
  25.25 to correct the appraisal roll or a protest under Chapter 41;
               (2)  the designated agent of the property owner; or
               (3)  a designated representative of the appraisal
  district in which the motion or protest is filed who attends the
  hearing on the motion or protest.
         (c)  The survey form must allow an individual to submit
  comments and suggestions regarding:
               (1)  the matters listed in Section 5.103(b); and
               (2)  any other matter related to the fairness and
  efficiency of the appraisal review board.
         (d)  An appraisal district must provide the survey form and
  the instructions for completing and submitting the form to each
  property owner or designated agent of the owner:
               (1)  at or before each hearing conducted under Section
  25.25 or Chapter 41 by the appraisal review board established for
  the appraisal district or by a panel of the board; and
               (2)  with each order under Section 25.25 or 41.47
  determining a motion or protest, as applicable, delivered by the
  board or by a panel of the board.
         (e)  An individual who elects to submit the survey form must
  submit the form to the comptroller as provided by this section.  An
  appraisal district may not accept a survey form submitted under
  this section.  An individual may submit only one survey form for
  each motion or protest.
         (f)  The comptroller shall allow an individual to submit a
  survey form to the comptroller in the following manner:
               (1)  in person;
               (2)  by mail;
               (3)  by electronic mail; or
               (4)  through a web page on the comptroller's Internet
  website that allows the individual to complete and submit the form.
         (g)  An appraisal district may not require a property owner
  or the designated agent of the owner to complete a survey form at
  the appraisal office in order to be permitted to submit the form to
  the comptroller.
         (h)  A property owner or the designated agent of the owner
  who elects to submit a survey form provided to the owner or agent
  under Subsection (d)(1) or (2) must submit the form not later than
  the earlier of the 45th day after the date:
               (1)  the form is sent to the owner or agent under
  Subsection (d)(2); or
               (2)  the matter that is the subject of the protest is
  finally resolved if the protest is settled or otherwise resolved in
  a manner that does not require the issuance of an order described by
  Subsection (d)(2).
         (i)  A designated representative of an appraisal district
  who elects to submit a survey form following a hearing conducted
  under Section 25.25 or Chapter 41 must submit the form not later
  than the 45th day after the date the form is sent to the property
  owner or designated agent of the owner under Subsection (d)(2)
  following that hearing.
         (j)  The comptroller shall issue an annual report that
  summarizes the information included in the survey forms submitted
  during the preceding year. The report may not disclose the identity
  of an individual who submitted a survey form.
         (k)  The comptroller may adopt rules necessary to implement
  this section.
         SECTION 2.09.  Section 6.41, Tax Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (b) and (d-9) and adding Subsections (b-1),
  (b-2), and (d-10) to read as follows:
         (b)  Except as provided by Subsection (b-1) or (b-2), an
  appraisal review [The] board consists of three members.
         (b-1)  An appraisal [However, the] district board of
  directors by resolution of a majority of the board's [its] members
  may increase the size of the district's appraisal review board to
  the number of members the board of directors considers appropriate.
         (b-2)  An appraisal district board of directors for a
  district established in a county with a population of one million or
  more by resolution of a majority of the board's members shall
  increase the size of the district's appraisal review board to the
  number of members the board of directors considers appropriate to
  manage the duties of the appraisal review board, including the
  duties of each special panel established under Section 6.425.
         (d-9)  In selecting individuals who are to serve as members
  of the appraisal review board, the local administrative district
  judge shall select an adequate number of qualified individuals to
  permit the chairman of the appraisal review board to fill the
  positions on each special panel established under Section 6.425.
         (d-10)  Upon selection of the individuals who are to serve as
  members of the appraisal review board, the local administrative
  district judge shall enter an appropriate order designating such
  members and setting each member's respective term of office, as
  provided elsewhere in this section.
         SECTION 2.10.  Sections 6.412(a) and (d), Tax Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  An individual is ineligible to serve on an appraisal
  review board if the individual:
               (1)  is related within the second degree by
  consanguinity or affinity, as determined under Chapter 573,
  Government Code, to an individual who is engaged in the business of
  appraising property for compensation for use in proceedings under
  this title or of representing property owners for compensation in
  proceedings under this title in the appraisal district for which
  the appraisal review board is established;
               (2)  owns property on which delinquent taxes have been
  owed to a taxing unit for more than 60 days after the date the
  individual knew or should have known of the delinquency unless:
                     (A)  the delinquent taxes and any penalties and
  interest are being paid under an installment payment agreement
  under Section 33.02; or
                     (B)  a suit to collect the delinquent taxes is
  deferred or abated under Section 33.06 or 33.065; or
               (3)  is related within the third degree by
  consanguinity or within the second degree by affinity, as
  determined under Chapter 573, Government Code, to a member of:
                     (A)  the appraisal district's board of directors;
  or
                     (B)  the appraisal review board.
         (d)  A person is ineligible to serve on the appraisal review
  board of an appraisal district established for a county described
  by Section 6.41(d-1) [having a population of more than 100,000] if
  the person:
               (1)  is a former member of the board of directors,
  former officer, or former employee of the appraisal district;
               (2)  served as a member of the governing body or officer
  of a taxing unit for which the appraisal district appraises
  property, until the fourth anniversary of the date the person
  ceased to be a member or officer; [or]
               (3)  appeared before the appraisal review board for
  compensation during the two-year period preceding the date the
  person is appointed; or
               (4)  served for all or part of three previous terms as a
  board member or auxiliary board member on the appraisal review
  board.
         SECTION 2.11.  Section 6.414(d), Tax Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (d)  An auxiliary board member may hear taxpayer protests
  before the appraisal review board.  An auxiliary board member may
  not hear taxpayer protests before a special panel established under
  Section 6.425 unless the member is eligible to be appointed to the
  special panel.  If one or more auxiliary board members sit on a
  panel established under Section 6.425 or 41.45 to conduct a protest
  hearing, the number of regular appraisal review board members
  required by that section to constitute the panel is reduced by the
  number of auxiliary board members sitting.  An auxiliary board
  member sitting on a panel is considered a regular board member for
  all purposes related to the conduct of the hearing.
         SECTION 2.12.  Section 6.42, Tax Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (d) to read as
  follows:
         (a)  A majority of the appraisal review board constitutes a
  quorum. The local administrative district judge under Subchapter
  D, Chapter 74, Government Code, in the county in which [board of
  directors of] the appraisal district is established [by resolution]
  shall select a chairman and a secretary from among the members of
  the appraisal review board. The judge [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.
         (d)  The concurrence of a majority of the members of the
  appraisal review board or a panel of the board present at a meeting
  of the board or panel is sufficient for a recommendation,
  determination, decision, or other action by the board or panel, and
  the concurrence of more than a majority of the members of the board
  or panel may not be required.
         SECTION 2.13.  Subchapter C, Chapter 6, Tax Code, is amended
  by adding Section 6.425 to read as follows:
         Sec. 6.425.  SPECIAL APPRAISAL REVIEW BOARD PANELS IN
  CERTAIN DISTRICTS. (a) This section applies only to the appraisal
  review board for an appraisal district described by Section
  6.41(b-2).
         (b)  The appraisal review board shall establish special
  panels to conduct protest hearings under Chapter 41 relating to
  property that:
               (1)  has an appraised value of $50 million or more as
  determined by the appraisal district; and
               (2)  is included in one of the following
  classifications:
                     (A)  commercial real and personal property;
                     (B)  real and personal property of utilities;
                     (C)  industrial and manufacturing real and
  personal property; and
                     (D)  multifamily residential real property.
         (c)  Each special panel described by this section consists of
  three members of the appraisal review board appointed by the
  chairman of the board.
         (d)  To be eligible to be appointed to a special panel
  described by this section, a member of the appraisal review board
  must:
               (1)  hold a juris doctor or equivalent degree;
               (2)  hold a master of business administration degree;
               (3)  be licensed as a certified public accountant under
  Chapter 901, Occupations Code;
               (4)  be accredited by the American Society of
  Appraisers as an accredited senior appraiser;
               (5)  possess an MAI professional designation from the
  Appraisal Institute;
               (6)  possess a Certified Assessment Evaluator (CAE)
  professional designation from the International Association of
  Assessing Officers;
               (7)  have at least 20 years of experience in property
  tax appraisal or consulting; or
               (8)  be licensed as a real estate broker or sales agent
  under Chapter 1101, Occupations Code.
         (e)  Notwithstanding Subsection (d), the chairman of the
  appraisal review board may appoint to a special panel described by
  this section a member of the appraisal review board who does not
  meet the qualifications prescribed by that subsection if:
               (1)  the number of persons appointed to the board by the
  local administrative district judge who meet those qualifications
  is not sufficient to fill the positions on each special panel; and
               (2)  the board member being appointed to the panel
  holds a bachelor's degree in any field.
         (f)  In addition to conducting protest hearings relating to
  property described by Subsection (b) of this section, a special
  panel may conduct protest hearings under Chapter 41 relating to
  property not described by Subsection (b) of this section as
  assigned by the chairman of the appraisal review board.
         SECTION 2.14.  Effective January 1, 2019, Section 25.19, Tax
  Code, is amended by adding Subsections (b-3) and (b-4) to read as
  follows:
         (b-3)  This subsection applies only to an appraisal district
  described by Section 6.41(b-2).  In addition to the information
  required by Subsection (b), the chief appraiser shall state in a
  notice of appraised value of property described by Section 6.425(b)
  that the property owner has the right to have a protest relating to
  the property heard by a special panel of the appraisal review board.
         (b-4)  Subsection (b)(5) applies only to a notice of
  appraised value required to be delivered by the chief appraiser of
  an appraisal district established in a county with a population of
  less than 120,000. This subsection expires January 1, 2020.
         SECTION 2.15.  (a) This section takes effect only if Article
  3 of this Act does not take effect.
         (b)  Effective January 1, 2020, Sections 25.19(b) and (i),
  Tax Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The chief appraiser shall separate real from personal
  property and include in the notice for each:
               (1)  a list of the taxing units in which the property is
  taxable;
               (2)  the appraised value of the property in the
  preceding year;
               (3)  the taxable value of the property in the preceding
  year for each taxing unit taxing the property;
               (4)  the appraised value of the property for the
  current year, the kind and amount of each exemption and partial
  exemption, if any, approved for the property for the current year
  and for the preceding year, and, if an exemption or partial
  exemption that was approved for the preceding year was canceled or
  reduced for the current year, the amount of the exemption or partial
  exemption canceled or reduced;
               (5)  [if the appraised value is greater than it was in
  the preceding year, the amount of tax that would be imposed on the
  property on the basis of the tax rate for the preceding year;
               [(6)]  in italic typeface, the following
  statement:  "The Texas Legislature does not set the amount of your
  local taxes. Your property tax burden is decided by your locally
  elected officials, and all inquiries concerning your taxes should
  be directed to those officials";
               (6) [(7)]  a detailed explanation of the time and
  procedure for protesting the value;
               (7) [(8)]  the date and place the appraisal review
  board will begin hearing protests; and
               (8) [(9)]  a brief explanation that the governing body
  of each taxing unit decides whether or not taxes on the property
  will increase and the appraisal district only determines the value
  of the property.
         (i)  Delivery with a notice required by Subsection (a) or (g)
  of a copy of the pamphlet published by the comptroller under Section
  5.06 or a copy of the notice published by the chief appraiser under
  Section 41.70 is sufficient to comply with the requirement that the
  notice include the information specified by Subsection (b)(6)
  [(b)(7)] or (g)(3), as applicable.
         SECTION 2.16.  Section 25.25(c), Tax Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (c)  The appraisal review board, on motion of the chief
  appraiser or of a property owner, may direct by written order
  changes in the appraisal roll for any of the five preceding years to
  correct:
               (1)  clerical errors that affect a property owner's
  liability for a tax imposed in that tax year;
               (2)  multiple appraisals of a property in that tax
  year;
               (3)  the inclusion of property that does not exist in
  the form or at the location described in the appraisal roll; [or]
               (4)  an error in which property is shown as owned by a
  person who did not own the property on January 1 of that tax year; or
               (5)  an error in the square footage of a property
  described in the appraisal roll and any error in the appraised value
  of the property that resulted from that error.
         SECTION 2.17.  Section 26.012(9), Tax Code, is redesignated
  as Section 26.012(18), Tax Code, and amended to read as follows:
               (18)  "No-new-revenue [(9) "Effective] maintenance
  and operations rate" means a rate expressed in dollars per $100 of
  taxable value and calculated according to the following formula:
  NO-NEW-REVENUE [EFFECTIVE] MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS
  RATE = (LAST YEAR'S LEVY - LAST YEAR'S DEBT LEVY - LAST
  YEAR'S JUNIOR COLLEGE LEVY) / (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE -
  NEW PROPERTY VALUE)
         SECTION 2.18.  The heading to Section 26.04, Tax Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 26.04.  SUBMISSION OF ROLL TO GOVERNING BODY;
  NO-NEW-REVENUE [EFFECTIVE] AND ROLLBACK TAX RATES.
         SECTION 2.19.  Section 26.04, Tax Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), (e-1), (f), (g), (i), and
  (j) and adding Subsections (d-1), (d-2), (e-2), (e-3), and (e-4) to
  read as follows:
         (b)  The assessor shall submit the appraisal roll for the
  unit showing the total appraised, assessed, and taxable values of
  all property and the total taxable value of new property to the
  governing body of the unit by August 1 or as soon thereafter as
  practicable. By August 1 or as soon thereafter as practicable, the
  taxing unit's collector shall certify [an estimate of] the
  anticipated collection rate, as defined by Subsection (h), for the
  current year to the governing body. If the collector certified an
  anticipated collection rate in the preceding year and the actual
  collection rate in that year exceeded the anticipated rate, the
  collector shall also certify the amount of debt taxes collected in
  excess of the anticipated amount in the preceding year.
