S.B. No. 1420

AN ACT

relating to notices of appraised value sent to property owners by
the chief appraisers of appraisal districts.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 25.19(a) and (b), Tax Code, are amended
to read as follows:
(a) 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 clear and understandable written notice
to a property owner of the appraised value of the property owner’s
property if:
(1) the appraised value of the property is greater
than it was in the preceding year;
(2) the appraised value of the property is greater
than the value rendered by the property owner; [or]
(3) the property was not on the appraisal roll in the
preceding year; or
(4) an exemption or partial exemption approved for the
property for the preceding year was canceled or reduced for the
current year.
(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, [and] 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”;
(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.
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
a notice of appraised value for a tax year beginning on or after the
effective date of this Act. A notice of appraised value for a tax
year beginning before the effective date of this Act is governed by
the law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act,
and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2016.

______________________________ ______________________________
President of the Senate          Speaker of the House

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1420 passed the Senate on
April 20, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.

______________________________
Secretary of the Senate

I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1420 passed the House on
May 22, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 140, Nays 0, two
present not voting.

______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House

Approved:

______________________________
Date

______________________________
Governor