Texas bill SB 1777 prohibits health care providers (including their employees or contractors) from accepting any payment for referring potential residents to group homes that lack a valid license. The law specifically targets unlicensed group homes, including those operating under state waiver programs. Violating this prohibition is a Class B misdemeanor offense. The bill aims to prevent financial incentives for referrals to facilities not meeting licensing standards, directly affecting health care providers who make such referrals.
SB 1244 updates Texas unclaimed property laws to explicitly include virtual currency (such as Bitcoin) as a type of property that can be deemed abandoned. The bill revises the timeline for abandonment, starting when a payment is unclaimed or a communication to the owner fails, and ending when the owner reactivates the account or contacts the holder. It requires holders of virtual currency (e.g., financial institutions or exchanges) to report and deliver abandoned virtual currency in its native digital form to the state comptroller. This affects businesses holding unclaimed digital assets, aligning their reporting and delivery procedures with traditional unclaimed property rules.
SB 2063 modifies Texas property tax procedures by restricting evidence used in appeals claiming unequal appraisal. It prohibits property owners protesting solely on unequal appraisal grounds from presenting market value evidence to appraisal review boards or courts. The bill also updates how comparable property values are calculated for such appeals, requiring use of the appraisal district's market value under specific statutory limitations. These changes apply only to protests filed on or after January 1, 2026, with prior cases governed by existing law. The bill directly affects property owners challenging tax assessments based on unequal appraisal without claiming overvaluation.
SB 2452 sets rules for compensating chief appraisers in Texas property appraisal districts. It prohibits linking their pay to increases in property values and bans using district funds to hire a general counsel. The bill requires that chief appraisers' compensation and staffing decisions be determined solely by the district's adopted budget. This affects local government officials managing property valuation for tax purposes.
SB 1413 creates a new process for landowners with at least 25 acres not receiving water service to petition for removal from a water utility's service area in specific Texas counties. It applies to counties with populations of 1.2 million or more, adjacent to such counties, or meeting certain population and university enrollment thresholds. The bill requires petitioners to provide written notice to the utility before filing and prohibits the utility from borrowing federal funds during the review process. This establishes a streamlined procedure for landowners seeking to exit utility service agreements under defined geographic criteria.
SB 125 requires blood banks and hospitals to follow a physician's order when facilitating autologous (using one's own blood for later procedures) or direct blood donations (donating directly to a specific patient). Specifically, blood banks must comply with physician orders for these donations under Health and Safety Code Section 162.021, and hospitals must allow such donations with physician orders under Section 241.013. The bill directly affects medical facilities handling blood donations and takes effect September 1, 2025. It establishes a procedural requirement for ensuring these donations align with medical treatment plans.
SB 1585 would prohibit Texas government entities (including state agencies and local governments) from entering contracts with companies owned by countries designated as threats to critical infrastructure. It specifically targets companies providing information and communications technology (like cybersecurity systems) or services for critical infrastructure such as power grids, water treatment facilities, and hazardous waste systems. Violations would trigger civil penalties and potentially criminal charges. The law defines "designated countries" as those identified by the governor after consulting with the public safety director.
This bill requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to mandate vehicle identification number (VIN) inspections for specific vehicles under certain circumstances. It applies directly to vehicle owners registering vehicles without existing TxDMV records, importing vehicles from outside the U.S., or needing assigned VINs. The law specifies three required inspection scenarios and grants the TxDMV authority via rulemaking to expand these requirements to additional vehicle categories. The changes take effect September 1, 2025.
SB 2675 amends Texas law to allow specific municipalities to transfer park land without following standard conveyance procedures under certain conditions. It directly affects cities with populations of at least 140,000 located in counties meeting three criteria: county population ≥800,000, bordering an international border, and containing no municipality with >500,000 residents. The bill permits transfers of park land within one mile of a municipal convention facility, provided the transfer is authorized by local resolution. The key mechanism establishes these three specific conditions as exceptions to existing land transfer rules. This procedural bill creates a streamlined process for designated municipalities to convey park land for development near convention facilities.
SB 2858 aims to establish statewide consistency by preventing cities and counties from enacting regulations that conflict with state laws in areas like commerce, elections, and criminal justice. The bill would override local ordinances that create inconsistent "patchwork" rules across Texas, returning regulatory authority to the state as specified in the Texas Constitution. However, it explicitly preserves local powers to build/maintain roads, impose taxes, provide services equivalent to general-law municipalities, conduct public awareness campaigns, and amend violating ordinances to comply with the bill. The legislation does not restrict municipalities' core functions but limits their ability to create competing local rules in designated policy areas.
SB 2521 requires local registrars to send monthly abstracts of death certificates (for residents 18+) to county appraisal districts. The chief appraiser must then review these to determine if property tax exemptions (like homestead exemptions) previously granted to the deceased should continue for surviving spouses or children. If exemptions no longer qualify, the appraiser must cancel them and notify property owners within five days, effective September 1, 2025. This directly affects county appraisal districts, property owners, and surviving family members regarding tax exemption eligibility.
SB 2105 requires county or district attorneys to issue written notices to commercial lodging establishments (like hotels and motels) if they violate human trafficking awareness rules. The notice must detail the violation, state a 30-day deadline to fix it, and specify potential civil penalties (up to $5,000 per violation). If unresolved, attorneys can sue in the county where the violation occurred to collect penalties or enforce compliance. The civil penalties collected go directly to the county court’s jurisdiction, not the state. This bill focuses on enforcement mechanics, not new awareness requirements.