         (c)  After the assessor for the unit submits the appraisal
  roll for the unit to the governing body of the unit as required by
  Subsection (b), an [An] officer or employee designated by the
  governing body shall calculate the no-new-revenue [effective] tax
  rate and the rollback tax rate for the unit, where:
               (1)  "No-new-revenue [Effective] tax rate" means a rate
  expressed in dollars per $100 of taxable value calculated according
  to the following formula:
         NO-NEW-REVENUE [EFFECTIVE] TAX RATE = (LAST YEAR'S
  LEVY - LOST PROPERTY LEVY) / (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE -
  NEW PROPERTY VALUE)
         ; and
               (2)  "Rollback tax rate" means a rate expressed in
  dollars per $100 of taxable value calculated according to the
  following formula:
         ROLLBACK TAX RATE = (NO-NEW-REVENUE [EFFECTIVE] MAINTENANCE
  AND OPERATIONS RATE x 1.08) + CURRENT DEBT RATE
         (d)  The no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate for a county is
  the sum of the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rates calculated for
  each type of tax the county levies and the rollback tax rate for a
  county is the sum of the rollback tax rates calculated for each type
  of tax the county levies.
         (d-1)  The designated officer or employee shall use the tax
  rate calculation forms prescribed by the comptroller under Section
  5.07 in calculating the no-new-revenue tax rate and the rollback
  tax rate.
         (d-2)  The designated officer or employee may not submit the
  no-new-revenue tax rate and the rollback tax rate to the governing
  body of the taxing unit and the unit may not adopt a tax rate until
  the designated officer or employee certifies on the tax rate
  calculation forms that the designated officer or employee has
  accurately calculated the tax rates and has used values that are the
  same as the values shown in the unit's certified appraisal roll in
  performing the calculations.
         (e)  By August 7 or as soon thereafter as practicable, the
  designated officer or employee shall submit the rates to the
  governing body. The designated officer or employee [He] shall
  deliver by mail to each property owner in the unit or publish in a
  newspaper and may post prominently on the home page of the unit's
  Internet website, if applicable, in the form prescribed by the
  comptroller:
               (1)  the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate, the
  rollback tax rate, and an explanation of how they were calculated;
               (2)  the estimated amount of interest and sinking fund
  balances and the estimated amount of maintenance and operation or
  general fund balances remaining at the end of the current fiscal
  year that are not encumbered with or by corresponding existing debt
  obligation;
               (3)  a schedule of the unit's debt obligations showing:
                     (A)  the amount of principal and interest that
  will be paid to service the unit's debts in the next year from
  property tax revenue, including payments of lawfully incurred
  contractual obligations providing security for the payment of the
  principal of and interest on bonds and other evidences of
  indebtedness issued on behalf of the unit by another political
  subdivision and, if the unit is created under Section 52, Article
  III, or Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, payments on
  debts that the unit anticipates to incur in the next calendar year;
                     (B)  the amount by which taxes imposed for debt
  are to be increased because of the unit's anticipated collection
  rate; and
                     (C)  the total of the amounts listed in Paragraphs
  (A)-(B), less any amount collected in excess of the previous year's
  anticipated collections certified as provided in Subsection (b);
               (4)  the amount of additional sales and use tax revenue
  anticipated in calculations under Section 26.041;
               (5)  a statement that the adoption of a tax rate equal
  to the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate would result in an
  increase or decrease, as applicable, in the amount of taxes imposed
  by the unit as compared to last year's levy, and the amount of the
  increase or decrease;
               (6)  in the year that a taxing unit calculates an
  adjustment under Subsection (i) or (j), a schedule that includes
  the following elements:
                     (A)  the name of the unit discontinuing the
  department, function, or activity;
                     (B)  the amount of property tax revenue spent by
  the unit listed under Paragraph (A) to operate the discontinued
  department, function, or activity in the 12 months preceding the
  month in which the calculations required by this chapter are made;
  and
                     (C)  the name of the unit that operates a distinct
  department, function, or activity in all or a majority of the
  territory of a taxing unit that has discontinued operating the
  distinct department, function, or activity; and
               (7)  in the year following the year in which a taxing
  unit raised its rollback tax rate as required by Subsection (j), a
  schedule that includes the following elements:
                     (A)  the amount of property tax revenue spent by
  the unit to operate the department, function, or activity for which
  the taxing unit raised the rollback tax rate as required by
  Subsection (j) for the 12 months preceding the month in which the
  calculations required by this chapter are made; and
                     (B)  the amount published by the unit in the
  preceding tax year under Subdivision (6)(B).
         (e-1)  The tax rate certification requirements imposed by
  Subsection (d-2) and the notice requirements imposed by Subsections
  (e)(1)-(6) do not apply to a school district.
         (e-2)  By August 7 or as soon thereafter as practicable, the
  chief appraiser of each appraisal district shall deliver by regular
  mail or e-mail to each owner of property located in the appraisal
  district a notice that the estimated amount of taxes to be imposed
  on the owner's property by each taxing unit in which the property is
  located may be found in the property tax database maintained by the
  appraisal district under Section 26.17. The notice must include:
               (1)  the following statement:
  "PROPOSED (tax year) PROPERTY TAX BILL INFORMATION
         "Information concerning the property taxes that may be
  imposed on your property by local taxing units, the dates and
  locations of any public hearings on the tax rates of the taxing
  units, and the dates and locations of meetings of the governing
  bodies of the taxing units to vote on the tax rates, together with
  other important property tax information, may be found at the
  website listed below:
         "(address of the Internet website at which the information
  may be found).";
               (2)  a statement that the property owner may request
  from the county assessor-collector contact information for the
  assessor for each taxing unit in which the property is located, who
  must provide the information described by this subsection to the
  owner on request; and
               (3)  the address and telephone number of the county
  assessor-collector.
         (e-3)  The heading of the statement described by Subsection
  (e-2)(1) must be in bold, capital letters in typeset larger than
  that used in the other provisions of the notice.
         (e-4)  The comptroller may adopt rules regarding the format
  and delivery of the notice required by Subsection (e-2).
         (f)  If as a result of consolidation of taxing units a taxing
  unit includes territory that was in two or more taxing units in the
  preceding year, the amount of taxes imposed in each in the preceding
  year is combined for purposes of calculating the no-new-revenue
  [effective] and rollback tax rates under this section.
         (g)  A person who owns taxable property is entitled to an
  injunction prohibiting the taxing unit in which the property is
  taxable from adopting a tax rate if the assessor or designated
  officer or employee of the unit, the chief appraiser of the
  applicable appraisal district, or the taxing unit, as applicable,
  has not complied with the computation, [or] publication, or posting
  requirements of this section or Section 26.17 or 26.18 [and the
  failure to comply was not in good faith].
         (i)  This subsection applies to a taxing unit that has agreed
  by written contract to transfer a distinct department, function, or
  activity to another taxing unit and discontinues operating that
  distinct department, function, or activity if the operation of that
  department, function, or activity in all or a majority of the
  territory of the taxing unit is continued by another existing
  taxing unit or by a new taxing unit. The rollback tax rate of a
  taxing unit to which this subsection applies in the first tax year
  in which a budget is adopted that does not allocate revenue to the
  discontinued department, function, or activity is calculated as
  otherwise provided by this section, except that last year's levy
  used to calculate the no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance and
  operations rate of the unit is reduced by the amount of maintenance
  and operations tax revenue spent by the taxing unit to operate the
  department, function, or activity for the 12 months preceding the
  month in which the calculations required by this chapter are made
  and in which the unit operated the discontinued department,
  function, or activity. If the unit did not operate that department,
  function, or activity for the full 12 months preceding the month in
  which the calculations required by this chapter are made, the unit
  shall reduce last year's levy used for calculating the
  no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance and operations rate of the
  unit by the amount of the revenue spent in the last full fiscal year
  in which the unit operated the discontinued department, function,
  or activity.
         (j)  This subsection applies to a taxing unit that had agreed
  by written contract to accept the transfer of a distinct
  department, function, or activity from another taxing unit and
  operates a distinct department, function, or activity if the
  operation of a substantially similar department, function, or
  activity in all or a majority of the territory of the taxing unit
  has been discontinued by another taxing unit, including a dissolved
  taxing unit. The rollback tax rate of a taxing unit to which this
  subsection applies in the first tax year after the other taxing unit
  discontinued the substantially similar department, function, or
  activity in which a budget is adopted that allocates revenue to the
  department, function, or activity is calculated as otherwise
  provided by this section, except that last year's levy used to
  calculate the no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance and
  operations rate of the unit is increased by the amount of
  maintenance and operations tax revenue spent by the taxing unit
  that discontinued operating the substantially similar department,
  function, or activity to operate that department, function, or
  activity for the 12 months preceding the month in which the
  calculations required by this chapter are made and in which the unit
  operated the discontinued department, function, or activity. If
  the unit did not operate the discontinued department, function, or
  activity for the full 12 months preceding the month in which the
  calculations required by this chapter are made, the unit may
  increase last year's levy used to calculate the no-new-revenue
  [effective] maintenance and operations rate by an amount not to
  exceed the amount of property tax revenue spent by the
  discontinuing unit to operate the discontinued department,
  function, or activity in the last full fiscal year in which the
  discontinuing unit operated the department, function, or activity.
         SECTION 2.20.  Sections 26.041(a), (b), (c), (e), (g), and
  (h), Tax Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  In the first year in which an additional sales and use
  tax is required to be collected, the no-new-revenue [effective] tax
  rate and rollback tax rate for the unit are calculated according to
  the following formulas:
         NO-NEW-REVENUE [EFFECTIVE] TAX RATE = [(LAST YEAR'S
  LEVY - LOST PROPERTY LEVY) / (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW
  PROPERTY VALUE)] - SALES TAX GAIN RATE
  and
         ROLLBACK TAX RATE = (NO-NEW-REVENUE [EFFECTIVE]
  MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE x 1.08) + CURRENT DEBT
  RATE - SALES TAX GAIN RATE
  where "sales tax gain rate" means a number expressed in dollars per
  $100 of taxable value, calculated by dividing the revenue that will
  be generated by the additional sales and use tax in the following
  year as calculated under Subsection (d) [of this section] by the
  current total value.
         (b)  Except as provided by Subsections (a) and (c) [of this
  section], in a year in which a taxing unit imposes an additional
  sales and use tax, the rollback tax rate for the unit is calculated
  according to the following formula, regardless of whether the unit
  levied a property tax in the preceding year:
         ROLLBACK TAX RATE = [(LAST YEAR'S MAINTENANCE AND
  OPERATIONS EXPENSE x 1.08) / ([TOTAL] CURRENT TOTAL
  VALUE - NEW PROPERTY VALUE)] + (CURRENT DEBT RATE -
  SALES TAX REVENUE RATE)
  where "last year's maintenance and operations expense" means the
  amount spent for maintenance and operations from property tax and
  additional sales and use tax revenues in the preceding year, and
  "sales tax revenue rate" means a number expressed in dollars per
  $100 of taxable value, calculated by dividing the revenue that will
  be generated by the additional sales and use tax in the current year
  as calculated under Subsection (d) [of this section] by the current
  total value.
         (c)  In a year in which a taxing unit that has been imposing
  an additional sales and use tax ceases to impose an additional sales
  and use tax, the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate and rollback
  tax rate for the unit are calculated according to the following
  formulas:
         NO-NEW-REVENUE [EFFECTIVE] TAX RATE = [(LAST YEAR'S
  LEVY - LOST PROPERTY LEVY) / (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW
  PROPERTY VALUE)] + SALES TAX LOSS RATE
  and
         ROLLBACK TAX RATE = [(LAST YEAR'S MAINTENANCE AND
  OPERATIONS EXPENSE x 1.08) / ([TOTAL] CURRENT TOTAL
  VALUE - NEW PROPERTY VALUE)] + CURRENT DEBT RATE
  where "sales tax loss rate" means a number expressed in dollars per
  $100 of taxable value, calculated by dividing the amount of sales
  and use tax revenue generated in the last four quarters for which
  the information is available by the current total value and "last
  year's maintenance and operations expense" means the amount spent
  for maintenance and operations from property tax and additional
  sales and use tax revenues in the preceding year.
         (e)  If a city that imposes an additional sales and use tax
  receives payments under the terms of a contract executed before
  January 1, 1986, in which the city agrees not to annex certain
  property or a certain area and the owners or lessees of the property
  or of property in the area agree to pay at least annually to the city
  an amount determined by reference to all or a percentage of the
  property tax rate of the city and all or a part of the value of the
  property subject to the agreement or included in the area subject to
  the agreement, the governing body, by order adopted by a majority
  vote of the governing body, may direct the designated officer or
  employee to add to the no-new-revenue [effective] and rollback tax
  rates the amount that, when applied to the total taxable value
  submitted to the governing body, would produce an amount of taxes
  equal to the difference between the total amount of payments for the
  tax year under contracts described by this subsection under the
  rollback tax rate calculated under this section and the total
  amount of payments for the tax year that would have been obligated
  to the city if the city had not adopted an additional sales and use
  tax.
         (g)  If the rate of the additional sales and use tax is
  increased, the designated officer or employee shall make two
  projections, in the manner provided by Subsection (d) [of this
  section], of the revenue generated by the additional sales and use
  tax in the following year. The first projection must take into
  account the increase and the second projection must not take into
  account the increase. The designated officer or employee shall
  then subtract the amount of the result of the second projection from
  the amount of the result of the first projection to determine the
  revenue generated as a result of the increase in the additional
  sales and use tax. In the first year in which an additional sales
  and use tax is increased, the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate
  for the unit is the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate before the
  increase minus a number the numerator of which is the revenue
  generated as a result of the increase in the additional sales and
  use tax, as determined under this subsection, and the denominator
  of which is the current total value minus the new property value.
