Bill Text: TX SB46 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the confidentiality of certain property tax appraisal photographs.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-17 - Effective on 9/1/15 [SB46 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-SB46-Enrolled.html
| S.B. No. 46 | ||
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| relating to the confidentiality of certain property tax appraisal | ||
| photographs. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 552, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 552.155 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 552.155. EXCEPTION: CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN | ||
| PROPERTY TAX APPRAISAL PHOTOGRAPHS. (a) Except as provided by | ||
| Subsection (b) or (c), a photograph that is taken by the chief | ||
| appraiser of an appraisal district or the chief appraiser's | ||
| authorized representative for property tax appraisal purposes and | ||
| that shows the interior of an improvement to property is | ||
| confidential and excepted from the requirements of Section 552.021. | ||
| (b) A governmental body shall disclose a photograph | ||
| described by Subsection (a) to a requestor who had an ownership | ||
| interest in the improvement to property shown in the photograph on | ||
| the date the photograph was taken. | ||
| (c) A photograph described by Subsection (a) may be used as | ||
| evidence in and provided to the parties to a protest under Chapter | ||
| 41, Tax Code, or an appeal of a determination by the appraisal | ||
| review board under Chapter 42, Tax Code, if it is relevant to the | ||
| determination of a matter protested or appealed. A photograph that | ||
| is used as evidence: | ||
| (1) remains confidential in the possession of the | ||
| person to whom it is disclosed; and | ||
| (2) may not be disclosed or used for any other purpose. | ||
| (c-1) Notwithstanding any other law, a photograph described | ||
| by Subsection (a) may be used to ascertain the location of equipment | ||
| used to produce or transmit oil and gas for purposes of taxation if | ||
| that equipment is located on January 1 in the appraisal district | ||
| that appraises property for the equipment for the preceding 365 | ||
| consecutive days. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 552.222, Government Code, is amended by | ||
| amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c-1) to read as | ||
| follows: | ||
| (a) The officer for public information and the officer's | ||
| agent may not make an inquiry of a requestor except to establish | ||
| proper identification or except as provided by Subsection (b), [ |
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| (c), or (c-1). | ||
| (c-1) If the information requested includes a photograph | ||
| described by Section 552.155(a), the officer for public information | ||
| or the officer's agent may require the requestor to provide | ||
| additional information sufficient for the officer or the officer's | ||
| agent to determine whether the requestor is eligible to receive the | ||
| information under Section 552.155(b). | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 46 passed the Senate on | ||
| March 30, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0; and that | ||
| the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 26, 2015, by the | ||
| following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 46 passed the House, with | ||
| amendment, on May 22, 2015, by the following vote: Yeas 137, | ||
| Nays 1, one present not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| Approved: | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
