HB 285 provides a $10,000 annual pay increase for full-time state employees (including university staff) during the 2025-2027 state fiscal biennium. Part-time employees receive a proportional increase based on their hours worked relative to full-time hours, calculated as (their hours ÷ full-time hours) × $10,000. The bill explicitly excludes legislators, board members, and other governing body members who receive per diem instead of salary. It takes effect 91 days after the legislative session concludes. This policy directly affects all eligible state agency and higher education employees through a fixed salary adjustment.
HB 155 would create a property tax exemption for the full appraised value of a primary residence (homestead) for two groups: (1) Texas residents aged 72 or older who have held this exemption for at least 10 consecutive years, and (2) surviving spouses aged 55 or older who were living in the same home when their spouse died and qualify under the same age and residency rules. The exemption applies to the total value of the homestead, removing the property tax burden entirely for eligible homeowners. This bill requires voter approval of a related constitutional amendment (H.J.R. 133) to take effect, as specified in Section 2. It does not change existing exemptions for younger homeowners or other property types.
HB 161 authorizes the Texas Attorney General to investigate and sue local governments (municipalities or counties) for violating state law. If the AG finds a violation, they may file a lawsuit, and during the case, the comptroller must withhold state funds, the local government cannot raise property tax rates above their "no-new-revenue" limit, and grant applications are denied. If the AG wins, the local government faces a five-year ban on exceeding tax rate limits or receiving state grants, plus potential penalties. The bill creates specific court procedures, assigning exclusive jurisdiction to the First Business Court Division and Fifteenth Court of Appeals.
HJR 15 proposes a constitutional amendment to exempt the full market value of primary homes from property taxes for Texans aged 72 or older who have held this exemption for at least 10 consecutive years. Surviving spouses aged 55 or older who were living in the home when their spouse died and continued to reside there would also qualify for the exemption. The amendment requires voter approval in a May 2026 election and would take effect January 1, 2027, if approved. It includes a temporary provision to protect school districts from revenue loss during implementation.
HB 201 creates a property tax exemption for partially disabled veterans and their surviving spouses in Texas. It allows veterans with a 10% to 99% disability rating to exempt a percentage of their home's appraised value equal to their disability rating. Surviving spouses who haven't remarried and continue living in the same home as the veteran at the time of death also qualify for the same exemption percentage. The exemption applies to the residence homestead and requires the surviving spouse to maintain the property as their primary home.
HB 89 prevents local governments (like cities or counties) from asking voters to approve the same or very similar bond proposal for a specific project within two years after voters previously rejected it. The bill adds a rule to Texas law stating that if voters turned down a bond vote for a particular purpose in the past two years, the government cannot resubmit that identical or nearly identical proposal. This applies only to bond elections ordered on or after the bill's effective date. (Procedural bill; summary limited to 2 sentences.)
HB 23 exempts property taxes for specific nonprofits in Texas counties with 3.3 million or more residents (like Harris County). It applies to nonprofit corporations organized exclusively for charitable, educational, or scientific purposes that use their property to promote agriculture, support youth, or provide community educational programs. The exemption covers all real and personal property owned by these nonprofits but does not apply to for-profit leaseholders of such property. This change takes effect January 1, 2026, after the bill was signed into law in September 2025.
HB 133 repeals the Texas Quantum Initiative by removing Subchapter HH from the 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 fiscal biennium. The redirected funds will be used to reduce the state's compression percentage under Education Code Section 48.255, lowering the state's share of education funding costs. This bill directly affects the Texas Quantum Initiative program and Texas public school funding mechanisms, with no new program creation or policy changes beyond the fund reallocation. The bill takes effect 91 days after the legislative session concludes.
This bill restricts Texas local governments (like cities, counties, and school districts) from using public funds to pay for lobbying activities or to support organizations that lobby on their behalf. It specifically prohibits spending taxpayer money to hire a registered lobbyist or to fund nonprofit groups that primarily represent local governments and employ lobbyists. However, it allows exceptions for activities like reimbursing travel for employees who provide information to lawmakers, testify at hearings, or handle basic legislative tracking without requiring lobbyist registration. The law also enables taxpayers to sue to stop violations and recover legal fees if a local government breaks these rules.
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Local Government
HB 115 restricts Texas local governments (like cities and counties) from using public funds to hire lobbyists or pay organizations that hire lobbyists to influence state legislation. The bill specifically prohibits spending public money to contract with registered lobbyists or fund associations primarily representing local governments if those associations employ registered lobbyists, with exceptions for sheriffs' associations and certain staff activities. It allows local government employees to provide information to lawmakers, advocate for policies without registering as lobbyists, and cover direct travel expenses for such activities. Taxpayers or residents can sue to stop prohibited spending and recover legal fees if they win the case. The law aims to prevent public funds from being used to directly lobby the state legislature.
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Local Government