         (h)  If the rate of the additional sales and use tax is
  decreased, the designated officer or employee shall make two
  projections, in the manner provided by Subsection (d) [of this
  section], of the revenue generated by the additional sales and use
  tax in the following year. The first projection must take into
  account the decrease and the second projection must not take into
  account the decrease. The designated officer or employee shall
  then subtract the amount of the result of the first projection from
  the amount of the result of the second projection to determine the
  revenue lost as a result of the decrease in the additional sales and
  use tax. In the first year in which an additional sales and use tax
  is decreased, the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate for the unit
  is the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate before the decrease plus
  a number the numerator of which is the revenue lost as a result of
  the decrease in the additional sales and use tax, as determined
  under this subsection, and the denominator of which is the current
  total value minus the new property value.
         SECTION 2.21.  The heading to Section 26.043, Tax Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 26.043.  ROLLBACK AND NO-NEW-REVENUE [EFFECTIVE] TAX
  RATES [RATE] IN CITY IMPOSING MASS TRANSIT SALES AND USE TAX.
         SECTION 2.22.  Sections 26.043(a) and (b), Tax Code, are
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  In the tax year in which a city has set an election on
  the question of whether to impose a local sales and use tax under
  Subchapter H, Chapter 453, Transportation Code, the officer or
  employee designated to make the calculations provided by Section
  26.04 may not make those calculations until the outcome of the
  election is determined. If the election is determined in favor of
  the imposition of the tax, the representative shall subtract from
  the city's rollback and no-new-revenue [effective] tax rates the
  amount that, if applied to the city's current total value, would
  impose an amount equal to the amount of property taxes budgeted in
  the current tax year to pay for expenses related to mass transit
  services.
         (b)  In a tax year to which this section applies, a reference
  in this chapter to the city's no-new-revenue [effective] or
  rollback tax rate refers to that rate as adjusted under this
  section.
         SECTION 2.23.  The heading to Section 26.044, Tax Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 26.044.  NO-NEW-REVENUE [EFFECTIVE] TAX RATE TO PAY FOR
  STATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE MANDATE.
         SECTION 2.24.  Sections 26.044(a), (b), and (c), Tax Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The first time that a county adopts a tax rate after
  September 1, 1991, in which the state criminal justice mandate
  applies to the county, the no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance
  and operation rate for the county is increased by the rate
  calculated according to the following formula:
         (State Criminal Justice Mandate) / (Current Total
  Value - New Property Value)
         (b)  In the second and subsequent years that a county adopts
  a tax rate, if the amount spent by the county for the state criminal
  justice mandate increased over the previous year, the
  no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance and operation rate for the
  county is increased by the rate calculated according to the
  following formula:
         (This Year's State Criminal Justice Mandate - Previous
  Year's State Criminal Justice Mandate) / (Current
  Total Value - New Property Value)
         (c)  The county shall include a notice of the increase in the
  no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance and operation rate provided
  by this section, including a description and amount of the state
  criminal justice mandate, in the information published under
  Section 26.04(e) and Section 26.06(b) [of this code].
         SECTION 2.25.  Sections 26.0441(a), (b), and (c), Tax Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  In the first tax year in which a taxing unit adopts a tax
  rate after January 1, 2000, and in which the enhanced minimum
  eligibility standards for indigent health care established under
  Section 61.006, Health and Safety Code, apply to the taxing unit,
  the no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance and operations rate for
  the taxing unit is increased by the rate computed according to the
  following formula:
         Amount of Increase = Enhanced Indigent Health Care
  Expenditures / (Current Total Value - New Property
  Value)
         (b)  In each subsequent tax year, if the taxing unit's
  enhanced indigent health care expenses exceed the amount of those
  expenses for the preceding year, the no-new-revenue [effective]
  maintenance and operations rate for the taxing unit is increased by
  the rate computed according to the following formula:
         Amount of Increase = (Current Tax Year's Enhanced
  Indigent Health Care Expenditures - Preceding Tax
  Year's Indigent Health Care Expenditures) / (Current
  Total Value - New Property Value)
         (c)  The taxing unit shall include a notice of the increase
  in its no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance and operations rate
  provided by this section, including a brief description and the
  amount of the enhanced indigent health care expenditures, in the
  information published under Section 26.04(e) and, if applicable,
  Section 26.06(b).
         SECTION 2.26.  Section 26.05, Tax Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (b), (c), (d), (e), and (g) and adding
  Subsections (d-1) and (d-2) to read as follows:
         (b)  A taxing unit may not impose property taxes in any year
  until the governing body has adopted a tax rate for that year, and
  the annual tax rate must be set by ordinance, resolution, or order,
  depending on the method prescribed by law for adoption of a law by
  the governing body. The vote on the ordinance, resolution, or order
  setting the tax rate must be separate from the vote adopting the
  budget. For a taxing unit other than a school district, the vote on
  the ordinance, resolution, or order setting a tax rate that exceeds
  the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate must be a record vote, and
  at least 60 percent of the members of the governing body must vote
  in favor of the ordinance, resolution, or order. For a school
  district, the vote on the ordinance, resolution, or order setting a
  tax rate that exceeds the sum of the no-new-revenue [effective]
  maintenance and operations tax rate of the district as determined
  under Section 26.08(i) and the district's current debt rate must be
  a record vote, and at least 60 percent of the members of the
  governing body must vote in favor of the ordinance, resolution, or
  order. A motion to adopt an ordinance, resolution, or order setting
  a tax rate that exceeds the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate
  must be made in the following form: "I move that the property tax
  rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of (specify tax
  rate), which is effectively a (insert percentage by which the
  proposed tax rate exceeds the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate)
  percent increase in the tax rate." If the ordinance, resolution, or
  order sets a tax rate that, if applied to the total taxable value,
  will impose an amount of taxes to fund maintenance and operation
  expenditures of the taxing unit that exceeds the amount of taxes
  imposed for that purpose in the preceding year, the taxing unit
  must:
               (1)  include in the ordinance, resolution, or order in
  type larger than the type used in any other portion of the document:
                     (A)  the following statement:  "THIS TAX RATE WILL
  RAISE MORE TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS THAN LAST YEAR'S
  TAX RATE."; and
                     (B)  if the tax rate exceeds the no-new-revenue
  [effective] maintenance and operations rate, the following
  statement:  "THE TAX RATE WILL EFFECTIVELY BE RAISED BY (INSERT
  PERCENTAGE BY WHICH THE TAX RATE EXCEEDS THE NO-NEW-REVENUE
  [EFFECTIVE] MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE) PERCENT AND WILL RAISE
  TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS ON A $100,000 HOME BY
  APPROXIMATELY $(Insert amount)."; and
               (2)  include on the home page of any Internet website
  operated by the unit:
                     (A)  the following statement:  "(Insert name of
  unit) ADOPTED A TAX RATE THAT WILL RAISE MORE TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE
  AND OPERATIONS THAN LAST YEAR'S TAX RATE"; and
                     (B)  if the tax rate exceeds the no-new-revenue
  [effective] maintenance and operations rate, the following
  statement:  "THE TAX RATE WILL EFFECTIVELY BE RAISED BY (INSERT
  PERCENTAGE BY WHICH THE TAX RATE EXCEEDS THE NO-NEW-REVENUE
  [EFFECTIVE] MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE) PERCENT AND WILL RAISE
  TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS ON A $100,000 HOME BY
  APPROXIMATELY $(Insert amount)."
         (c)  If the governing body of a taxing unit does not adopt a
  tax rate before the date required by Subsection (a), the tax rate
  for the taxing unit for that tax year is the lower of the
  no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate calculated for that tax year or
  the tax rate adopted by the taxing unit for the preceding tax year.
  A tax rate established by this subsection is treated as an adopted
  tax rate. Before the fifth day after the establishment of a tax
  rate by this subsection, the governing body of the taxing unit must
  ratify the applicable tax rate in the manner required by Subsection
  (b).
         (d)  The governing body of a taxing unit other than a school
  district may not adopt a tax rate that exceeds the lower of the
  rollback tax rate or the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate
  calculated as provided by this chapter until the governing body has
  held two public hearings on the proposed tax rate and has otherwise
  complied with Section 26.06 and Section 26.065. The governing body
  of a taxing unit shall reduce a tax rate set by law or by vote of the
  electorate to the lower of the rollback tax rate or the
  no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate and may not adopt a higher rate
  unless it first complies with Section 26.06.
         (d-1)  The governing body of a taxing unit may not hold a
  public hearing on a proposed tax rate or a public meeting to adopt a
  tax rate until the 14th day after the date the officer or employee
  designated by the governing body of the unit to calculate the
  no-new-revenue tax rate and the rollback tax rate for the unit
  complies with Section 26.17.
         (d-2)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the governing body of
  a taxing unit other than a school district may not adopt a tax rate
  until:
               (1)  the chief appraiser of each appraisal district in
  which the taxing unit participates has:
                     (A)  delivered the notice required by Section
  26.04(e-2); and
                     (B)  incorporated the tax rate calculation forms
  submitted to the appraisal district under Section 26.17(d)(2) by
  the designated officer or employee of the taxing unit into the
  property tax database maintained by the chief appraiser and made
  them available to the public;
               (2)  the designated officer or employee of the taxing
  unit has entered in the property tax database maintained by the
  chief appraiser the information described by Section 26.17(b) for
  the current tax year; and
               (3)  the taxing unit has posted the information
  described by Section 26.18 on the Internet website used by the
  taxing unit for that purpose.
         (e)  A person who owns taxable property is entitled to an
  injunction restraining the collection of taxes by a taxing unit in
  which the property is taxable if the taxing unit has not complied
  with the requirements of this section or Section 26.04 [and the
  failure to comply was not in good faith]. An action to enjoin the
  collection of taxes must be filed not later than the 15th day after
  the date the taxing unit adopts a tax rate. A property owner is not
  required to pay the taxes imposed by a taxing unit on the owner's
  property while an action filed by the property owner to enjoin the
  collection of taxes imposed by the taxing unit on the owner's
  property is pending. If the property owner pays the taxes and
  subsequently prevails in the action, the property owner is entitled
  to a refund of the taxes paid, together with reasonable attorney's
  fees and court costs.  The property owner is not required to apply
  to the collector for the taxing unit to receive the refund [prior to
  the date a taxing unit delivers substantially all of its tax bills].
         (g)  Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the governing body of a
  school district that elects to adopt a tax rate before the adoption
  of a budget for the fiscal year that begins in the current tax year
  may adopt a tax rate for the current tax year before receipt of the
  certified appraisal roll for the school district if the chief
  appraiser of the appraisal district in which the school district
  participates has certified to the assessor for the school district
  an estimate of the taxable value of property in the school district
  as provided by Section 26.01(e).  If a school district adopts a tax
  rate under this subsection, the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate
  and the rollback tax rate of the district shall be calculated based
  on the certified estimate of taxable value.
         SECTION 2.27.  Section 26.052, Tax Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (e) and adding Subsection (f) to read as
  follows:
         (e)  Public notice provided under Subsection (c) must
  specify:
               (1)  the tax rate that the governing body proposes to
  adopt;
               (2)  the date, time, and location of the meeting of the
  governing body of the taxing unit at which the governing body will
  consider adopting the proposed tax rate; and
               (3)  if the proposed tax rate for the taxing unit
  exceeds the unit's no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate calculated
  as provided by Section 26.04, a statement substantially identical
  to the following: "The proposed tax rate would increase total taxes
  in (name of taxing unit) by (percentage by which the proposed tax
  rate exceeds the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate)."
         (f)  A taxing unit to which this section applies that elects
  to provide public notice of its proposed tax rate under Subsection
  (c) may also provide public notice of its proposed tax rate by
  posting notice of the proposed tax rate including the information
  prescribed by Subsection (e) prominently on the home page of the
  Internet website maintained by the taxing unit, if applicable.
         SECTION 2.28.  Sections 26.06(b), (c), (d), and (e), Tax
  Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The notice of a public hearing may not be smaller than
  one-quarter page of a standard-size or a tabloid-size newspaper,
  and the headline on the notice must be in 24-point or larger type.
  The notice must contain a statement in the following form:
  "NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON TAX INCREASE
         "The (name of the taxing unit) will hold two public hearings
  on a proposal to increase total tax revenues from properties on the
  tax roll in the preceding tax year by (percentage by which proposed
  tax rate exceeds lower of rollback tax rate or no-new-revenue
  [effective] tax rate calculated under this chapter) percent. Your
  individual taxes may increase at a greater or lesser rate, or even
  decrease, depending on the tax rate that is adopted and on the
  change in the taxable value of your property in relation to the
  change in taxable value of all other property [and the tax rate that
  is adopted]. The change in the taxable value of your property in
  relation to the change in the taxable value of all other property
  determines the distribution of the tax burden among all property
  owners.
         "The first public hearing will be held on (date and time) at
  (meeting place).
         "The second public hearing will be held on (date and time) at
  (meeting place).
         "(Names of all members of the governing body, showing how
  each voted on the proposal to consider the tax increase or, if one
  or more were absent, indicating the absences.)
         "The average taxable value of a residence homestead in (name
  of taxing unit) last year was $____ (average taxable value of a
  residence homestead in the taxing unit for the preceding tax year,
  disregarding residence homestead exemptions available only to
  disabled persons or persons 65 years of age or older). Based on
  last year's tax rate of $____ (preceding year's adopted tax rate)
  per $100 of taxable value, the amount of taxes imposed last year on
  the average home was $____ (tax on average taxable value of a
  residence homestead in the taxing unit for the preceding tax year,
  disregarding residence homestead exemptions available only to
  disabled persons or persons 65 years of age or older).
