Sec. 49.23601. AUTOMATIC ELECTION TO APPROVE TAX RATE FOR LOW TAX RATE DISTRICTS. (a) In this section, "voter-approval tax rate" means the rate equal to the sum of the following tax rates for the district:

(1) the current year's debt service tax rate;

(2) the current year's contract tax rate; and

(3) the operation and maintenance tax rate that would impose 1.08 times the amount of the operation and maintenance tax imposed by the district in the preceding year on a residence homestead appraised at the average appraised value of a residence homestead in the district in that year, disregarding any homestead exemption available only to disabled persons or persons 65 years of age or older.

(b) This section applies only to a district the board of which has adopted an operation and maintenance tax rate for the current tax year that is 2.5 cents or less per $100 of taxable value.

(c) If the board of a district adopts a combined debt service, contract, and operation and maintenance tax rate that would impose more than 1.08 times the amount of tax imposed by the district in the preceding year on a residence homestead appraised at the average appraised value of a residence homestead in the district in that year, disregarding any homestead exemption available only to disabled persons or persons 65 years of age or older, an election must be held in accordance with the procedures provided by Sections 26.07(c)-(g), Tax Code, to determine whether to approve the adopted tax rate. If the adopted tax rate is not approved at the election, the district's tax rate is the voter-approval tax rate.

Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 944 (S.B. 2), Sec. 89, eff. January 1, 2020.