(1) For purposes of this section, rent-restricted housing project means a project consisting of five or more houses or residential units that has received an allocation of federal low-income housing tax credits under section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code from the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority or its successor agency and, for the year of assessment, is a project as defined in section 58-219 involving rental housing as defined in section 58-220.

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(2) The Legislature finds that:

(a) The provision of safe, decent, and affordable housing to all residents of the State of Nebraska is a matter of public concern and represents a legitimate and compelling state need, affecting the general welfare of all residents;

(b) Rent-restricted housing projects effectively provide safe, decent, and affordable housing for residents of Nebraska;

(c) Such projects are restricted by federal law as to the rents paid by the tenants thereof. Such restrictions are set forth in a land-use restriction agreement, which is a restriction applicable to real property under section 77-112 ;

(d) Of all the professionally accepted mass appraisal methodologies, which include the sales comparison approach, the income approach, and the cost approach, the utilization of the income-approach methodology results in the most accurate determination of the actual value of such projects; and

(e) This section is intended to (i) further the provision of safe, decent, and affordable housing to all residents of Nebraska and (ii) comply with Article VIII, § 1, of the Constitution of Nebraska, which empowers the Legislature to prescribe standards and methods for the determination of value of real property at uniform and proportionate values.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the county assessor shall utilize an income-approach calculation to determine the actual value of a rent-restricted housing project when determining the assessed valuation to place on the property for each assessment year. The income-approach calculation shall be consistent with this section and any rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the Tax Commissioner and shall comply with professionally accepted mass appraisal techniques.

(4) The Rent-Restricted Housing Projects Valuation Committee is created. For administrative purposes only, the committee shall be within the Department of Revenue. The committee’s purpose shall be to develop a market-derived capitalization rate to be used by county assessors in determining the assessed valuation for rent-restricted housing projects. The committee shall consist of the following four persons:

(a) A representative of county assessors appointed by the Tax Commissioner. Such representative shall be skilled in the valuation of property and shall hold a certificate issued under section 77-422 ;

(b) A representative of the low-income housing industry appointed by the Tax Commissioner. The appointment shall be based on a recommendation made by the Nebraska Commission on Housing and Homelessness;

(c) The Property Tax Administrator or a designee of the Property Tax Administrator who holds a certificate issued under section 77-422. Such person shall serve as the chairperson of the committee; and

(d) An appraiser from the private sector appointed by the Tax Commissioner. Such appraiser must hold either a valid credential as a certified general real property appraiser under the Real Property Appraiser Act or an MAI designation from the Appraisal Institute.

(5) The owner of a rent-restricted housing project shall file a statement electronically on a form prescribed by the Tax Commissioner with the Rent-Restricted Housing Projects Valuation Committee on or before July 1 of each year that includes (a) actual income and actual expense data for the prior year or, in the case of an initial statement filed for any project under this subsection, the estimated income and expenses for the first year of operation taken from the application for an allocation of tax credits or private activity bonds, (b) a description of any land-use restrictions, (c) a description of the terms of any mortgage loans, including loan amount, interest rate, and amortization period, and (d) such other information as the committee or the county assessor may require for purposes of this section. The Department of Revenue, on behalf of the committee, shall forward such statements on or before August 15 of each year to the county assessor of each county in which a rent-restricted housing project is located.

(6) The Rent-Restricted Housing Projects Valuation Committee shall meet annually in November to examine the information on rent-restricted housing projects that was provided pursuant to subsection (5) of this section. The Department of Revenue shall electronically publish notice of such meeting no less than thirty days in advance. The committee shall also solicit information on the sale of any such rent-restricted housing projects and information on the yields generated to investors in rent-restricted housing projects. The committee shall, after reviewing all such information, calculate a market-derived capitalization rate on an annual basis using the band-of-investment technique or other generally accepted technique used to derive capitalization rates depending upon the data available. The capitalization rate shall be a composite rate weighted by the proportions of total property investment represented by equity and debt, with equity weighted at eighty percent and debt weighted at twenty percent unless a substantially different market capital structure can be verified to the county assessor. The yield for equity shall be calculated using the data on investor returns gathered by the committee. The yield for debt shall be calculated using the data provided to the committee pursuant to subsection (5) of this section. If the committee determines that a particular county or group of counties requires a different capitalization rate than that calculated for the rest of the state pursuant to this subsection, then the committee may calculate an additional capitalization rate that will apply only to such county or group of counties.