         "The average taxable value of a residence homestead in (name
  of taxing unit) this year is $____ (average taxable value of a
  residence homestead in the taxing unit for the current tax year,
  disregarding residence homestead exemptions available only to
  disabled persons or persons 65 years of age or older). If the
  governing body adopts the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate for
  this year of $____ (no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate) per $100
  of taxable value, the amount of taxes imposed this year on the
  average home would be $____ (tax on average taxable value of a
  residence homestead in the taxing unit for the current tax year,
  disregarding residence homestead exemptions available only to
  disabled persons or persons 65 years of age or older).
         "If the governing body adopts the proposed tax rate of $____
  (proposed tax rate) per $100 of taxable value, the amount of taxes
  imposed this year on the average home would be $____ (tax on the
  average taxable value of a residence in the taxing unit for the
  current year disregarding residence homestead exemptions available
  only to disabled persons or persons 65 years of age or older).
         "Members of the public are encouraged to attend the hearings
  and express their views."
         (c)  The notice of a public hearing under this section may be
  delivered by mail to each property owner in the unit, or may be
  published in a newspaper.  If the notice is published in a
  newspaper, it may not be in the part of the paper in which legal
  notices and classified advertisements appear.  If the taxing unit
  operates an Internet website, the notice must also be posted
  prominently on the home page of the website from the date the notice
  is first published until the second public hearing is concluded.
         (d)  At the public hearings the governing body shall announce
  the date, time, and place of the meeting at which it will vote on the
  proposed tax rate. After each hearing the governing body shall give
  notice of the meeting at which it will vote on the proposed tax rate
  and the notice shall be in the same form as prescribed by
  Subsections (b) and (c), except that it must state the following:
  "NOTICE OF TAX REVENUE INCREASE
         "The (name of the taxing unit) conducted public hearings on
  (date of first hearing) and (date of second hearing) on a proposal
  to increase the total tax revenues of the (name of the taxing unit)
  from properties on the tax roll in the preceding year by (percentage
  by which proposed tax rate exceeds lower of rollback tax rate or
  no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate calculated under this chapter)
  percent.
         "The total tax revenue proposed to be raised last year at last
  year's tax rate of (insert tax rate for the preceding year) for each
  $100 of taxable value was (insert total amount of taxes imposed in
  the preceding year).
         "The total tax revenue proposed to be raised this year at the
  proposed tax rate of (insert proposed tax rate) for each $100 of
  taxable value, excluding tax revenue to be raised from new property
  added to the tax roll this year, is (insert amount computed by
  multiplying proposed tax rate by the difference between current
  total value and new property value).
         "The total tax revenue proposed to be raised this year at the
  proposed tax rate of (insert proposed tax rate) for each $100 of
  taxable value, including tax revenue to be raised from new property
  added to the tax roll this year, is (insert amount computed by
  multiplying proposed tax rate by current total value).
         "The (governing body of the taxing unit) is scheduled to vote
  on the tax rate that will result in that tax increase at a public
  meeting to be held on (date of meeting) at (location of meeting,
  including mailing address) at (time of meeting).
         "The (governing body of the taxing unit) proposes to use the
  increase in total tax revenue for the purpose of (description of
  purpose of increase)."
         (e)  The meeting to vote on the tax increase may not be
  earlier than the third day or later than the 14th day after the date
  of the second public hearing. The meeting must be held inside the
  boundaries of the taxing unit in a publicly owned building or, if a
  suitable publicly owned building is not available, in a suitable
  building to which the public normally has access. If the governing
  body does not adopt a tax rate that exceeds the lower of the
  rollback tax rate or the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate by the
  14th day, it must give a new notice under Subsection (d) before it
  may adopt a rate that exceeds the lower of the rollback tax rate or
  the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate.
         SECTION 2.29.  Section 26.065(b), Tax Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  If the taxing unit owns, operates, or controls an
  Internet website, the unit shall post notice of the public hearing
  prominently on the home page of the website continuously for at
  least seven days immediately before the public hearing on the
  proposed tax rate increase and at least seven days immediately
  before the date of the vote proposing the increase in the tax rate.
         SECTION 2.30.  Sections 26.08(g), (n), and (p), Tax Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (g)  In a school district that received distributions from an
  equalization tax imposed under former Chapter 18, Education Code,
  the no-new-revenue [effective] rate of that tax as of the date of
  the county unit system's abolition is added to the district's
  rollback tax rate.
         (n)  For purposes of this section, the rollback tax rate of a
  school district whose maintenance and operations tax rate for the
  2005 tax year was $1.50 or less per $100 of taxable value is:
               (1)  for the 2006 tax year, the sum of the rate that is
  equal to 88.67 percent of the maintenance and operations tax rate
  adopted by the district for the 2005 tax year, the rate of $0.04 per
  $100 of taxable value, and the district's current debt rate; and
               (2)  for the 2007 and subsequent tax years, the lesser
  of the following:
                     (A)  the sum of the following:
                           (i)  the rate per $100 of taxable value that
  is equal to the product of the state compression percentage, as
  determined under Section 42.2516, Education Code, for the current
  year and $1.50;
                           (ii)  the rate of $0.04 per $100 of taxable
  value;
                           (iii)  the rate that is equal to the sum of
  the differences for the 2006 and each subsequent tax year between
  the adopted tax rate of the district for that year if the rate was
  approved at an election under this section and the rollback tax rate
  of the district for that year; and
                           (iv)  the district's current debt rate; or
                     (B)  the sum of the following:
                           (i)  the no-new-revenue [effective]
  maintenance and operations tax rate of the district as computed
  under Subsection (i) [or (k), as applicable];
                           (ii)  the rate per $100 of taxable value that
  is equal to the product of the state compression percentage, as
  determined under Section 42.2516, Education Code, for the current
  year and $0.06; and
                           (iii)  the district's current debt rate.
         (p)  Notwithstanding Subsections (i), (n), and (o), if for
  the preceding tax year a school district adopted a maintenance and
  operations tax rate that was less than the district's
  no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance and operations tax rate for
  that preceding tax year, the rollback tax rate of the district for
  the current tax year is calculated as if the district adopted a
  maintenance and operations tax rate for the preceding tax year that
  was equal to the district's no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance
  and operations tax rate for that preceding tax year.
         SECTION 2.31.  Section 26.08(i), Tax Code, as effective
  September 1, 2017, is amended to read as follows:
         (i)  For purposes of this section, the no-new-revenue
  [effective] maintenance and operations tax rate of a school
  district is the tax rate that, applied to the current total value
  for the district, would impose taxes in an amount that, when added
  to state funds that would be distributed to the district under
  Chapter 42, Education Code, for the school year beginning in the
  current tax year using that tax rate, would provide the same amount
  of state funds distributed under Chapter 42, Education Code, and
  maintenance and operations taxes of the district per student in
  weighted average daily attendance for that school year that would
  have been available to the district in the preceding year if the
  funding elements for Chapters 41 and 42, Education Code, for the
  current year had been in effect for the preceding year.
         SECTION 2.32.  Section 26.16, Tax Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (a) and (d) and adding Subsection (a-1) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  The county assessor-collector for each county that
  maintains an Internet website shall post on the website of the
  county the following information for the most recent five tax years
  beginning with the 2012 tax year for each taxing unit all or part of
  the territory of which is located in the county:
               (1)  the adopted tax rate;
               (2)  the maintenance and operations rate;
               (3)  the debt rate;
               (4)  the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate;
               (5)  the no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance and
  operations rate; and
               (6)  the rollback tax rate.
         (a-1)  For purposes of Subsection (a), a reference to the
  no-new-revenue tax rate or the no-new-revenue maintenance and
  operations rate includes the equivalent effective tax rate or
  effective maintenance and operations rate for a preceding year.
  This subsection expires January 1, 2024.
         (d)  The county assessor-collector shall post immediately
  below the table prescribed by Subsection (c) the following
  statement:
         "The county is providing this table of property tax rate
  information as a service to the residents of the county. Each
  individual taxing unit is responsible for calculating the property
  tax rates listed in this table pertaining to that taxing unit and
  providing that information to the county.
         "The adopted tax rate is the tax rate adopted by the governing
  body of a taxing unit.
         "The maintenance and operations rate is the component of the
  adopted tax rate of a taxing unit that will impose the amount of
  taxes needed to fund maintenance and operation expenditures of the
  unit for the following year.
         "The debt rate is the component of the adopted tax rate of a
  taxing unit that will impose the amount of taxes needed to fund the
  unit's debt service for the following year.
         "The no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate is the tax rate that
  would generate the same amount of revenue in the current tax year as
  was generated by a taxing unit's adopted tax rate in the preceding
  tax year from property that is taxable in both the current tax year
  and the preceding tax year.
         "The no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance and operations
  rate is the tax rate that would generate the same amount of revenue
  for maintenance and operations in the current tax year as was
  generated by a taxing unit's maintenance and operations rate in the
  preceding tax year from property that is taxable in both the current
  tax year and the preceding tax year.
         "The rollback tax rate is the highest tax rate a taxing unit
  may adopt before requiring voter approval at an election. In the
  case of a taxing unit other than a school district, the voters by
  petition may require that a rollback election be held if the unit
  adopts a tax rate in excess of the unit's rollback tax rate. In the
  case of a school district, an election will automatically be held if
  the district wishes to adopt a tax rate in excess of the district's
  rollback tax rate."
         SECTION 2.33.  Chapter 26, Tax Code, is amended by adding
  Sections 26.17 and 26.18 to read as follows:
         Sec. 26.17.  DATABASE OF PROPERTY-TAX-RELATED INFORMATION.
  (a) The chief appraiser of each appraisal district shall create and
  maintain a property tax database that:
               (1)  is identified by the name of the county in which
  the appraisal district is established instead of the name of the
  appraisal district;
               (2)  contains information that is provided by
  designated officers or employees of the taxing units that are
  located in the appraisal district in the manner required by rules
  adopted by the comptroller;
               (3)  is continuously updated as preliminary and revised
  data become available to and are provided by the designated
  officers or employees of taxing units;
               (4)  is accessible to the public; and
               (5)  is searchable by property address and owner.
         (b)  The database must include, with respect to each property
  listed on the appraisal roll for the appraisal district:
               (1)  the property's identification number;
               (2)  the property's market value;
               (3)  the property's taxable value;
               (4)  the name of each taxing unit in which the property
  is located;
               (5)  for each taxing unit other than a school district
  in which the property is located:
                     (A)  the no-new-revenue tax rate; and
                     (B)  the rollback tax rate;
               (6)  for each school district in which the property is
  located:
                     (A)  the rate to maintain the same amount of state
  and local revenue per weighted student that the district received
  in the school year beginning in the preceding tax year; and
                     (B)  the rollback tax rate;
               (7)  the tax rate proposed by the governing body of each
  taxing unit in which the property is located;
               (8)  for each taxing unit other than a school district
  in which the property is located, the taxes that would be imposed on
  the property if the unit adopted a tax rate equal to:
                     (A)  the no-new-revenue tax rate; and
                     (B)  the proposed tax rate;
               (9)  for each school district in which the property is
  located, the taxes that would be imposed on the property if the
  district adopted a tax rate equal to:
                     (A)  the rate to maintain the same amount of state
  and local revenue per weighted student that the district received
  in the school year beginning in the preceding tax year; and
                     (B)  the proposed tax rate;
               (10)  for each taxing unit other than a school district
  in which the property is located, the difference between the amount
  calculated under Subdivision (8)(A) and the amount calculated under
  Subdivision (8)(B);
               (11)  for each school district in which the property is
  located, the difference between the amount calculated under
  Subdivision (9)(A) and the amount calculated under Subdivision
  (9)(B);
               (12)  the date and location of each public hearing, if
  applicable, on the proposed tax rate to be held by the governing
  body of each taxing unit in which the property is located; and
               (13)  the date and location of the public meeting at
  which the tax rate will be adopted to be held by the governing body
  of each taxing unit in which the property is located.
         (c)  The database must provide a link to the Internet website
  used by each taxing unit in which the property is located to post
  the information described by Section 26.18.
         (d)  The officer or employee designated by the governing body
  of each taxing unit to calculate the no-new-revenue tax rate and the
  rollback tax rate for the unit must electronically:
               (1)  enter in the database the information described by
  Subsection (b) as the information becomes available; and
               (2)  submit to the appraisal district the tax rate
  calculation forms prepared under Section 26.04(d-1) at the same
  time the designated officer or employee submits the tax rates to the
  governing body of the unit under Section 26.04(e).
         (e)  The chief appraiser shall deliver by e-mail to the
  designated officer or employee confirmation of receipt of the tax
  rate calculation forms submitted under Subsection (d)(2). The
  chief appraiser shall incorporate the forms into the database and
  make them available to the public not later than the third day after
  the date the chief appraiser receives them.
