SB2073

An appraisal district’s board may purchase, finance the purchase of, or lease real property and construct or finance improvements needed to establish and operate its appraisal office or a branch office. Earlier law expressly authorized purchases, leases and construction but did not include the new financing language. This is authority for appraisal-office purposes, not an unrestricted real-estate investment power. Final law, 6.051(a); Previous property authority.

Acquiring or conveying real property, or constructing or renovating a building or other improvement, still requires approval by the governing bodies of three-fourths of the taxing units entitled to vote on appointing board members. The act expressly says that subsection does not require those units to approve financing the acquisition, construction or renovation. Approval of the underlying transaction and approval of its financing are therefore different questions. Final law, 6.051(b).

For a proposal requiring taxing-unit approval, the board proposes it by resolution. The chief appraiser sends each eligible governing body’s presiding officer the resolution and the costs of other available alternatives. The governing body may approve or disapprove by resolution on or before day 30 after receiving notice, and must file its resolution with the chief appraiser by day 10 after that 30th day. Under SB2073, failure to act by the first deadline or file by the second counts as approval by that taxing unit. Previously, either failure counted as disapproval. A unit wishing to oppose a proposal must therefore both act and file on time. Final law; Previous default-rejection rule.

The new approval process applies only when the chief appraiser sends the notification on or after September 1, 2025. Earlier notices remain governed by the prior law. The transition is keyed to when notice is sent, while the 30-day response clock runs from receipt. The act does not repeal the separate appraisal-district budget process, including its public hearing and taxing-unit budget-disapproval procedure. Final law, section 2; Separate budget rules.

Changes during passage: The introduced text printed September 1, 2023 as its effective date. The Senate committee printing corrected that to September 1, 2025; otherwise the operative provisions match. The Senate-passed, House-committee and enrolled versions retain the 2025 date. Both committees reported without amendments and the official amendment index lists none, so this date correction should not be described as an adopted floor amendment. Introduced; Senate committee printing; Senate-passed; House committee; Final law; Version index; Amendment index.

Compare the published text versions in the official text index. A change is not attributed to a specific amendment here without a verified record.

Appraisal districts gain clearer financing authority and a proposal process less likely to be blocked by nonresponses. Participating taxing units retain a vote on covered transactions but lose the protection of silence counting as rejection; they must track and meet both deadlines. Financing may spread payments over time but can involve interest and repayment costs. The act does not establish that any particular project saves money or authorize a particular loan. Final law.

The April 29 engrossed fiscal note anticipates no state fiscal impact and no significant local-government fiscal impact; the April 5 introduced note agrees. These are overall estimates, not a promise that a district’s property purchase, loan or construction is free. The bill makes no new appropriation, sets no project price and does not quantify borrowing savings. Engrossed fiscal note; Introduced fiscal note.