SB 531 Summary

• Expands agricultural land assessment to include land that "could be devoted to" agricultural use or contains buildings/improvements used for agricultural purposes, effective July 1, 2013.

• Changes agricultural land exemption from applying to land "purchased for" residential, commercial, or industrial uses to land "zoned for" such uses, unless the land is actually devoted to agricultural use.

• Requires assessors to automatically deduct the value of land within railroad, levee, drainage ditch, and public highway rights-of-way from adjacent property assessments without requiring property owner action.

• Allows residential property owners who are individuals to appoint another individual as a non-compensated agent for property tax appeals without needing professional certification.

• Repeals outdated property tax appeal deadline provisions that applied to assessments dated 2002-2004.