HBA-JRA H.B. 1218 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1218
By: Craddick
Ways & Means
3/18/1999
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, tangible personal property, including warehouse inventory, is
subject to taxation by the state.  This may place the Texas warehousing
industry at a competitive disadvantage with similar industries in
neighboring states.  H.B. 1218 exempts tangible personal property from
taxation, except for personal property taxable under Section 1(g), Article
VIII, Texas Constitution (Development or Redevelopment of Property; Ad
Valorem Tax Relief And Issuance of Bonds And Notes). 

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. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 11.01, Tax Code, as follows:

Sec. 11.01.  New title:  REAL PROPERTY.  Provides that for a tax year that
begins after December 31, 1999, tangible personal property is not taxable
by the state.  Provides that a provision of this code or another law that
would otherwise apply to the taxation of tangible personal property for a
tax year that begins after December 31, 1999, has no effect on and after
January 1, 2000.  Provides that the exemptions of tangible personal
property from taxation by the state do not apply to personal property
taxable under Section 1(g), Article VIII, Texas Constitution (Development
or Redevelopment of Property; Ad Valorem Tax Relief And Issuance of Bonds
And Notes).  Makes conforming changes. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Sections 22.01 and 22.05, Tax Code, as follows:

Sec. 22.01.  RENDITION GENERALLY.  Makes conforming and nonsubstantive
changes. Redesignates existing Subsections (b)-(d) to Subsections (a)-(c).
Deletes Subsection (e). 

Sec. 22.05.  RENDITION BY RAILROAD.  Makes conforming and nonsubstantive
changes. Deletes Subdivision (3). 

SECTION 3.  Amends Section 23.12(a), Tax Code, to make conforming and
nonsubstantive changes. 

SECTION 4.  Reenacts and amends Section 403.302(d), Government Code, as
amended by Section 44, Chapter 1039, Section 63, Chapter 1040, and Section
27, Chapter 1071, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997, to
make conforming changes.  Redesignates existing Subsections (5)-(7) and
(9)-(11) to Subsections (4)-(6) and (7)-(9), respectively. 

SECTION 5.  Amends Article 4.01, Insurance Code, to make conforming changes.

SECTION 6.  Repealer.  (a)  Repeals the following sections of the Tax Code:
11.02 (Intangible Personal Property), 11.14 (Tangible Personal Property not
Producing Income), 11.145 (IncomeProducing Tangible Personal Property
Having Value of Less Than $500), 11.15 (Family Supplies), 11.16 (Farm
Products), 11.161 (Implements of Farming or Ranching), 11.25 (Marine Cargo
Containers Used Exclusively in International Commerce), 11.251 (Tangible
Personal Property Exempt), 11.271 (Offshore Drilling Equipment not in Use),
11.437 (Exemption for Cotton Stored in Warehouse), 21.02 (Tangible Personal
Property Generally), 21.021 (Vessels and Other Watercraft), 21.03
(Interstate Allocation), 21.031 (Allocation of Taxable Value of Vessels and
Other Watercraft Used Outside This State), 21.04 (Railroad Rolling Stock),
21.05 (Commercial Aircraft), 21.06 (Intangible Property Generally), 21.07
(Intangibles of Certain Transportation Businesses), 21.08 (Intangibles of
Certain Financial Institutions), 22.04(b) and (c) (Report by Bailee,
Lessee, or Other Possessor), 22.07 (Inspection of Property), 23.12(f)
(Inventory), 23.121 (Dealer's Motor Vehicle Inventory; Value), 23.122
(Prepayment of Taxes by Certain Taxpayers), 23.123 (Declarations and
Statements Confidential), 23.124 (Dealer's Vessel and Outboard Motor
Inventory; Value), 23.1241 (Dealer's Heavy Equipment Inventory; Value),
23.1242 (Prepayment of Taxes by Heavy Equipment Dealers), 23.125
(Prepayment of Taxes by Certain Taxpayers), 23.126 (Declarations and
Statements Confidential), 23.127 (Retail Manufactured Housing Inventory;
Value), and 23.128 (Prepayment of Taxes by Manufactured Housing Retailers),
Subchapter B, Chapter 24 (Railroad Rolling Stock - Central Appraisal), and
Subchapter B, Chapter 33 (Seizure of Personal Property - Delinquency). 

(b)  Repeals Section 89.003 (Rendition of Certain Personal Property for ad
Valorem Taxation), Finance Code. 

SECTION 7.  (a)  Provides that this Act takes effect January 1, 2000, only
if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 76th Legislature, Regular
Session, 1999, exempting all personal property from ad valorem taxation by
this state is approved by the voters. 

(b)  Provides that the amendments made by this Act to Section 403.302(d),
Government Code, apply only to the determination of the total taxable value
of property in a school district for a tax year that begins after December
31, 1999. 

(c)  Provides that, notwithstanding the amendments made by this Act to
Sections 11.01, 22.01, 22.05, and 23.12(a), Tax Code, and Article 4.01,
Insurance Code, and the repeal of statutes by Section 6 of this Act, each
of those statutes is continued in effect for the purpose of the levy and
collection of an ad valorem tax on personal property imposed before January
1, 2000, or pursuant to Section 1(g), Article VIII, Texas Constitution
(Development or Redevelopment of Property; Ad Valorem Tax Relief And
Issuance of Bonds And Notes). 

SECTION 8.  Emergency clause.