The bill amends Section 41.43 of the 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, if a property owner files an appraisal performed by a certified appraiser—who is not affiliated with a property tax consultant—at least 14 days before the hearing, the appraisal review board must rule in favor of the property owner and adjust the property's appraised value accordingly. This new provision is marked as Subsection (a-6) and emphasizes the importance of independent appraisals in the protest process.

Additionally, the bill modifies the Penal Code by amending Section 37.10(c)(4) to classify an offense as a Class B misdemeanor if it involves a written appraisal filed with an appraisal review board that was conducted by someone with a contingency interest in the outcome. The changes introduced by this bill will only apply to protests for which a notice is filed after the effective date of the Act, which is set to take effect 91 days after the legislative session concludes.

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