         Sec. 26.18.  POSTING OF TAX RATE AND BUDGET INFORMATION BY
  TAXING UNIT ON WEBSITE. Each taxing unit shall maintain an Internet
  website or have access to a generally accessible Internet website
  that may be used for the purposes of this section. Each taxing unit
  shall post or cause to be posted on the Internet website the
  following information in a format prescribed by the comptroller:
               (1)  the name of each member of the governing body of
  the taxing unit;
               (2)  the mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone
  number of the taxing unit;
               (3)  the official contact information for each member
  of the governing body of the taxing unit, if that information is
  different from the information described by Subdivision (2);
               (4)  the taxing unit's budget for the preceding two
  years;
               (5)  the taxing unit's proposed or adopted budget for
  the current year;
               (6)  the change in the amount of the taxing unit's
  budget from the preceding year to the current year, by dollar amount
  and percentage;
               (7)  in the case of a taxing unit other than a school
  district, the amount of property tax revenue budgeted for
  maintenance and operations for:
                     (A)  the preceding two years; and
                     (B)  the current year;
               (8)  in the case of a taxing unit other than a school
  district, the amount of property tax revenue budgeted for debt
  service for:
                     (A)  the preceding two years; and
                     (B)  the current year;
               (9)  the tax rate for maintenance and operations
  adopted by the taxing unit for the preceding two years;
               (10)  in the case of a taxing unit other than a school
  district, the tax rate for debt service adopted by the unit for the
  preceding two years;
               (11)  in the case of a school district, the interest and
  sinking fund tax rate adopted by the district for the preceding two
  years;
               (12)  the tax rate for maintenance and operations
  proposed by the taxing unit for the current year;
               (13)  in the case of a taxing unit other than a school
  district, the tax rate for debt service proposed by the unit for the
  current year;
               (14)  in the case of a school district, the interest and
  sinking fund tax rate proposed by the district for the current year;
  and
               (15)  the most recent financial audit of the taxing
  unit.
         SECTION 2.34.  Section 41.03(a), Tax Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  A taxing unit is entitled to challenge before the
  appraisal review board:
               (1)  [the level of appraisals of any category of
  property in the district or in any territory in the district, but
  not the appraised value of a single taxpayer's property;
               [(2)]  an exclusion of property from the appraisal
  records;
               (2) [(3)]  a grant in whole or in part of a partial
  exemption;
               (3) [(4)]  a determination that land qualifies for
  appraisal as provided by Subchapter C, D, E, or H, Chapter 23; or
               (4) [(5)]  failure to identify the taxing unit as one
  in which a particular property is taxable.
         SECTION 2.35.  Section 41.44(d), Tax Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (d)  A notice of protest is sufficient if it identifies the
  protesting property owner, including a person claiming an ownership
  interest in the property even if that person is not listed on the
  appraisal records as an owner of the property, identifies the
  property that is the subject of the protest, and indicates apparent
  dissatisfaction with some determination of the appraisal office.
  The notice need not be on an official form, but the comptroller
  shall prescribe a form that provides for more detail about the
  nature of the protest. The form must permit a property owner to
  include each property in the appraisal district that is the subject
  of a protest.  The form must permit a property owner to request that
  the protest be heard by a special panel established under Section
  6.425 if the protest will be determined by an appraisal review board
  to which that section applies and the property is described by
  Section 6.425(b).  The comptroller, each appraisal office, and each
  appraisal review board shall make the forms readily available and
  deliver one to a property owner on request.
         SECTION 2.36.  Section 41.45, Tax Code, is amended by
  amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsections (d-1), (d-2), and
  (d-3) to read as follows:
         (d)  This subsection does not apply to a special panel
  established under Section 6.425. An appraisal review board
  consisting of more than three members may sit in panels of not fewer
  than three members to conduct protest hearings.  [However, the
  determination of a protest heard by a panel must be made by the
  board.] If the recommendation of a panel is not accepted by the
  board, the board may refer the matter for rehearing to a panel
  composed of members who did not hear the original protest [hearing]
  or, if there are not at least three members who did not hear the
  original protest, the board may determine the protest.  [Before
  determining a protest or conducting a rehearing before a new panel
  or the board, the board shall deliver notice of the hearing or
  meeting to determine the protest in accordance with the provisions
  of this subchapter.]
         (d-1)  An appraisal review board to which Section 6.425
  applies shall sit in special panels established under that section
  to conduct protest hearings. A special panel may conduct a protest
  hearing relating to property only if the property is described by
  Section 6.425(b) and the property owner has requested that a
  special panel conduct the hearing or if the protest is assigned to
  the special panel under Section 6.425(f). If the recommendation of
  a special panel is not accepted by the board, the board may refer
  the matter for rehearing to another special panel composed of
  members who did not hear the original protest or, if there are not
  at least three other special panel members who did not hear the
  original protest, the board may determine the protest.
         (d-2)  The determination of a protest heard by a panel under
  Subsection (d) or (d-1) must be made by the board.
         (d-3)  The board must deliver notice of a hearing or meeting
  to determine a protest heard by a panel, or to rehear a protest,
  under Subsection (d) or (d-1) in accordance with the provisions of
  this subchapter.
         SECTION 2.37.  Section 41.46(a), Tax Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  The appraisal review board before which a protest
  hearing is scheduled shall deliver written notice to the property
  owner initiating a protest of the date, time, [and] place, and
  subject matter of [fixed for] the hearing on the protest and of the
  property owner's entitlement to a postponement of the hearing as
  provided by Section 41.45 unless the property owner waives in
  writing notice of the hearing. The board shall deliver the notice
  not later than the 15th day before the date of the hearing.
         SECTION 2.38.  Section 41.461, Tax Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 41.461.  NOTICE OF CERTAIN MATTERS BEFORE HEARING;
  DELIVERY OF REQUESTED INFORMATION.  (a)  At least 14 days before the
  first scheduled [a] hearing on a protest, the chief appraiser
  shall:
               (1)  deliver a copy of the pamphlet prepared by the
  comptroller under Section 5.06 [5.06(a)] to the property owner
  initiating the protest if the owner is representing himself, or to
  an agent representing the owner if requested by the agent;
               (2)  inform the property owner that the owner or the
  agent of the owner is entitled on request to [may inspect and may
  obtain] a copy of the data, schedules, formulas, and all other
  information the chief appraiser will [plans to] introduce at the
  hearing to establish any matter at issue; and
               (3)  deliver a copy of the hearing procedures
  established by the appraisal review board under Section 41.66 to
  the property owner.
         (b)  The chief appraiser may not charge a property owner or
  the designated agent of the owner for copies provided to the [an]
  owner or designated agent under this section, regardless of the
  manner in which the copies are prepared or delivered [may not exceed
  the charge for copies of public information as provided under
  Subchapter F, Chapter 552, Government Code, except:
               [(1)     the total charge for copies provided in
  connection with a protest of the appraisal of residential property
  may not exceed $15 for each residence; and
               [(2)     the total charge for copies provided in
  connection with a protest of the appraisal of a single unit of
  property subject to appraisal, other than residential property, may
  not exceed $25].
         (c)  A chief appraiser must deliver information requested by
  a property owner or the agent of the owner under Subsection (a)(2):
               (1)  by regular first-class mail;
               (2)  in an electronic format as provided by an
  agreement under Section 1.085; or
               (3)  subject to Subsection (d), by referring the
  property owner or the agent of the owner to the exact Internet
  location or uniform resource locator (URL) address on an Internet
  website maintained by the appraisal district on which the requested
  information is identifiable and readily available.
         (d)  If a chief appraiser provides a property owner or the
  agent of the owner the Internet location or address of information
  under Subsection (c)(3), the notice must contain a statement in a
  conspicuous font that clearly indicates that the property owner or
  the agent of the owner may on request receive the information by
  regular first-class mail. On request by a property owner or the
  agent of the owner, the chief appraiser must provide the
  information by regular first-class mail. 
         SECTION 2.39.  Section 41.47, Tax Code, is amended by adding
  Subsections (c-2) and (f) and amending Subsections (d) and (e) to
  read as follows:
         (c-2)  The board may not determine the appraised value of the
  property that is the subject of a protest to be an amount greater
  than the appraised value of the property as shown in the appraisal
  records submitted to the board by the chief appraiser under Section
  25.22 or 25.23.
         (d)  The board shall deliver by certified mail:
               (1)  a notice of issuance of the order and a copy of the
  order to the property owner and the chief appraiser; and
               (2)  a copy of the appraisal review board survey form
  prepared under Section 5.104 and instructions for completing and
  submitting the form to the property owner.
         (e)  The notice of the issuance of the order must contain a
  prominently printed statement in upper-case bold lettering
  informing the property owner in clear and concise language of the
  property owner's right to appeal the order of the board [board's
  decision] to district court. The statement must describe the
  deadline prescribed by Section 42.06(a) [of this code] for filing a
  written notice of appeal[,] and the deadline prescribed by Section
  42.21(a) [of this code] for filing the petition for review with the
  district court.
         (f)  The appraisal review board shall take the actions
  required by Subsections (a) and (d) not later than the 15th day
  after the date the hearing on the protest is concluded.
         SECTION 2.40.  Section 41.66, Tax Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (h), (i), (j), and (k) and adding Subsections
  (j-1), (k-1), and (p) to read as follows:
         (h)  The appraisal review board shall postpone a hearing on a
  protest if the property owner or the designated agent of the owner
  requests additional time to prepare for the hearing and establishes
  to the board that the chief appraiser failed to comply with Section
  41.461. The board is not required to postpone a hearing more than
  one time under this subsection.
         (i)  A hearing on a protest filed by a property owner or the
  designated agent of the owner [who is not represented by an agent
  designated under Section 1.111] shall be set for a time and date
  certain.  If the hearing is not commenced within two hours of the
  time set for the hearing, the appraisal review board shall postpone
  the hearing on the request of the property owner or the designated
  agent of the owner.
         (j)  On the request of a property owner or the [a] designated
  agent of the owner, an appraisal review board shall schedule
  hearings on protests concerning up to 20 designated properties to
  be held consecutively on the same day.  The designated properties
  must be identified in the same notice of protest, and the notice
  must contain in boldfaced type the statement "request for same-day
  protest hearings."  A property owner or the designated agent of the
  owner may [not] file more than one request under this subsection
  with the appraisal review board in the same tax year.  The appraisal
  review board may schedule hearings on protests concerning more than
  20 properties filed by the same property owner or the designated
  agent of the owner and may use different panels to conduct the
  hearings based on the board's customary scheduling.  The appraisal
  review board may follow the practices customarily used by the board
  in the scheduling of hearings under this subsection.
         (j-1)  An appraisal review board may schedule the hearings on
  all protests filed by a property owner or the designated agent of
  the owner to be held consecutively. The notice of the hearings must
  state the date and time that the first hearing will begin, state the
  date the last hearing will end, and list the order in which the
  hearings will be held. The order of the hearings listed in the
  notice may not be changed without the agreement of the property
  owner or the designated agent of the owner, the chief appraiser, and
  the appraisal review board. The board may not reschedule a hearing
  for which notice is given under this subsection to a date earlier
  than the seventh day after the date the last hearing was scheduled
  to end unless agreed to by the property owner or the designated
  agent of the owner, the chief appraiser, and the appraisal review
  board. Unless agreed to by the parties, the board must provide
  written notice of the date and time of the rescheduled hearing to
  the property owner or the designated agent of the owner not later
  than the seventh day before the date of the hearing.
         (k)  This subsection does not apply to a special panel
  established under Section 6.425. If an appraisal review board sits
  in panels to conduct protest hearings, protests shall be randomly
  assigned to panels, except that the board may consider the type of
  property subject to the protest or the ground of the protest for the
  purpose of using the expertise of a particular panel in hearing
  protests regarding particular types of property or based on
  particular grounds. If a protest is scheduled to be heard by a
  particular panel, the protest may not be reassigned to another
  panel without the consent of the property owner or designated
  agent. If the appraisal review board has cause to reassign a
  protest to another panel, a property owner or designated agent may
  agree to reassignment of the protest or may request that the hearing
  on the protest be postponed. The board shall postpone the hearing
  on that request. A change of members of a panel because of a
  conflict of interest, illness, or inability to continue
  participating in hearings for the remainder of the day does not
  constitute reassignment of a protest to another panel.
         (k-1)  On the request of a property owner, an appraisal
  review board to which Section 6.425 applies shall assign a protest
  relating to property described by Section 6.425(b) to a special
  panel. In addition, the chairman of the appraisal review board may
  assign a protest relating to property not described by Section
  6.425(b) to a special panel as authorized by Section 6.425(f).
  Protests assigned to special panels shall be randomly assigned to
  those panels. If a protest is scheduled to be heard by a particular
  special panel, the protest may not be reassigned to another special
  panel without the consent of the property owner or designated
  agent. If the board has cause to reassign a protest to another
  special panel, a property owner or designated agent may agree to
  reassignment of the protest or may request that the hearing on the
  protest be postponed. The board shall postpone the hearing on that
  request. A change of members of a special panel because of a
  conflict of interest, illness, or inability to continue
  participating in hearings for the remainder of the day does not
  constitute reassignment of a protest to another special panel.
         (p)  At the end of a hearing on a protest, the appraisal
  review board shall provide the property owner or the designated
  agent of the owner one or more documents indicating that the members
  of the board hearing the protest signed the affidavit required by
  Subsection (g).
         SECTION 2.41.  Section 41.67(d), Tax Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (d)  Information that was previously requested under Section
  41.461 by the protesting party that was not delivered [made
  available] to the protesting party at least 14 days before the first
  scheduled [or postponed] hearing may not be used or offered in any
  form as evidence in the hearing, including as a document or through
  argument or testimony.
         SECTION 2.42.  Section 41.71, Tax Code, is amended to read as
  follows:
         Sec. 41.71.  EVENING AND WEEKEND HEARINGS. (a)  An
  appraisal review board by rule shall provide for hearings on
  protests [in the evening or] on a Saturday or after 5 p.m. on a
  weekday [Sunday].
         (b)  The board may not schedule:
               (1)  the first hearing on a protest held on a weekday
  evening to begin after 7 p.m.; or
               (2)  a hearing on a protest on a Sunday.
