Extends certain provisions authorizing the county of Hamilton to impose a county recording tax on obligations secured by mortgages on real property

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Robert Smullen

Extends Hamilton County's authority to impose a county recording tax on mortgage-backed real property obligations, raising recording costs for lenders and buyers.

SUBSTITUTED BY S7128

Overview

Objective: Extend the authorization for Hamilton County to impose a county recording tax on mortgage-related obligations tied to real property.

Status: The bill A 7713 has been substituted by S7128, indicating it is being carried forward in the companion (senate) measure. A 7713’s provisions are effectively being replaced/continued by S7128.

Primary sponsor: Robert Smullen.

Related/Companion bills: S7128 (companion, active in the Senate); A 7615 (prior-session bill).

What the bill would do

Extend the authority for Hamilton County to impose a county recording tax on obligations secured by mortgages on real property. This is a continuation or renewal of existing authority, rather than a new creation of such a tax.

The summary provided does not specify changes to tax rate, applicability, sunset/expiration dates, or other operational details. Those specifics would be governed by the underlying existing provisions being extended and any language carried by S7128.

Key provisions and changes (as available)

Authority extension: Reauthorizes or prolongs Hamilton County’s ability to impose the county recording tax on mortgage-backed obligations.

Scope: Applies to obligations secured by mortgages on real property within the county.

Inland specifics (rate, exemptions, sunset, allocation): Not disclosed in the available summary. The exact rate, exemptions (if any), and revenue use would be determined by the current law, as extended by the bill or its companion.

Who would be affected

Hamilton County government: Maintains or extends a revenue source from recording taxes.

Mortgage lenders and borrowers within Hamilton County: Potentially affected through recording costs associated with mortgage transactions.

Real property transaction ecosystem in the county (title companies, attorneys, and settlement agents): May see impacts on transaction costs and administrative processes related to recording mortgage obligations.

Procedural and timeline details

Introduced: April 8, 2025.

Early actions: Referred to Ways and Means on April 8, 2025.

Further actions (as recorded): Repeated entries on June 11 and June 17, 2025 show “REPORTED,” “RULES REPORT,” and “ORDERED TO THIRD READING” actions.

Substitution: On June 17, 2025, A 7713 was substituted by S7128, indicating the Senate companion is carrying forward the bill’s provisions.

Next steps: With substitution, the companion S7128 would typically advance through the legislative process to final passage and potential enactment. The A 7713 track appears to be superseded by S7128.

Additional context

Related bills: A 7615 (prior-session), S7128 (companion; current carrier of the bill’s provisions).

This summary reflects the information available in the provided bill sheet and legislative actions; exact statutory text, rate details, exemptions, and sunset provisions would be in the enacted version or the text of S7128.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary for a specific audience (e.g., policymakers, real estate professionals, or the general public) or incorporate any known fiscal impact estimates from the fiscal note.

Bill