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Summary: HB 2792 would allow an appraisal review board to conduct a hearing closed to the public upon a joint motion by both the property owner and chief appraiser. Such a closed hearing will occur if the chief appraiser or property owner intend to disclose proprietary or confidential information to determine a protest.
Analysis: Protests regarding business or industrial property appraisals may require protesters to divulge information that could put their business at a competitive disadvantage, leading many protesters to decline to present evidence to show their property has been appraised for more than its market value. These cases often lead to litigation where the property owner gives the appraisal district the relevant proprietary or confidential information in the pretrial discovery process without the information becoming public, but litigation is costly for both sides.
HB 2792 allows property owners and appraisal review boards to agree to hold their hearings in private. This will limit government by saving taxpayer dollars that would otherwise go toward litigation, and promotes the property rights of property owners who save resources on not going through litigation and are able to keep confidential information from the public without cost.
Support HB 2792.