Texas Bills

This concurrent resolution (HCR 8) calls for the construction of a monument in the Texas State Cemetery to honor victims of the July 4, 2025, Hill Country flood. It directly affects the families of the over 100 people who died in the disaster, including more than two dozen children at Camp Mystic. The resolution requests the Texas State Cemetery Committee and State Preservation Board to build the monument, with the secretary of state forwarding copies of the resolution to these entities. It does not create new laws or alter existing policies but serves as a commemorative gesture for a tragic event that caused widespread loss of life.

HB 202 would create a new criminal offense for knowingly selling, renting, leasing, or otherwise transferring a semiautomatic rifle. The bill classifies this act as a state jail felony, punishable by up to two years in a state jail. It directly affects individuals who engage in these transfers without legal authorization. The law allows for prosecution under this bill alongside other applicable laws if the same conduct violates multiple statutes.

HB 203 requires the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to study and report on water rights that may be canceled for nonuse. Specifically, the TCEQ must analyze permits, filings, and certificates where water wasn't used for 10 consecutive years, then submit a report identifying: (1) rights with exemptions from cancellation, (2) rights potentially subject to cancellation, and (3) details about water volume, cancellation status, and possible dedication to the Texas Water Trust. The first report is due by March 31, 2027, with subsequent reports every five years. This bill directly affects water permit holders who haven’t used their allocated water for a decade, but does not change water rights laws - only mandates periodic TCEQ reporting.

SB 46 amends Texas Penal Code Section 39.03 to increase criminal penalties for public servants committing "official oppression" (abusing authority). It upgrades certain offenses to a third-degree felony if a public servant intentionally tampers with data reported to the Texas Education Agency via the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS). For peace officers, the bill creates a second-degree felony if they cause bodily injury or threaten it while using a deadly weapon or causing serious injury. The law applies only to offenses committed on or after its effective date (January 1, 2026), and does not change penalties for past actions.

HB 204 limits annual increases in the appraised value of property for property tax purposes in Texas. For primary homes (residence homesteads), the appraised value cannot rise by more than 2.5% of the previous year's value plus that full previous value plus new improvements, and cannot exceed the market value from the most recent year the property was appraised at market value. For other real property, the cap is 8% of the previous year's value plus the full previous value plus new improvements, with the same market value limit. This bill directly affects Texas homeowners and property owners whose properties are subject to these appraisal rules.

HJR 27 proposes a constitutional amendment to change Texas property tax rules for homesteads (primary residences) and other real property. It would make permanent the current limits on how much a property's taxable value can increase each year - 102.5% for homesteads and 108% for other property - while allowing the legislature to set even lower limits if desired. This affects all Texas homeowners and property owners by altering how property tax assessments are calculated annually. The amendment requires voter approval in the May 2026 election before taking effect.

HB 205 repeals the state budget for the fiscal biennium ending August 31, 2027, specifically removing Chapter 1185 (S.B. 1) from the 2025 General Appropriations Act. This action would eliminate the legally enacted spending plan governing state government operations during 2025-2027. The bill directly affects how state funds are allocated and managed for that period, requiring a new budget to be enacted. It takes effect immediately if approved by two-thirds of each legislative chamber, or on the 91st day after the session if not.

This constitutional amendment proposal (SJR 2) would prohibit Texas legislators from reducing the proportion of a demographic group that is a minority in the state within a congressional district where that group forms a majority of residents. It applies only to districts that have been apportioned at least once since the last U.S. census. The amendment specifically prevents the legislature from lowering that group's representation in such districts but does not restrict increasing it. This would require voter approval before becoming part of the Texas Constitution.

This bill changes Texas property tax rules for homeowners rebuilding after disasters. It exempts standard replacement structures (matching the original size and exterior materials) from being counted as "new improvements" that increase property taxes. Homeowners affected include those who rebuilt after qualifying disasters like hurricanes, floods, or accidents that made their homes uninhabitable. The rule applies only if the replacement structure doesn't exceed the original size or use higher-quality exterior materials. This prevents tax hikes for basic repairs without altering tax rates for larger or upgraded rebuilds.

HB 200 creates a voluntary system for Texas municipalities and counties to operate emergency warning systems. It allows residents to opt-in to receive emergency alerts by consenting during driver's license applications, authorizing the state to share their contact information (phone, email, address) with local governments. Residents can later opt-out by submitting a written request or text message. The bill requires local governments to contract with the state department for this service and restricts contact information use solely to emergency alerts, prohibiting other purposes.

HB 181 repeals the Texas Quantum Initiative, a specific program under Texas Government Code, effective September 1, 2025. It redirects all funds previously allocated to this initiative to the Texas Education Agency for the 2025-2027 state budget cycle. The redirected funds will be used to lower the state's "compression percentage" - a funding formula that reduces school district allocations - to its minimum level under Education Code Section 48.255. This bill directly affects public school funding by altering how state education resources are distributed to districts.

HB 178 repeals the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation Act, which was enacted in 2023. This law allowed school districts to apply specific limitations on taxable property values for school funding calculations. The bill removes these limitations by repealing the relevant section of the Government Code (Subchapter T, Chapter 403) that was added by the repealed act. As a result, school districts in Texas will no longer have access to these property value restrictions when determining their taxable valuation for state funding purposes.