HBA-JEK, AMW H.B. 2601 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2601 By: Coleman Ways & Means 3/26/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law provides exemptions from local appraisal taxes to parks, markets, fairgrounds, or other similar facilities for taxation of leaseholds or possessory interests in these public facilities owned by an incorporated city or town which are used in connection with a city's or town's convention and entertainment activities. Although many arenas, stadiums, convention centers, visitor centers, and concert halls are public facilities, these facilities are not included in the tax exemptions. House Bill 2601 includes a convention center, visitor center, sports facility with permanent seating, concert hall, arena, or stadium that is owned by an incorporated city or town among the local appraisal tax exemptions. 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. ANALYSIS House Bill 2601 amends the Tax Code to provide that for the purposes of leasehold or other possessory interests in exempt property that are prohibited from being listed in the name of the owner of the possessory interest, the term "public facility" includes a convention center, visitor center, sports facility with permanent seating, concert hall, arena, or stadium that is owned by an incorporated city or town as such possessory or leasehold interests serve a governmental, municipal, or public purpose or function when access to the property is open to the general public with or without a charge for admission. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.