(7) After the Rent-Restricted Housing Projects Valuation Committee has calculated the capitalization rate or rates under subsection (6) of this section, the committee shall provide such rate or rates and the information reviewed by the committee in calculating such rate or rates in an annual report. Such report shall be forwarded by the Property Tax Administrator to each county assessor in Nebraska no later than December 1 of each year for his or her use in determining the valuation of rent-restricted housing projects. The Department of Revenue shall publish the annual report electronically but may charge a fee for paper copies. The Tax Commissioner shall set the fee based on the reasonable cost of producing the report.

(8) Except as provided in subsections (9) through (11) of this section, each county assessor shall use the capitalization rate or rates contained in the report received under subsection (7) of this section and the income and expense data filed by owners of rent-restricted housing projects under subdivision (5)(a) of this section in the county assessor’s income-approach calculation for the year. The county assessor shall then use the calculated amount, along with the calculated amounts from the prior two years, to determine a three-year average. Such three-year average shall be the valuation placed on the rent-restricted housing project for the current year. If only two calculated amounts are available, the county assessor shall determine a two-year average, and such two-year average shall be the valuation placed on the rent-restricted housing project for the current year. If only one calculated amount is available, such calculated amount shall be the valuation placed on the rent-restricted housing project for the current year. Any low-income housing tax credits authorized under section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code that were granted to owners of the project shall not be considered income for purposes of the calculation.

(9) If the income and expense data required to be filed for a rent-restricted housing project under subdivision (5)(a) of this section is not filed in a timely manner, the county assessor may use any method for determining actual value for such rent-restricted housing project that is consistent with professionally accepted mass appraisal methods described in section 77-112, so long as such method values the property as a rent-restricted housing project.

(10) If a county assessor, based on the facts and circumstances, believes that the income-approach calculation does not result in a valuation of a specific rent-restricted housing project at its actual value as a rent-restricted housing project, then the county assessor shall present such facts and circumstances to the county board of equalization. If the county board of equalization, based on such facts and circumstances, concurs with the county assessor, then the county board of equalization shall petition the Tax Equalization and Review Commission to consider the county assessor’s utilization of another professionally accepted mass appraisal technique that, based on the facts and circumstances presented by a county board of equalization, would result in a substantially different determination of actual value of the rent-restricted housing project. Petitions must be filed no later than January 31. The burden of proof is on the petitioning county board of equalization to show that failure to make a determination that a different methodology should be used would result in a value for such rent-restricted housing project that is not equitable and in accordance with the law. At the hearing, the commission may receive testimony from any interested person. After a hearing, the commission shall, within the powers granted in section 77-5007, enter its order based on evidence presented to it at such hearing.

(11) If the Tax Commissioner, based on the facts and circumstances, believes that the applicable capitalization rate set by the Rent-Restricted Housing Projects Valuation Committee to value a rent-restricted housing project does not result in a valuation at actual value for such rent-restricted housing project, then the Tax Commissioner shall petition the Tax Equalization and Review Commission to consider an adjustment to the capitalization rate of such rent-restricted housing project. Petitions must be filed no later than January 31. The burden of proof is on the Tax Commissioner to show that failure to make an adjustment to the capitalization rate employed would result in a value that is not equal to the rent-restricted housing project’s actual value as a rent-restricted housing project. At the hearing, the commission may receive testimony from any interested person. After a hearing, the commission shall, within the powers granted in section 77-5007, enter its order based on evidence presented to it at such hearing.