Senate Bill 2553, offered as a committee substitute, was presented to the Committee on Local Government to address how chief appraisers value land with historic or archaeological restrictions.

Sponsor explanation: Senator West said the committee substitute would add language to Tax Code chapters 11 and 41 to permit property owners of historic sites to protest the appraised value of the land separately from the structure because restrictions on development can reduce the land’s fair market value relative to adjacent non‑historic parcels.

Testimony: The committee received resource or proponent registrations (Mark Hutchinson and Philip Lauterbach were noted as resource witnesses). No opposition was recorded in the hearing and the committee left the committee substitute pending subject to call.

Decision: Public testimony closed and the committee left the measure pending.