HB 283 creates a disaster identification system for areas under a declared state of disaster in Texas. It requires residents who choose to participate to affix color-coded illuminated displays to themselves and pets: white for all (monochromatic), or blue (adults), green (disabled), red (children), and yellow (animals) for multicolored displays. Participants signal medical needs by flashing lights (for assistance needed) or continuous lights (no assistance needed), helping relief personnel locate them at night. The system activates automatically when a disaster declaration is issued under existing emergency management plans. This directly affects residents in disaster zones who opt into the program.
HB 278 would require Texas licensing authorities to revoke business licenses for individuals or businesses found in court to have engaged in price gouging during a declared disaster. The bill mandates that within 30 days of a successful legal case - whether brought by the state attorney general under Section 17.47 or a consumer under Section 17.50 - the court or attorney general must notify the relevant licensing agency (Texas Department of Agriculture or Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation). The agency may then revoke the person’s license through standard procedures. This applies to licenses required for regulated commercial activities, targeting those convicted of price gouging during declared disasters. The law takes effect 91 days after the legislative session ends.
HB 277 requires Texas public school districts to create annual plans focused on improving student achievement in reading and math. These plans must set specific goals for closing achievement gaps, measure student progress in 3rd-grade reading and math assessments, and provide targeted professional development for teachers at underperforming campuses. The bill also mandates that districts assign administrators to coordinate these plans and report progress annually to school boards. Additionally, it requires literacy achievement academies for teachers at campuses failing state performance standards, prioritizing schools with high numbers of disadvantaged students. The bill updates assessment standards to ensure instruments are research-based and can be administered at multiple points during the school year.
HB 279 modifies how certain Texas taxing units calculate property tax rates. It applies specifically to junior college districts, hospital districts, and other non-school taxing units with proposed maintenance/operations tax rates of 2.5 cents or less per $100 of property value. The bill temporarily treats "foregone revenue" (revenue lost due to property value changes) as zero for these units until the 2026 tax year, simplifying their rate calculations. This change expires December 31, 2028, and affects how these units determine their voter-approval tax rates under state law.
HB 281 postpones the effective date of tax-related changes in Texas law that affect how disasters and related costs influence local tax rate calculations. Specifically, it delays the implementation of these changes from January 1, 2026, to January 1, 2028. The bill applies directly to taxing units (such as counties and cities) that calculate property tax rates, giving them additional time to adjust to the new rules. This is a procedural adjustment to the timeline of existing tax law changes, not a modification of the tax rates themselves.
HB 280 prohibits allocating low-income housing tax credits for new developments in municipalities or counties where housing tax credits or private activity bonds already support more than twice the state average of units per capita. This directly affects developers seeking tax credits for new projects in areas already saturated with subsidized housing. The law blocks applications for such developments unless the applicant obtains prior approval from the department. The provision aims to limit new allocations in locations with high existing concentrations of credit-supported housing.
HB 21 reduces penalties and interest rates for delinquent property taxes in Texas. It lowers the initial penalty from 6% to 3% for the first month a property tax payment is overdue, with an additional 0.5% per month thereafter (down from 1%). For taxes delinquent as of July 1, the total penalty drops from 12% to 6%. The bill applies only to penalties accruing after its effective date, not retroactively, and affects property owners who miss tax payments.
This bill modifies how Texas counties and other local taxing units calculate voter-approved property tax rates when located in a large federally declared disaster area. It requires these "disaster area taxing units" to use the same calculation method applied to special taxing districts instead of the standard formula. The change simplifies rate calculations by eliminating the need to apply certain components like "unused increment rate" for affected areas. The policy applies to tax years beginning January 1, 2026, affecting all taxing units where majority territory falls within a federally declared disaster zone.
HB 9 amends Texas Tax Code sections to change how local governments calculate voter-approval tax rates when property values or revenue sources (like sales tax) change. It affects all Texas taxing units (counties, cities, and special districts) that need voter approval for tax increases. The bill introduces three distinct calculation formulas based on the unit type: special districts use a 1.08 multiplier, small municipalities/counties (<75,000 population) use 1.035, and other units use 1.025, all adjusted for "sales tax gain rate" and debt rates. This directly impacts how local governments determine if a proposed tax hike requires voter approval or can be implemented without it.
HB 256 prohibits the sale, delivery, or purchase of consumable hemp products (like edibles or vape products) to or by anyone under 21 years old, bans minors from entering retail stores selling these products, and prevents retailers from employing people under 21. Retailers who sell to minors face a Class A misdemeanor, while minors attempting to buy these products can be charged with a Class C misdemeanor. The law requires retailers to verify customer age using valid ID, such as a driver’s license or passport, to avoid penalties. This applies directly to hemp retailers, their employees, and customers under 21.
HB 17 requires Texas school districts to include specific, standardized statements in property tax notices sent to homeowners. The bill mandates that notices must show how population changes and state inflation rates affected the district's previous tax collections, plus a comparison to the proposed current tax revenue. This directly affects property owners by providing clearer context for tax rate decisions. The key provision (added as Section 44.004(c-3)) requires districts to state: "In the [previous year], the population changed by [X]%, inflation was [Y]%, and if adjusted for these factors, the district would collect [$Z] instead of the proposed [amount]." Failure to include this information could allow property owners to seek legal action to block tax collection.
HB 259 changes the voter approval threshold for property tax rate increases that exceed a taxing unit's current voter-approved rate from two-thirds to a simple majority. This affects cities, counties, and school districts when seeking to raise property taxes above existing approved levels, as they will now need only over half of votes cast instead of two-thirds. The bill also updates required election notices to clearly compare the proposed tax rate with the current no-new-revenue and voter-approval rates. This policy change lowers the barrier for passing tax increases, requiring fewer voter approvals to implement rate changes.