         SECTION 2.43.  Section 41A.06(b), Tax Code, as effective
  September 1, 2017, is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  To initially qualify to serve as an arbitrator under
  this chapter, a person must:
               (1)  meet the following requirements, as applicable:
                     (A)  be licensed as an attorney in this state; or
                     (B)  have:
                           (i)  completed at least 30 hours of training
  in arbitration and alternative dispute resolution procedures from a
  university, college, or legal or real estate trade association; and
                           (ii)  been licensed or certified
  continuously during the five years preceding the date the person
  agrees to serve as an arbitrator as:
                                 (a)  a real estate broker or sales
  agent under Chapter 1101, Occupations Code;
                                 (b)  a real estate appraiser under
  Chapter 1103, Occupations Code; or
                                 (c)  a certified public accountant
  under Chapter 901, Occupations Code; [and]
               (2)  complete the course for training and education of
  appraisal review board members established under Section 5.041 and
  be issued a certificate indicating course completion;
               (3)  complete the training program on property tax law
  for the training and education of arbitrators established under
  Section 5.043; and
               (4)  agree to conduct an arbitration for a fee that is
  not more than:
                     (A)  $400, if the property qualifies as the
  owner's residence homestead under Section 11.13 and the appraised
  or market value, as applicable, of the property is $500,000 or less,
  as determined by the order;
                     (B)  $450, if the property qualifies as the
  owner's residence homestead under Section 11.13 and the appraised
  or market value, as applicable, of the property is more than
  $500,000, as determined by the order;
                     (C)  $450, if the property does not qualify as the
  owner's residence homestead under Section 11.13 and the appraised
  or market value, as applicable, of the property is $1 million or
  less, as determined by the order;
                     (D)  $750, if the property does not qualify as the
  owner's residence homestead under Section 11.13 and the appraised
  or market value, as applicable, of the property is more than $1
  million but not more than $2 million, as determined by the order;
                     (E)  $1,000, if the property does not qualify as
  the owner's residence homestead under Section 11.13 and the
  appraised or market value, as applicable, of the property is more
  than $2 million but not more than $3 million, as determined by the
  order; or
                     (F)  $1,500, if the property does not qualify as
  the owner's residence homestead under Section 11.13 and the
  appraised or market value, as applicable, of the property is more
  than $3 million but not more than $5 million, as determined by the
  order.
         SECTION 2.44.  Section 41A.061(b), Tax Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  To renew the person's agreement to serve as an
  arbitrator, the person must:
               (1)  file a renewal application with the comptroller at
  the time and in the manner prescribed by the comptroller;
               (2)  continue to meet the requirements provided by
  Sections 41A.06(b)(1) and (4) [Section 41A.06(b)]; and
               (3)  during the preceding two years have completed at
  least eight hours of continuing education in arbitration and
  alternative dispute resolution procedures offered by a university,
  college, real estate trade association, or legal association.
         SECTION 2.45.  Section 41A.09(b), Tax Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (b)  An award under this section:
               (1)  must include a determination of the appraised or
  market value, as applicable, of the property that is the subject of
  the appeal;
               (2)  may include any remedy or relief a court may order
  under Chapter 42 in an appeal relating to the appraised or market
  value of property;
               (3)  shall specify the arbitrator's fee, which may not
  exceed the amount provided by Section 41A.06(b)(4) [41A.06(b)(2)];
               (4)  is final and may not be appealed except as
  permitted under Section 171.088, Civil Practice and Remedies Code,
  for an award subject to that section; and
               (5)  may be enforced in the manner provided by
  Subchapter D, Chapter 171, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
         SECTION 2.46.  Section 45.105(e), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (e)  The governing body of an independent school district
  that governs a junior college district under Subchapter B, Chapter
  130, in a county with a population of more than two million may
  dedicate a specific percentage of the local tax levy to the use of
  the junior college district for facilities and equipment or for the
  maintenance and operating expenses of the junior college district.
  To be effective, the dedication must be made by the governing body
  on or before the date on which the governing body adopts its tax
  rate for a year. The amount of local tax funds derived from the
  percentage of the local tax levy dedicated to a junior college
  district from a tax levy may not exceed the amount that would be
  levied by five percent of the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate
  for the tax year calculated as provided by Section 26.04, Tax Code,
  on all property taxable by the school district. All real property
  purchased with these funds is the property of the school district,
  but is subject to the exclusive control of the governing body of the
  junior college district for as long as the junior college district
  uses the property for educational purposes.
         SECTION 2.47.  Section 403.302(o), Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (o)  The comptroller shall adopt rules governing the conduct
  of the study after consultation with the comptroller's property tax
  administration advisory board [Comptroller's Property Value Study
  Advisory Committee].
         SECTION 2.48.  Section 102.007(d), Local Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (d)  An adopted budget must contain a cover page that
  includes:
               (1)  one of the following statements in 18-point or
  larger type that accurately describes the adopted budget:
                     (A)  "This budget will raise more revenue from
  property taxes than last year's budget by an amount of (insert total
  dollar amount of increase), which is a (insert percentage increase)
  percent increase from last year's budget.  The property tax revenue
  to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year is
  (insert amount computed by multiplying the proposed tax rate by the
  value of new property added to the roll).";
                     (B)  "This budget will raise less revenue from
  property taxes than last year's budget by an amount of (insert total
  dollar amount of decrease), which is a (insert percentage decrease)
  percent decrease from last year's budget.  The property tax revenue
  to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year is
  (insert amount computed by multiplying the proposed tax rate by the
  value of new property added to the roll)."; or
                     (C)  "This budget will raise the same amount of
  revenue from property taxes as last year's budget.  The property
  tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll
  this year is (insert amount computed by multiplying the proposed
  tax rate by the value of new property added to the roll).";
               (2)  the record vote of each member of the governing
  body by name voting on the adoption of the budget;
               (3)  the municipal property tax rates for the preceding
  fiscal year, and each municipal property tax rate that has been
  adopted or calculated for the current fiscal year, including:
                     (A)  the property tax rate;
                     (B)  the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate;
                     (C)  the no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance
  and operations tax rate;
                     (D)  the rollback tax rate; and
                     (E)  the debt rate; and
               (4)  the total amount of municipal debt obligations.
         SECTION 2.49.  Section 111.008(d), Local Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (d)  An adopted budget must contain a cover page that
  includes:
               (1)  one of the following statements in 18-point or
  larger type that accurately describes the adopted budget:
                     (A)  "This budget will raise more revenue from
  property taxes than last year's budget by an amount of (insert total
  dollar amount of increase), which is a (insert percentage increase)
  percent increase from last year's budget.  The property tax revenue
  to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year is
  (insert amount computed by multiplying the proposed tax rate by the
  value of new property added to the roll).";
                     (B)  "This budget will raise less revenue from
  property taxes than last year's budget by an amount of (insert total
  dollar amount of decrease), which is a (insert percentage decrease)
  percent decrease from last year's budget.  The property tax revenue
  to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year is
  (insert amount computed by multiplying the proposed tax rate by the
  value of new property added to the roll)."; or
                     (C)  "This budget will raise the same amount of
  revenue from property taxes as last year's budget.  The property
  tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll
  this year is (insert amount computed by multiplying the proposed
  tax rate by the value of new property added to the roll).";
               (2)  the record vote of each member of the
  commissioners court by name voting on the adoption of the budget;
               (3)  the county property tax rates for the preceding
  fiscal year, and each county property tax rate that has been adopted
  or calculated for the current fiscal year, including:
                     (A)  the property tax rate;
                     (B)  the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate;
                     (C)  the no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance
  and operations tax rate;
                     (D)  the rollback tax rate; and
                     (E)  the debt rate; and
               (4)  the total amount of county debt obligations.
         SECTION 2.50.  Section 111.039(d), Local Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (d)  An adopted budget must contain a cover page that
  includes:
               (1)  one of the following statements in 18-point or
  larger type that accurately describes the adopted budget:
                     (A)  "This budget will raise more revenue from
  property taxes than last year's budget by an amount of (insert total
  dollar amount of increase), which is a (insert percentage increase)
  percent increase from last year's budget.  The property tax revenue
  to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year is
  (insert amount computed by multiplying the proposed tax rate by the
  value of new property added to the roll).";
                     (B)  "This budget will raise less revenue from
  property taxes than last year's budget by an amount of (insert total
  dollar amount of decrease), which is a (insert percentage decrease)
  percent decrease from last year's budget.  The property tax revenue
  to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year is
  (insert amount computed by multiplying the proposed tax rate by the
  value of new property added to the roll)."; or
                     (C)  "This budget will raise the same amount of
  revenue from property taxes as last year's budget.  The property
  tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll
  this year is (insert amount computed by multiplying the proposed
  tax rate by the value of new property added to the roll).";
               (2)  the record vote of each member of the
  commissioners court by name voting on the adoption of the budget;
               (3)  the county property tax rates for the preceding
  fiscal year, and each county property tax rate that has been adopted
  or calculated for the current fiscal year, including:
                     (A)  the property tax rate;
                     (B)  the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate;
                     (C)  the no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance
  and operations tax rate;
                     (D)  the rollback tax rate; and
                     (E)  the debt rate; and
               (4)  the total amount of county debt obligations.
         SECTION 2.51.  Section 111.068(c), Local Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (c)  An adopted budget must contain a cover page that
  includes:
               (1)  one of the following statements in 18-point or
  larger type that accurately describes the adopted budget:
                     (A)  "This budget will raise more revenue from
  property taxes than last year's budget by an amount of (insert total
  dollar amount of increase), which is a (insert percentage increase)
  percent increase from last year's budget.  The property tax revenue
  to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year is
  (insert amount computed by multiplying the proposed tax rate by the
  value of new property added to the roll).";
                     (B)  "This budget will raise less revenue from
  property taxes than last year's budget by an amount of (insert total
  dollar amount of decrease), which is a (insert percentage decrease)
  percent decrease from last year's budget.  The property tax revenue
  to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year is
  (insert amount computed by multiplying the proposed tax rate by the
  value of new property added to the roll)."; or
                     (C)  "This budget will raise the same amount of
  revenue from property taxes as last year's budget.  The property
  tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll
  this year is (insert amount computed by multiplying the proposed
  tax rate by the value of new property added to the roll).";
               (2)  the record vote of each member of the
  commissioners court by name voting on the adoption of the budget;
               (3)  the county property tax rates for the preceding
  fiscal year, and each county property tax rate that has been adopted
  or calculated for the current fiscal year, including:
                     (A)  the property tax rate;
                     (B)  the no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate;
                     (C)  the no-new-revenue [effective] maintenance
  and operations tax rate;
                     (D)  the rollback tax rate; and
                     (E)  the debt rate; and
               (4)  the total amount of county debt obligations.
         SECTION 2.52.  Sections 140.010(a), (d), (e), and (f), Local
  Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (a)  In this section, "no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate"
  and "rollback tax rate" mean the no-new-revenue [effective] tax
  rate and rollback tax rate of a county or municipality, as
  applicable, as calculated under Chapter 26, Tax Code.
         (d)  A county or municipality that proposes a property tax
  rate that does not exceed the lower of the no-new-revenue
  [effective] tax rate or the rollback tax rate shall provide the
  following notice:
  "NOTICE OF (INSERT CURRENT TAX YEAR) TAX YEAR PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX
  RATE FOR (INSERT NAME OF COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY)
  "A tax rate of $______ per $100 valuation has been proposed by the
  governing body of (insert name of county or municipality).
         PROPOSED TAX RATE          $______ per $100
         PRECEDING YEAR'S TAX RATE  $______ per $100
         NO-NEW-REVENUE [EFFECTIVE] TAX RATE        $______ per $100
  "The no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate is the total tax rate
  needed to raise the same amount of property tax revenue for (insert
  name of county or municipality) from the same properties in both the
  (insert preceding tax year) tax year and the (insert current tax
  year) tax year.
  "YOUR TAXES OWED UNDER ANY OF THE ABOVE RATES CAN BE CALCULATED AS
  FOLLOWS:
  property tax amount = (rate) x (taxable value of your property) /
  100
  "For assistance or detailed information about tax calculations,
  please contact:
         (insert name of county or municipal tax assessor-collector)
         (insert name of county or municipality) tax
  assessor-collector
         (insert address)
         (insert telephone number)
         (insert e-mail address)
         (insert Internet website address, if applicable)"
         (e)  A county or municipality that proposes a property tax
  rate that exceeds the lower of the no-new-revenue [effective] tax
  rate or the rollback tax rate shall provide the following notice:
  "NOTICE OF (INSERT CURRENT TAX YEAR) TAX YEAR PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX
  RATE FOR (INSERT NAME OF COUNTY OR MUNICIPALITY)
  "A tax rate of $_____ per $100 valuation has been proposed for
  adoption by the governing body of (insert name of county or
  municipality).  This rate exceeds the lower of the no-new-revenue
  [effective] or rollback tax rate, and state law requires that two
  public hearings be held by the governing body before adopting the
  proposed tax rate.  The governing body of (insert name of county or
  municipality) proposes to use revenue attributable to the tax rate
  increase for the purpose of (description of purpose of increase).
         PROPOSED TAX RATE$______ per $100       
         PRECEDING YEAR'S TAX RATE$______ per $100       
         NO-NEW-REVENUE [EFFECTIVE] TAX RATE$______ per $100       
         ROLLBACK TAX RATE$______ per $100       
  "The no-new-revenue [effective] tax rate is the total tax rate
  needed to raise the same amount of property tax revenue for (insert
  name of county or municipality) from the same properties in both the
  (insert preceding tax year) tax year and the (insert current tax
  year) tax year.
  "The rollback tax rate is the highest tax rate that (insert name of
  county or municipality) may adopt before the voters are entitled to
  petition for an election to limit the rate that may be approved to
  the rollback tax rate.
  "YOUR TAXES OWED UNDER ANY OF THE ABOVE RATES CAN BE CALCULATED AS
  FOLLOWS:
  property tax amount = (rate) x (taxable value of your property) /
  100
  "For assistance or detailed information about tax calculations,
  please contact:
         (insert name of county or municipal tax assessor-collector)
         (insert name of county or municipality) tax
  assessor-collector
         (insert address)
         (insert telephone number)
         (insert e-mail address)
         (insert Internet website address, if applicable)
  "You are urged to attend and express your views at the following
  public hearings on the proposed tax rate:
         First Hearing:  (insert date and time) at (insert location of
  meeting).
