H.B. No. 4217 seeks to amend the Texas Tax Code to improve the appraisal process for property taxes and school finance. A key feature of the bill is the introduction of Section 5.044, which requires members of appraisal district boards to complete open government training and specific training developed by the comptroller regarding appraisal district operations and property tax responsibilities. Failure to complete this training will disqualify board members from serving. The bill also modifies existing provisions by allowing taxpayers to request audits of appraisal districts, changing board member elections to staggered two-year terms, and permitting compensation for board members with voter approval. Additionally, it clarifies the chief appraiser's responsibilities and the budget approval process, ensuring all taxing units have input in financial operations.

Further amendments include a limitation on increases in the appraised value of single-family residential properties, establishing that the appraised value for the first tax year equals the market value, with subsequent increases capped at a specified percentage. The bill also introduces confidentiality requirements for applications for appraised value limitations and mandates the chief appraiser to use a percentage determined by the comptroller for calculating allowable increases. Other changes involve replacing "residence homestead" with "parcel of single-family residential real property" in tax calculations and setting new eligibility criteria for appraisal review board members. These changes will take effect on January 1, 2026, contingent upon voter approval of a related constitutional amendment. Overall, the bill aims to enhance transparency, fairness, and accuracy in property tax assessments.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Tax Code 5.12, Tax Code 5.13, Tax Code 6.03, Tax Code 6.032, Tax Code 6.04, Tax Code 6.051, Tax Code 6.052, Tax Code 6.06, Tax Code 6.061, Tax Code 6.15, Tax Code 6.41, Tax Code 6.42, Tax Code 23.23, Tax Code 1201.2055, Tax Code 6.412, Government Code 403.302 (Tax Code 23, Tax Code 5, Tax Code 1201, Government Code 403, Tax Code 6)