Sec. 313.025.  APPLICATION;  ACTION ON APPLICATION.  (a)  The owner or lessee of, or the holder of another possessory interest in, any qualified property described by Section 313.021(2)(A), (B), or (C) may apply to the governing body of the school district in which the property is located for a limitation on the appraised value for school district maintenance and operations ad valorem tax purposes of the person's qualified property.  An application must be made on the form prescribed by the comptroller and include the information required by the comptroller, and it must be accompanied by:
(1)  the application fee established by the governing body of the school district;
(2)  information sufficient to show that the real and personal property identified in the application as qualified property meets the applicable criteria established by Section 313.021(2); and
(3)  any information required by the comptroller for the purposes of Section 313.026.
(a-1)  Within seven days of the receipt of each document, the school district shall submit to the comptroller a copy of the application and the proposed agreement between the applicant and the school district.  If the applicant submits an economic analysis of the proposed project to the school district, the district shall submit a copy of the analysis to the comptroller.  In addition, the school district shall submit to the comptroller any subsequent revision of or amendment to any of those documents within seven days of its receipt.  The comptroller shall publish each document received from the school district under this subsection on the comptroller's Internet website.  If the school district maintains a generally accessible Internet website, the district shall provide on its website a link to the location of those documents posted on the comptroller's website in compliance with this subsection.  This subsection does not require the comptroller to post information that is confidential under Section 313.028.
(b)  The governing body of a school district is not required to consider an application for a limitation on appraised value.  If the governing body of the school district elects to consider an application, the governing body shall deliver a copy of the application to the comptroller and request that the comptroller conduct an economic impact evaluation of the investment proposed by the application.  The comptroller shall conduct or contract with a third person to conduct the economic impact evaluation, which shall be completed and provided to the governing body of the school district, along with the comptroller's certificate or written explanation under Subsection (d), as soon as practicable but not later than the 90th day after the date the comptroller receives the application.  The governing body shall provide to the comptroller or to a third person contracted by the comptroller to conduct the economic impact evaluation any requested information.  A methodology to allow comparisons of economic impact for different schedules of the addition of qualified investment or qualified property may be developed as part of the economic impact evaluation.  The governing body shall provide a copy of the economic impact evaluation to the applicant on request.  The comptroller may charge the applicant a fee sufficient to cover the costs of providing the economic impact evaluation.  The governing body of a school district shall approve or disapprove an application not later than the 150th day after the date the application is filed, unless the economic impact evaluation has not been received or an extension is agreed to by the governing body and the applicant.
(b-1)  The comptroller shall promptly deliver a copy of the application to the Texas Education Agency.  The Texas Education Agency shall determine the effect that the applicant's proposal will have on the number or size of the school district's instructional facilities and submit a written report containing the agency's determination to the school district.  The governing body of the school district shall provide any requested information to the Texas Education Agency.  Not later than the 45th day after the date the Texas Education Agency receives the application, the Texas Education Agency shall make the required determination and submit the agency's written report to the governing body of the school district.
(c)  In determining whether to approve an application, the governing body of the school district is entitled to request and receive assistance from:
(1)  the comptroller;
(2)  the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office;
(3)  the Texas Workforce Investment Council; and
(4)  the Texas Workforce Commission.
(d)  Not later than the 90th day after the date the comptroller receives the copy of the application, the comptroller shall issue a certificate for a limitation on appraised value of the property and provide the certificate to the governing body of the school district or provide the governing body a written explanation of the comptroller's decision not to issue a certificate.
(d-1)  The governing body of a school district may not approve an application unless the comptroller submits to the governing body a certificate for a limitation on appraised value of the property.
(e)  Before approving or disapproving an application under this subchapter that the governing body of the school district elects to consider, the governing body must make a written finding as to any criteria considered by the comptroller in conducting the economic impact evaluation under Section 313.026.  The governing body shall deliver a copy of those findings to the applicant.
(f)  The governing body may approve an application only if the governing body finds that the information in the application is true and correct, finds that the applicant is eligible for the limitation on the appraised value of the person's qualified property, and determines that granting the application is in the best interest of the school district and this state.
(f-1)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary, including Section 313.003(2) or 313.004(3)(A) or (B)(iii), the governing body of a school district may waive the new jobs creation requirement in Section 313.021(2)(A)(iv)(b) or 313.051(b) and approve an application if the governing body makes a finding that the jobs creation requirement exceeds the industry standard for the number of employees reasonably necessary for the operation of the facility of the property owner that is described in the application.
(g)  The Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office or its successor may recommend that a school district approve an application under this chapter.  In determining whether to approve an application, the governing body of the school district shall consider any recommendation made by the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office or its successor.
(h)  After receiving a copy of the application, the comptroller shall determine whether the property meets the requirements of Section 313.024 for eligibility for a limitation on appraised value under this subchapter.  The comptroller shall notify the governing body of the school district of the comptroller's determination and provide the applicant an opportunity for a hearing before the determination becomes final.  A hearing under this subsection is a contested case hearing and shall be conducted by the State Office of Administrative Hearings in the manner provided by Section 2003.101, Government Code.  The applicant has the burden of proof on each issue in the hearing.  The applicant may seek judicial review of the comptroller's determination in a Travis County district court under the substantial evidence rule as provided by Subchapter G, Chapter 2001, Government Code.
(i)  If the comptroller's determination under Subsection (h) that the property does not meet the requirements of Section 313.024 for eligibility for a limitation on appraised value under this subchapter becomes final, the comptroller is not required to provide an economic impact evaluation of the application or to submit a certificate for a limitation on appraised value of the property or a written explanation of the decision not to issue a certificate, and the governing body of the school district may not grant the application.
Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1505, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2002.  Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 818, Sec. 6.11, eff. Sept. 1, 2003;  Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 978, Sec. 7, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by: 
Acts 2006, 79th Leg., 3rd C.S., Ch. 1 (H.B. 3), Sec. 16(d), eff. January 1, 2008.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 864 (H.B. 1470), Sec. 2, eff. December 31, 2007.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 864 (H.B. 1470), Sec. 3, eff. June 15, 2007.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1186 (H.B. 3676), Sec. 5, eff. June 19, 2009.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1186 (H.B. 3676), Sec. 5, eff. January 1, 2010.
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1304 (H.B. 3390), Sec. 6, eff. January 1, 2014.