HBA-MPM C.S.H.B. 3526 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3526 By: Hochberg Public Education 4/17/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Beginning with the 2001-2002 school year, a school district's fiscal year begins on July 1 or September 1 of each year as determined by the board of trustees of the district. To adopt a budget prior to the beginning of the fiscal year, school districts must comply with truth-in-taxation requirements, including holding a public meeting. At least 10 days prior to the meeting, the district is required to publish a notice that includes certain calculations that currently use the district's taxable value as certified by the chief appraiser. However, the chief appraiser is not required by law to provide this information until July 25th, which does not allow for the timely publication of the notice for public hearing for districts whose fiscal year starts July 1. C.S.H.B. 3526 authorizes such a school district to use the chief appraiser's certified estimate of the taxable value of district property rather than the certified appraisal roll for purposes of publishing the notice of and holding a public meeting. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 3526 amends the Education Code to authorize a school district with a fiscal year beginning July 1 to use the certified estimate of the taxable value of district property in preparing the required notice of a budget and tax rate meeting if the district does not receive on or before June 7 the certified appraisal roll for the district. The bill authorizes a district using a certified estimate to adopt the budget at the public meeting designated in the notice, but prohibits the district from adopting a tax rate before the district receives the certified appraisal roll (roll). The bill provides that after receiving the roll, the district must publish a revised notice and hold another public meeting before adopting a tax rate that exceeds the rate proposed in the notice using the estimate or the district's rollback rate determined using the roll. C.S.H.B. 3526 amends the Tax Code to require the chief appraiser to prepare and certify to the assessor for each school district participating in the appraisal district an estimate of the taxable value of school district property by June 7 rather than June 15. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 3326 conforms the original to Texas Legislative Council style and format and changes the effective date to September 1, 2001 rather than on passage if the Act receives the necessary vote.