85R3944 SMH-F     By: VanDeaver H.B. No. 486       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to school district ad valorem tax rates.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Section 26.08, Tax Code, is amended by adding   Subsections (q) and (r) to read as follows:          (q)  This subsection applies only to a school district   described by Subsection (n) whose adopted tax rate was approved at   an election under this section in the 2006 tax year or any   subsequent tax year. Notwithstanding Subsection (n), for purposes   of this section, the rollback tax rate of the school district is the   higher of:                (1)  the amount computed under Subsection (n); or                (2)  the sum of the following:                      (A)  the highest maintenance and operations tax   rate adopted by the district for the 2007 tax year or any subsequent   tax year in which the adopted tax rate of the district was approved   at an election under this section; and                      (B)  the district's current debt rate.          (r)  Subsection (q) applies to a school district only if the   district has adopted a tax rate equal to or higher than the rate   provided by that subsection for any tax year in the preceding 10 tax   years.          SECTION 2.  (a)  The comptroller of public accounts shall   conduct a study to determine:                (1)  the number of school districts that adopt an ad   valorem tax rate for the tax year in which this Act takes effect   that is lower than the district's ad valorem tax rate for the tax   year preceding that tax year and then, for the tax year following   the tax year in which this Act takes effect, adopt an ad valorem tax   rate that is higher than the district's ad valorem tax rate for the   tax year in which this Act takes effect; and                (2)  the number of school districts that adopted an ad   valorem tax rate for the second tax year preceding the tax year in   which this Act takes effect that was lower than the district's ad   valorem tax rate for the tax year preceding that tax year and then,   for the tax year preceding the tax year in which this Act takes   effect, adopted an ad valorem tax rate that was higher than the   district's ad valorem tax rate for the second tax year preceding the   tax year in which this Act takes effect.          (b)  The comptroller of public accounts shall report the   results of the study conducted under this section to each member of   the legislature not later than December 1, 2019.          SECTION 3.  (a) The change in law made by this Act applies to   the ad valorem tax rate of a school district beginning with the 2017   tax year, except as provided by Subsection (b) of this section.          (b)  If the governing body of a school district adopted an ad   valorem tax rate for the school district for the 2017 tax year   before the effective date of this Act, the change in law made by   this Act applies to the ad valorem tax rate of that school district   beginning with the 2018 tax year, and the law in effect when the tax   rate was adopted applies to the 2017 tax year with respect to that   school district.          SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives   a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as   provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this   Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this   Act takes effect September 1, 2017.