A post Harvey law passed by Rep. Shine and Sen. Bettencourt in 2019 approved by 85% of Texas Voters
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – An estimated 5,000 taxpayer properties in Harris County could apply for a full or partial one year improvement exemption from property tax bills because of recent tornado damage. HJR 34 by Representative Hugh Shine (R-Temple,) with Senator Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) as Senate Sponsor, passed this post Hurricane Harvey Property Tax Reform in 2019.
The Constitutional Amendment was approved by 85 percent of the voters, and allows effected taxpayers to apply for four levels of Automatic Disaster reappraisal with the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) up to a 100 percent exemption depending upon the severity of improvement damage by the EF3 tornados on January 24th. These lower reappraisals could help an estimated five thousand property owners pay substantially lower property tax bills in 2023. This Automatic Disaster Reappraisal was triggered by Governor Greg Abbott's Severe Weather Disaster Declaration on January 26, 2023.
The law, which was overwhelmingly passed by 85% of Texas voters in November 2019 as a Constitutional Amendment, set up an Automatic Disaster Reappraisal for taxpayers who suffered property damage in a natural disaster, so taxpayers only need to apply to their Chief Appraiser who assigns one of four damaged levels to properties for exemptions.
"The idea for Automatic Property Tax Disaster Reappraisal came from a meeting of 1,400 Harvey Flood victims at Saint John Vianney Catholic Church in 2017 attended by myself, Lt Gov Patrick, Finance Chair Huffman, and others.
"I asked the crowd how many folks had flood damage, and 95% of them raised their hands. I said we have to have Automatic Property Tax Disaster Reappraisal to help taxpayers recover, and we do now!" said Bettencourt (right, on the Texas Senate Floor.)
Home and business owners need to document their property damage, and file with the Harris County Appraisal District.
- Chief Appraiser Roland Altinger from HCAD will be releasing more detailed information to the public based upon preliminary initial damage assessments.
- A minimum of 15% of damage is required for level one relief. Taxpayers with a total loss of a property improvement can receive a one hundred percent exemption.
"When they do, they'll find their property tax bill saving on 342 days of the "tax year' pro-rata will have the lower disaster reappraisal value. That could save thousands of dollars in a year they're recovering from significant damage!" concluded Senator Bettencourt.
