Committee advances House Bill 726 after amendment extending deadline for storm-related property tax relief

A legislative committee during an April meeting voted 6-0 to advance House Bill 726 as amended to the state and local government calendar.

As amended, the bill extends the deadline for county property assessors to identify properties damaged by a recent storm so those taxpayers can receive ad valorem grant relief, a provision the sponsor said was intended to capture properties missed under an earlier deadline.

"As amended, the bill will ensure that all taxpayers, who were impacted by the hurricane, halib, storm that should be eligible for relief, that we passed back during the special session, will receive that relief," Chairman Hicks said as he explained the amendment. He described the grant as "based on 130% of their overall property assessors value, assessed value, for their impacted property." The sponsor identified the amendment as objection code 6337 and said the measure is a cleanup to a prior special-session bill.

Committee members voted on amendment 6337 by voice; the chair ordered the amendment carried. The clerk then opened the voting board on the bill as amended. The clerk reported six ayes; the chair announced, "The ayes prevail. House Bill 726 as amended moves next available calendar, state and local government."

The bill keeps the original statutory parameters from the prior special-session measure but extends the assessor identification deadline (the sponsor said the original deadline was Jan. 28 and the amendment extends that deadline to April). The transcript does not specify the exact April date to which the deadline is extended, nor does it specify how many properties were omitted under the original deadline.

After completing business on the bill, the committee adopted a motion to adjourn subject to the call of the chair by the same 6-0 tally.

The bill will appear on the state and local government calendar for further consideration.