BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 948 Page 1 Date of Hearing: August 17, 2011 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Felipe Fuentes, Chair SB 948 (Committee on Governance and Finance) - As Amended: June 30, 2011 Policy Committee: Local GovernmentVote:9-0 Revenue and Taxation 9-0 Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: Yes Reimbursable: No SUMMARY This bill makes several technical changes to the property tax law relating to collection of tax. Specifically, this bill: 1)Requires a county assessor to provide to the tax collector, upon written request from the tax collector, certain confidential information for the preparation and enforcement of tax sales. 2)Modifies the procedure of filing property tax protests by specifying that taxpayers must file a protest with the county clerk and pay taxes to the treasurer-tax collector. 3)Requires third-party agents, acting on behalf of an interested party by filing a claim for excess proceeds from the tax sale, to submit proof that the amount and source of those proceeds have been disclosed to the interested party, who has also been advised that a claim to recover proceeds may be filed directly with the county at no cost. 4)Allows treasurer-tax collectors, when they are required to provide notice of the right to claim proceeds, to forego the requirement to publish the notice in a newspaper of general circulation if the costs of publication exceed the amount of the tax sale proceeds. 5)Makes other technical corrections to property tax collection laws to update incorrect cross- references and correct outdated code sections. SB 948 Page 2 FISCAL EFFECT This bill will not have a significant fiscal impact. No state reimbursement is required for specified reasons, including that the provisions were requested by the local agency. COMMENTS 1)Purpose of this Bill . SB 948 is sponsored by the California Association of County Treasurer-Tax Collectors to help both taxpayers and counties. According to the author, this bill is intended to improve the administration of property tax laws. The author states that SB 948 consolidates 12 items that make minor, technical changes to property tax law into one bill, negating the need for individual bills to enact each change. 2)Background . The Senate Committee authors a annual measure to enact several changes to Property Tax Law sponsored by the California Association of County Treasurer-Tax Collectors, who collect property tax payments, execute tax sales and manage local agencies' money. Analysis Prepared by : Roger Dunstan / APPR. / (916) 319-2081