House Bill No. 329 amends the Texas Tax Code to establish a requirement for appraisal review boards to consider appraisals submitted by property owners when determining protests regarding the value of residential real property. Specifically, the bill introduces a new subsection (a-6) that mandates the appraisal review board to favor the property owner if they submit a valid appraisal performed by a certified appraiser within a specified timeframe. This appraisal must support the value asserted by the property owner and be delivered to the chief appraiser at least 14 days before the hearing. If these conditions are met, the board is required to change the property's appraised value to match the submitted appraisal.

Additionally, the bill modifies the Penal Code to classify offenses related to fraudulent appraisals as Class B misdemeanors if the appraisal in question was filed with an appraisal review board and was conducted by someone with a contingency interest in the outcome. The changes in law will only apply to protests filed after the effective date of the Act, which is set for September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Tax Code 41.43, Penal Code 37.10 (Penal Code 37, Tax Code 41)