Florida Senate - 2019 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT Bill No. SB 564 Ì732174'Î732174 LEGISLATIVE ACTION Senate . House Comm: RCS . 03/27/2019 . . . . ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— The Committee on Community Affairs (Hooper) recommended the following: 1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment) 2 3 Delete everything after the enacting clause 4 and insert: 5 Section 1. Web-based TRIM Notice Pilot Program.— 6 (1) The Web-based TRIM Notice Pilot Program is established 7 in Pinellas, Pasco, and Hernando Counties. The purpose of the 8 pilot program is to provide property appraisers in those 9 counties the option to provide taxpayers notices of proposed 10 property taxes as required under s. 200.069, Florida Statutes, 11 via the property appraiser’s website in lieu of mailing such 12 notices. For a county in which the property appraiser elects to 13 participate in the pilot program, the procedures of this section 14 supersede the requirements and procedures for electronic 15 transmission as provided under s. 192.048, Florida Statutes, 16 until December 31, 2023, for notices of proposed property taxes. 17 The pilot program expires December 31, 2023. 18 (2) If the property appraiser elects to post the notices on 19 the property appraiser’s website in lieu of mailing the notices 20 pursuant to s. 200.069, Florida Statutes, all of the following 21 requirements apply: 22 (a) Before posting the notices, the property appraiser must 23 present the plan to make notices available on the property 24 appraiser’s website at a public meeting of the board of county 25 commissioners. The presentation is for informational purposes 26 only and the plan does not require prior approval by the board. 27 (b) The website must provide an option for a taxpayer to 28 request and receive an e-mail notification within 3 business 29 days after the most recent notices are posted on the website. 30 The website must also provide an option for the taxpayer to 31 elect to continue receiving notices via first-class mail by 32 contacting the property appraiser’s office by telephone or mail. 33 (c) Beginning January 1, 2020, the property appraiser shall 34 prepare and mail to each taxpayer who is listed on the current 35 year’s assessment roll a notice containing all of the following 36 information: 37 1. Notification that notices of proposed property taxes are 38 posted on the property appraiser’s website and will no longer be 39 delivered by first-class mail unless the taxpayer elects to 40 continue receiving the notices by mail. 41 2. Notification that the website allows the taxpayer to 42 request and receive an e-mail notification and provides an 43 option for the taxpayer to elect to continue receiving notices 44 by first-class mail. 45 3. Instructions as to how the taxpayer may elect to 46 continue to receive notices by mail by contacting the property 47 appraiser’s office by telephone or mail. 48 4. The following notice: 49 50 APPEALING YOUR VALUATION, CLASSIFICATION, OR EXEMPTION STATUS 51 52 If you feel the market value of your property is inaccurate 53 or does not reflect fair market value, or if you feel you are 54 entitled to an exemption or classification that is not reflected 55 in your notice of proposed property taxes, contact your county 56 property appraiser at ...(phone number)... or ...(location).... 57 If the property appraiser’s office is unable to resolve the 58 matter as to market value, classification, or an exemption, you 59 may file a petition for adjustment with the Value Adjustment 60 Board. Petition forms are available from the county property 61 appraiser and must be filed ON OR BEFORE ...(date).... 62 If you FAIL to file a petition with the Value Adjustment 63 Board on or before that date, you will be PROHIBITED FROM 64 CONTESTING YOUR ASSESSMENT with the Value Adjustment Board. 65 (d) For changes in ownership of property, the property 66 appraiser must send each new property owner, via first-class 67 mail, a notice that includes the following information: 68 1. Notification that notices of proposed property taxes are 69 available on the property appraiser’s website. 70 2. Notification that the property appraiser’s website 71 allows the taxpayer to request and receive an e-mail 72 notification and provides an option for the taxpayer to elect to 73 receive notices delivered by first-class mail. 74 3. Instructions as to how the taxpayer may elect to 75 continue receiving notices by mail by contacting the property 76 appraiser’s office by telephone or mail. 77 4. The following notice: 78 79 APPEALING YOUR VALUATION, CLASSIFICATION, OR EXEMPTION STATUS 80 81 If you feel the market value of your property is inaccurate 82 or does not reflect fair market value, or if you feel you are 83 entitled to an exemption or classification that is not reflected 84 in your notice of proposed property taxes, contact your county 85 property appraiser at ...(phone number)... or ...(location).... 86 If the property appraiser’s office is unable to resolve the 87 matter as to market value, classification, or an exemption, you 88 may file a petition for adjustment with the Value Adjustment 89 Board. Petition forms are available from the county property 90 appraiser and must be filed ON OR BEFORE ...(date).... 91 If you FAIL to file a petition with the Value Adjustment 92 Board on or before that date, you will be PROHIBITED FROM 93 CONTESTING YOUR ASSESSMENT with the Value Adjustment Board. 94 (3) By December 1, 2022, the Office of Program Policy 95 Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) shall submit to 96 the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of 97 the House of Representatives a report and recommendations for 98 implementing a statewide program which addresses the legislative 99 purpose under subsection (1). In consultation with the 100 identified property appraisers and the Department of Revenue, 101 OPPAGA shall develop the report and recommendations with input 102 from other state agencies, local governments, and interest 103 groups. OPPAGA shall also solicit citizen input from citizens in 104 the affected areas and consult with the affected local 105 government and stakeholder groups. Additionally, OPPAGA shall 106 review local and state actions and correspondence relating to 107 the pilot program to identify issues of process and substance in 108 recommending changes to the pilot program. At a minimum, the 109 report and recommendations must include: 110 (a) The number of property appraisers participating in the 111 pilot program; 112 (b) The number of notices of proposed property taxes 113 provided via website under the pilot program; 114 (c) Cost reductions from the online posting of such 115 notices; 116 (d) The number of filed petitions before and after the 117 start of the pilot program; and 118 (e) Recommended changes to the pilot program, including 119 whether the program should be implemented statewide. 120 Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2019. 121 122 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================ 123 And the title is amended as follows: 124 Delete everything before the enacting clause 125 and insert: 126 A bill to be entitled 127 An act relating to a pilot program for truth-in 128 millage notices; establishing the Web-based TRIM 129 Notice Pilot Program in specified counties; providing 130 the purpose of the program; providing that certain 131 procedures relating to electronic transmission are 132 superseded in certain counties for a certain 133 timeframe; providing for expiration of the pilot 134 program; specifying requirements for public notices 135 and meetings, property appraiser websites, and 136 taxpayer notices if a property appraiser elects to 137 participate in the pilot program; specifying a 138 required notice relating to appeals of valuation, 139 classification, or exemption status; requiring the 140 Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government 141 Accountability (OPPAGA) to submit a specified report 142 and recommendations to the Governor and Legislature by 143 a certain date; requiring OPPAGA to consult with 144 property appraisers and the Department of Revenue and 145 solicit input from certain persons in developing the 146 report and recommendations; providing an effective 147 date.