         Second Hearing:  (insert date and time) at (insert location
  of meeting)."
         (f)  A county or municipality shall:
               (1)  provide the notice required by Subsection (d) or
  (e), as applicable, not later than the later of September 1 or the
  30th day after the first date that the taxing unit has received each
  applicable certified appraisal roll by:
                     (A)  publishing the notice in a newspaper having
  general circulation in:
                           (i)  the county, in the case of notice
  published by a county; or
                           (ii)  the county in which the municipality
  is located or primarily located, in the case of notice published by
  a municipality; or
                     (B)  mailing the notice to each property owner in:
                           (i)  the county, in the case of notice
  provided by a county; or
                           (ii)  the municipality, in the case of
  notice provided by a municipality; and
               (2)  post the notice prominently on the home page of the
  Internet website of the county or municipality, if applicable,
  beginning not later than the later of September 1 or the 30th day
  after the first date that the taxing unit has received each
  applicable certified appraisal roll and continuing until the county
  or municipality adopts a tax rate.
         SECTION 2.53.  Section 8876.152(b), Special District Local
  Laws Code, is amended to read as follows:
         (b)  Sections 49.236(a)(1) and (2) and (b) [Section 49.236],
  Water Code, apply [as added by Chapter 248 (H.B. 1541), Acts of the
  78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003, applies] to the district.
         SECTION 2.54.  Section 49.236(a), Water Code, as added by
  Chapter 335 (S.B. 392), Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular
  Session, 2003, is amended to read as follows:
         (a)  Before the board adopts an ad valorem tax rate for the
  district for debt service, operation and maintenance purposes, or
  contract purposes, the board shall give notice of each meeting of
  the board at which the adoption of a tax rate will be considered.
  The notice must:
               (1)  contain a statement in substantially the following
  form:
  "NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON TAX RATE
         "The (name of the district) will hold a public hearing on a
  proposed tax rate for the tax year (year of tax levy) on (date and
  time) at (meeting place). Your individual taxes may increase at a
  greater or lesser rate, or even decrease, depending on the tax rate
  that is adopted and on the change in the taxable value of your
  property in relation to the change in taxable value of all other
  property [and the tax rate that is adopted]. The change in the
  taxable value of your property in relation to the change in the
  taxable value of all other property determines the distribution of
  the tax burden among all property owners.
         "(Names of all board members and, if a vote was taken, an
  indication of how each voted on the proposed tax rate and an
  indication of any absences.)";
               (2)  contain the following information:
                     (A)  the district's total adopted tax rate for the
  preceding year and the proposed tax rate, expressed as an amount per
  $100;
                     (B)  the difference, expressed as an amount per
  $100 and as a percent increase or decrease, as applicable, in the
  proposed tax rate compared to the adopted tax rate for the preceding
  year;
                     (C)  the average appraised value of a residence
  homestead in the district in the preceding year and in the current
  year; the district's total homestead exemption, other than an
  exemption available only to disabled persons or persons 65 years of
  age or older, applicable to that appraised value in each of those
  years; and the average taxable value of a residence homestead in
  the district in each of those years, disregarding any homestead
  exemption available only to disabled persons or persons 65 years of
  age or older;
                     (D)  the amount of tax that would have been
  imposed by the district in the preceding year on a residence
  homestead appraised at the average appraised value of a residence
  homestead in that year, disregarding any homestead exemption
  available only to disabled persons or persons 65 years of age or
  older;
                     (E)  the amount of tax that would be imposed by the
  district in the current year on a residence homestead appraised at
  the average appraised value of a residence homestead in that year,
  disregarding any homestead exemption available only to disabled
  persons or persons 65 years of age or older, if the proposed tax
  rate is adopted; [and]
                     (F)  the difference between the amounts of tax
  calculated under Paragraphs (D) and (E), expressed in dollars and
  cents and described as the annual percentage increase or decrease,
  as applicable, in the tax to be imposed by the district on the
  average residence homestead in the district in the current year if
  the proposed tax rate is adopted; and
                     (G)  if the proposed combined debt service,
  operation and maintenance, and contract tax rate would authorize
  the qualified voters of the district by petition to require a
  rollback election to be held in the district, a description of the
  purpose of the proposed tax increase; and
               (3)  contain a statement in substantially the following
  form:
  "NOTICE OF TAXPAYERS' RIGHT TO ROLLBACK ELECTION
         "If taxes on the average residence homestead increase by more
  than eight percent, the qualified voters of the district by
  petition may require that an election be held to determine whether
  to reduce the operation and maintenance tax rate to the rollback tax
  rate under Section 49.236(d), Water Code."
         SECTION 2.55.  The following provisions are repealed:
               (1)  Sections 403.302(m-1) and (n), Government Code;
               (2)  Sections 5.103(e) and (f), Tax Code;
               (3)  Section 6.412(e), Tax Code;
               (4)  Section 41A.06(c), Tax Code;
               (5)  Section 49.236, Water Code, as added by Chapter
  248 (H.B. 1541), Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session,
  2003; and
               (6)  Section 49.2361, Water Code.
         SECTION 2.56.  Section 5.041, Tax Code, as amended by this
  Act, applies only to an appraisal review board member appointed to
  serve a term of office that begins on or after January 1, 2018.
         SECTION 2.57.  The comptroller shall implement Section
  5.043, Tax Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
  January 1, 2018.
         SECTION 2.58.  (a) The comptroller shall comply with
  Sections 5.07(f), (g), (h), and (i), Tax Code, as added by this Act,
  as soon as practicable after January 1, 2018.
         (b)  The comptroller shall comply with Section 5.091, Tax
  Code, as amended by this Act, not later than January 1, 2021.
         SECTION 2.59.  The comptroller shall prepare and make
  available the survey form and instructions for completing and
  submitting the form required by Section 5.104, Tax Code, as added by
  this Act, as soon as practicable after January 1, 2018. An
  appraisal district is not required to provide the survey form or
  instructions under a requirement of that section until the form and
  instructions are prepared and made available by the comptroller.
         SECTION 2.60.  Section 6.41(d-9), Tax Code, as amended by
  this Act, applies only to the appointment of appraisal review board
  members to terms beginning on or after January 1, 2019.
         SECTION 2.61.  Section 6.412, Tax Code, as amended by this
  Act, does not affect the eligibility of a person serving on an
  appraisal review board immediately before January 1, 2018, to
  continue to serve on the board for the term to which the member was
  appointed.
         SECTION 2.62.  Section 6.42(d), Tax Code, as added by this
  Act, applies only to a recommendation, determination, decision, or
  other action by an appraisal review board or a panel of such a board
  on or after January 1, 2018. A recommendation, determination,
  decision, or other action by an appraisal review board or a panel of
  such a board before January 1, 2018, is governed by the law as it
  existed immediately before that date, and that law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 2.63.  Section 25.25(c), Tax Code, as amended by
  this Act, applies only to a motion to correct an appraisal roll
  filed on or after January 1, 2018. A motion to correct an appraisal
  roll filed before January 1, 2018, is governed by the law in effect
  on the date the motion was filed, and the former law is continued in
  effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 2.64.  (a)  An appraisal district established in a
  county with a population of 120,000 or more and each taxing unit
  located wholly or partly in such an appraisal district shall comply
  with Sections 26.04(e-2), 26.05(d-1) and (d-2), 26.17, and 26.18,
  Tax Code, as added by this Act, beginning with the 2019 tax year.
         (b)  An appraisal district established in a county with a
  population of less than 120,000 and each taxing unit located wholly
  in such an appraisal district shall comply with Sections
  26.04(e-2), 26.05(d-1) and (d-2), 26.17, and 26.18, Tax Code, as
  added by this Act, beginning with the 2020 tax year.
         SECTION 2.65.  (a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and
  (c) of this section, the changes in law made by this Act to Chapter
  41, Tax Code, apply only to a protest for which the notice of
  protest was filed by a property owner or the designated agent of the
  owner with the appraisal review board established for an appraisal
  district on or after January 1, 2018.
         (b)  Section 41.03(a), Tax Code, as amended by this Act,
  applies only to a challenge under Chapter 41, Tax Code, for which a
  challenge petition is filed on or after January 1, 2018. A
  challenge under Chapter 41, Tax Code, for which a challenge
  petition was filed before January 1, 2018, is governed by the law in
  effect on the date the challenge petition was filed, and the former
  law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         (c)  Sections 41.45 and 41.66, Tax Code, as amended by this
  Act, apply only to a protest filed under Chapter 41, Tax Code, on or
  after January 1, 2019. A protest filed under that chapter before
  January 1, 2019, is governed by the law in effect on the date the
  protest was filed, and the former law is continued in effect for
  that purpose.
         SECTION 2.66.  The changes in law made by this Act in the
  qualifications of persons serving as arbitrators in binding
  arbitrations of appeals of appraisal review board orders do not
  affect the entitlement of a person serving as an arbitrator
  immediately before January 1, 2018, to continue to serve as an
  arbitrator and to conduct hearings on arbitrations until the person
  is required to renew the person's agreement with the comptroller to
  serve as an arbitrator. The changes in law apply only to a person
  who initially qualifies to serve as an arbitrator or who renews the
  person's agreement with the comptroller to serve as an arbitrator
  on or after January 1, 2018. This Act does not prohibit a person who
  is serving as an arbitrator on January 1, 2018, from renewing the
  person's agreement with the comptroller to serve as an arbitrator
  if the person has the qualifications required for an arbitrator
  under the Tax Code as amended by this Act.
         SECTION 2.67.  (a)  Except as otherwise provided by this
  article, this article takes effect January 1, 2018.
         (b)  The following provisions take effect September 1, 2018:
               (1)  Sections 6.41(b) and (d-9), Tax Code, as amended
  by this Act;
               (2)  Sections 6.41(b-1), (b-2), and (d-10), Tax Code,
  as added by this Act;
               (3)  Section 6.414(d), Tax Code, as amended by this
  Act;
               (4)  Section 6.425, Tax Code, as added by this Act;
               (5)  Section 41.44(d), Tax Code, as amended by this
  Act;
               (6)  Section 41.45(d), Tax Code, as amended by this
  Act;
               (7)  Sections 41.45(d-1), (d-2), and (d-3), Tax Code,
  as added by this Act;
               (8)  Section 41.66(k), Tax Code, as amended by this
  Act; and
               (9)  Section 41.66(k-1), Tax Code, as added by this
  Act.
         (c)  The following provisions take effect January 1, 2019:
               (1)  Sections 26.04(d-1), (d-2), (e-2), (e-3), and
  (e-4), Tax Code, as added by this Act;
               (2)  Sections 26.04(e-1) and (g), Tax Code, as amended
  by this Act;
               (3)  Sections 26.05(d-1) and (d-2), Tax Code, as added
  by this Act; and
               (4)  Section 26.05(e), Tax Code, as amended by this
  Act.
  ARTICLE 3.  LIMITATION ON INCREASES IN APPRAISED VALUE OF
  COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL REAL PROPERTY
         SECTION 3.01.  Section 1.12(d), Tax Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         (d)  For purposes of this section, the appraisal ratio of a
  homestead to which Section 23.23 applies or of commercial or
  industrial real property to which Section 23.231 applies is the
  ratio of the property's market value as determined by the appraisal
  district or appraisal review board, as applicable, to the market
  value of the property according to law. The appraisal ratio is not
  calculated according to the appraised value of the property as
  limited by Section 23.23 or 23.231.
         SECTION 3.02.  Subchapter B, Chapter 23, Tax Code, is
  amended by adding Section 23.231 to read as follows:
         Sec. 23.231.  LIMITATION ON APPRAISED VALUE OF COMMERCIAL OR
  INDUSTRIAL REAL PROPERTY. (a) In this section, "new improvement"
  means an improvement to commercial or industrial real property made
  after the most recent appraisal of the property that increases the
  market value of the property and the value of which is not included
  in the appraised value of the property for the preceding tax
  year.  The term does not include repairs to or ordinary maintenance
  of an existing structure or the grounds or another feature of the
  property.
         (b)  This section does not apply to:
               (1)  residential property;
               (2)  a mineral interest; or
               (3)  property appraised under Subchapter C, D, E, F, G,
  or H.
         (c)  Notwithstanding the requirements of Section 25.18 and
  regardless of whether the appraisal office has appraised the
  property and determined the market value of the property for the tax
  year, an appraisal office may increase the appraised value of a
  parcel of commercial or industrial real property for a tax year to
  an amount not to exceed the lesser of:
               (1)  the market value of the property for the most
  recent tax year that the market value was determined by the
  appraisal office; or
               (2)  the sum of:
                     (A)  20 percent of the appraised value of the
  property for the preceding tax year;
                     (B)  the appraised value of the property for the
  preceding tax year; and
                     (C)  the market value of all new improvements to
  the property.
         (d)  When appraising a parcel of commercial or industrial
  real property, the chief appraiser shall:
               (1)  appraise the property at its market value; and
               (2)  include in the appraisal records both the market
  value of the property and the amount computed under Subsection
  (c)(2).
         (e)  The limitation provided by Subsection (c) takes effect
  as to a parcel of commercial or industrial real property on January
  1 of the tax year following the first tax year in which the owner
  owns the property on January 1 and in which the property qualifies
  as commercial or industrial real property under this section.
  Except as provided by Subsection (f), the limitation expires on
  January 1 of the tax year following the first tax year in which the
  owner of the property ceases to own the property or the property
  ceases to qualify as commercial or industrial real property.
         (f)  If property subject to a limitation under this section
  is owned by two or more persons, the limitation expires on January 1
  of the tax year following the first tax year in which the ownership
  of at least a 50 percent interest in the property is sold or
  otherwise transferred.
