HBA-ALS H.B. 968 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 968 By: Alexander Ways and Means 3/18/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Under Section 11.13 of the Tax Code, the owner of a residence homestead is entitled to various property tax exemptions on the homestead. However, there is no statutory provision addressing whether boat shelters are considered part of a residential homestead for tax exemption purposes. H.B. 968 establishes that a residence homestead includes a structure used exclusively to shelter or house a water vessel if certain conditions relating to the use and location of the structure are met. 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 11.13, Tax Code, by adding Subsection (s), to provide that, for purposes of this section, a residence homestead (homestead) includes a structure exclusively used to house or shelter a vessel, as defined by Section 31.003, Parks and Wildlife Code (Definitions), as any watercraft, other than a seaplane on water, used or capable of being used for transportation on water, that is owned by the owner of the homestead, if the structure is: (1) owned by the owner of the homestead; (2) used in connection with the owner's residential use of the homestead; (3) built on or over land adjacent to or reasonably near the homestead and is owned by the owner of the homestead, a government entity, or any person, including a homeowner's association, if the owner of the homestead has a contractual or property right to maintain the structure; and (4) not rented or leased to a person by the owner of the homestead. SECTION 2. Effective date: January 1, 2000. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.