         (g)  Notwithstanding Subsections (a) and (c) and except as
  provided by Subdivision (2) of this subsection, an improvement to
  property that would otherwise constitute a new improvement is not
  treated as a new improvement if the improvement is a replacement
  structure for a structure that was rendered unusable by a casualty
  or by wind or water damage. For purposes of appraising the property
  under Subsection (c) in the tax year in which the structure would
  have constituted a new improvement:
               (1)  the appraised value the property would have had in
  the preceding tax year if the casualty or damage had not occurred is
  considered to be the appraised value of the property for that year,
  regardless of whether that appraised value exceeds the actual
  appraised value of the property for that year as limited by
  Subsection (c); and
               (2)  the replacement structure is considered to be a
  new improvement only if:
                     (A)  the square footage of the replacement
  structure exceeds that of the replaced structure as that structure
  existed before the casualty or damage occurred; or
                     (B)  the exterior of the replacement structure is
  of higher quality construction and composition than that of the
  replaced structure.
         (h)  In this subsection, "disaster recovery program" means
  the disaster recovery program administered by the General Land
  Office that is funded with community development block grant
  disaster recovery money authorized by the Consolidated Security,
  Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pub.
  L. No. 110-329), and the Consolidated and Further Continuing
  Appropriations Act, 2012 (Pub. L. No. 112-55).  Notwithstanding
  Subsection (g)(2), and only to the extent necessary to satisfy the
  requirements of the disaster recovery program, a replacement
  structure described by that subdivision is not considered to be a
  new improvement if to satisfy the requirements of the disaster
  recovery program it was necessary that:
               (1)  the square footage of the replacement structure
  exceed that of the replaced structure as that structure existed
  before the casualty or damage occurred; or
               (2)  the exterior of the replacement structure be of
  higher quality construction and composition than that of the
  replaced structure.
         SECTION 3.03.  (a) Effective January 1, 2018, Sections
  25.19(b) and (g), Tax Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The chief appraiser shall separate real from personal
  property and include in the notice for each:
               (1)  a list of the taxing units in which the property is
  taxable;
               (2)  the appraised value of the property in the
  preceding year;
               (3)  the taxable value of the property in the preceding
  year for each taxing unit taxing the property;
               (4)  the appraised value of the property for the
  current year, the kind and amount of each exemption and partial
  exemption, if any, approved for the property for the current year
  and for the preceding year, and, if an exemption or partial
  exemption that was approved for the preceding year was canceled or
  reduced for the current year, the amount of the exemption or partial
  exemption canceled or reduced;
               (4-a)  a statement of whether the property qualifies
  for the limitation on appraised value provided by Section 23.231; 
               (5)  if the appraised value is greater than it was in
  the preceding year, the amount of tax that would be imposed on the
  property on the basis of the tax rate for the preceding year;
               (6)  in italic typeface, the following
  statement:  "The Texas Legislature does not set the amount of your
  local taxes.  Your property tax burden is decided by your locally
  elected officials, and all inquiries concerning your taxes should
  be directed to those officials";
               (7)  a detailed explanation of the time and procedure
  for protesting the value;
               (8)  the date and place the appraisal review board will
  begin hearing protests; and
               (9)  a brief explanation that the governing body of
  each taxing unit decides whether or not taxes on the property will
  increase and the appraisal district only determines the value of
  the property.
         (g)  By April 1 or as soon thereafter as practicable if the
  property is a single-family residence that qualifies for an
  exemption under Section 11.13, or by May 1 or as soon thereafter as
  practicable in connection with any other property, the chief
  appraiser shall deliver a written notice to the owner of each
  property not included in a notice required to be delivered under
  Subsection (a), if the property was reappraised in the current tax
  year, if the ownership of the property changed during the preceding
  year, or if the property owner or the agent of a property owner
  authorized under Section 1.111 makes a written request for the
  notice.  The chief appraiser shall separate real from personal
  property and include in the notice for each property:
               (1)  the appraised value of the property in the
  preceding year;
               (2)  the appraised value of the property for the
  current year and the kind of each partial exemption, if any,
  approved for the current year;
               (2-a)  a statement of whether the property qualifies
  for the limitation on appraised value provided by Section 23.231; 
               (3)  a detailed explanation of the time and procedure
  for protesting the value; and
               (4)  the date and place the appraisal review board will
  begin hearing protests.
         (b)  Effective January 1, 2020, Sections 25.19(b) and (i),
  Tax Code, are amended to read as follows:
         (b)  The chief appraiser shall separate real from personal
  property and include in the notice for each:
               (1)  a list of the taxing units in which the property is
  taxable;
               (2)  the appraised value of the property in the
  preceding year;
               (3)  the taxable value of the property in the preceding
  year for each taxing unit taxing the property;
               (4)  the appraised value of the property for the
  current year, the kind and amount of each exemption and partial
  exemption, if any, approved for the property for the current year
  and for the preceding year, and, if an exemption or partial
  exemption that was approved for the preceding year was canceled or
  reduced for the current year, the amount of the exemption or partial
  exemption canceled or reduced;
               (4-a)  a statement of whether the property qualifies
  for the limitation on appraised value provided by Section 23.231; 
               (5)  [if the appraised value is greater than it was in
  the preceding year, the amount of tax that would be imposed on the
  property on the basis of the tax rate for the preceding year;
               [(6)]  in italic typeface, the following
  statement:  "The Texas Legislature does not set the amount of your
  local taxes.  Your property tax burden is decided by your locally
  elected officials, and all inquiries concerning your taxes should
  be directed to those officials";
               (6) [(7)]  a detailed explanation of the time and
  procedure for protesting the value;
               (7) [(8)]  the date and place the appraisal review
  board will begin hearing protests; and
               (8) [(9)]  a brief explanation that the governing body
  of each taxing unit decides whether or not taxes on the property
  will increase and the appraisal district only determines the value
  of the property.
         (i)  Delivery with a notice required by Subsection (a) or (g)
  of a copy of the pamphlet published by the comptroller under Section
  5.06 or a copy of the notice published by the chief appraiser under
  Section 41.70 is sufficient to comply with the requirement that the
  notice include the information specified by Subsection (b)(6)
  [(b)(7)] or (g)(3), as applicable.
         SECTION 3.04.  Section 41.41(a), Tax Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  A property owner is entitled to protest before the
  appraisal review board the following actions:
               (1)  determination of the appraised value of the
  owner's property or, in the case of land appraised as provided by
  Subchapter C, D, E, or H, Chapter 23, determination of its appraised
  or market value;
               (2)  unequal appraisal of the owner's property;
               (3)  inclusion of the owner's property on the appraisal
  records;
               (4)  denial to the property owner in whole or in part of
  a partial exemption;
               (4-a)  determination that the owner's property does not
  qualify for the limitation on appraised value provided by Section
  23.231;
               (5)  determination that the owner's land does not
  qualify for appraisal as provided by Subchapter C, D, E, or H,
  Chapter 23;
               (6)  identification of the taxing units in which the
  owner's property is taxable in the case of the appraisal district's
  appraisal roll;
               (7)  determination that the property owner is the owner
  of property;
               (8)  a determination that a change in use of land
  appraised under Subchapter C, D, E, or H, Chapter 23, has occurred;
  or
               (9)  any other action of the chief appraiser, appraisal
  district, or appraisal review board that applies to and adversely
  affects the property owner.
         SECTION 3.05.  Section 42.26(d), Tax Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (d)  For purposes of this section, the value of the property
  subject to the suit and the value of a comparable property or sample
  property that is used for comparison must be the market value
  determined by the appraisal district when the property is [a
  residence homestead] subject to the limitation on appraised value
  imposed by Section 23.23 or 23.231.
         SECTION 3.06.  Sections 403.302(d) and (i), Government Code,
  are amended to read as follows:
         (d)  For the purposes of this section, "taxable value" means
  the market value of all taxable property less:
               (1)  the total dollar amount of any residence homestead
  exemptions lawfully granted under Section 11.13(b) or (c), Tax
  Code, in the year that is the subject of the study for each school
  district;
               (2)  one-half of the total dollar amount of any
  residence homestead exemptions granted under Section 11.13(n), Tax
  Code, in the year that is the subject of the study for each school
  district;
               (3)  the total dollar amount of any exemptions granted
  before May 31, 1993, within a reinvestment zone under agreements
  authorized by Chapter 312, Tax Code;
               (4)  subject to Subsection (e), the total dollar amount
  of any captured appraised value of property that:
                     (A)  is within a reinvestment zone created on or
  before May 31, 1999, or is proposed to be included within the
  boundaries of a reinvestment zone as the boundaries of the zone and
  the proposed portion of tax increment paid into the tax increment
  fund by a school district are described in a written notification
  provided by the municipality or the board of directors of the zone
  to the governing bodies of the other taxing units in the manner
  provided by former Section 311.003(e), Tax Code, before May 31,
  1999, and within the boundaries of the zone as those boundaries
  existed on September 1, 1999, including subsequent improvements to
  the property regardless of when made;
                     (B)  generates taxes paid into a tax increment
  fund created under Chapter 311, Tax Code, under a reinvestment zone
  financing plan approved under Section 311.011(d), Tax Code, on or
  before September 1, 1999; and
                     (C)  is eligible for tax increment financing under
  Chapter 311, Tax Code;
               (5)  the total dollar amount of any captured appraised
  value of property that:
                     (A)  is within a reinvestment zone:
                           (i)  created on or before December 31, 2008,
  by a municipality with a population of less than 18,000; and
                           (ii)  the project plan for which includes
  the alteration, remodeling, repair, or reconstruction of a
  structure that is included on the National Register of Historic
  Places and requires that a portion of the tax increment of the zone
  be used for the improvement or construction of related facilities
  or for affordable housing;
                     (B)  generates school district taxes that are paid
  into a tax increment fund created under Chapter 311, Tax Code; and
                     (C)  is eligible for tax increment financing under
  Chapter 311, Tax Code;
               (6)  the total dollar amount of any exemptions granted
  under Section 11.251 or 11.253, Tax Code;
               (7)  the difference between the comptroller's estimate
  of the market value and the productivity value of land that
  qualifies for appraisal on the basis of its productive capacity,
  except that the productivity value estimated by the comptroller may
  not exceed the fair market value of the land;
               (8)  the portion of the appraised value of residence
  homesteads of individuals who receive a tax limitation under
  Section 11.26, Tax Code, on which school district taxes are not
  imposed in the year that is the subject of the study, calculated as
  if the residence homesteads were appraised at the full value
  required by law;
               (9)  a portion of the market value of property not
  otherwise fully taxable by the district at market value because of:
                     (A)  action required by statute or the
  constitution of this state, other than Section 11.311, Tax Code,
  that, if the tax rate adopted by the district is applied to it,
  produces an amount equal to the difference between the tax that the
  district would have imposed on the property if the property were
  fully taxable at market value and the tax that the district is
  actually authorized to impose on the property, if this subsection
  does not otherwise require that portion to be deducted; or
                     (B)  action taken by the district under Subchapter
  B or C, Chapter 313, Tax Code, before the expiration of the
  subchapter;
               (10)  the market value of all tangible personal
  property, other than manufactured homes, owned by a family or
  individual and not held or used for the production of income;
               (11)  the appraised value of property the collection of
  delinquent taxes on which is deferred under Section 33.06, Tax
  Code;
               (12)  the portion of the appraised value of property
  the collection of delinquent taxes on which is deferred under
  Section 33.065, Tax Code; and
               (13)  the amount by which the market value of property
  [a residence homestead] to which Section 23.23 or 23.231, Tax Code,
  applies exceeds the appraised value of that property as calculated
  under Section 23.23 or 23.231, Tax Code, as applicable [that
  section].
         (i)  If the comptroller determines in the study that the
  market value of property in a school district as determined by the
  appraisal district that appraises property for the school district,
  less the total of the amounts and values listed in Subsection (d) as
  determined by that appraisal district, is valid, the comptroller,
  in determining the taxable value of property in the school district
  under Subsection (d), shall for purposes of Subsection (d)(13)
  subtract from the market value as determined by the appraisal
  district of properties [residence homesteads] to which Section
  23.23 or 23.231, Tax Code, applies the amount by which that amount
  exceeds the appraised value of those properties as calculated by
  the appraisal district under Section 23.23 or 23.231, Tax Code, as
  applicable.  If the comptroller determines in the study that the
  market value of property in a school district as determined by the
  appraisal district that appraises property for the school district,
  less the total of the amounts and values listed in Subsection (d) as
  determined by that appraisal district, is not valid, the
  comptroller, in determining the taxable value of property in the
  school district under Subsection (d), shall for purposes of
  Subsection (d)(13) subtract from the market value as estimated by
  the comptroller of properties [residence homesteads] to which
  Section 23.23 or 23.231, Tax Code, applies the amount by which that
  amount exceeds the appraised value of those properties as
  calculated by the appraisal district under Section 23.23 or 23.231,
  Tax Code, as applicable.
         SECTION 3.07.  This article applies only to the appraisal of
  commercial or industrial real property for ad valorem tax purposes
  for a tax year that begins on or after January 1, 2018.
         SECTION 3.08.  Except as otherwise provided by this article,
  this article takes effect January 1, 2018, but only if the
  constitutional amendment proposed by the 85th Legislature, 1st
  Called Session, 2017, to authorize the legislature to limit
  increases in the appraised value of commercial or industrial real
  property for ad valorem tax purposes to 20 percent or more of the
  appraised value of the property for the preceding tax year is
  approved by the voters. If that amendment is not approved by the
  voters, this article has no effect.
  ARTICLE 4.  EFFECTIVE DATE
         SECTION 4.01.  Except as otherwise provided by this Act,
  this Act takes effect January 1, 2018.