The 88th Texas Legislature recently concluded its regular session, and once again, Texas REALTORS® played a monumental role in advocating for private property rights and consumers throughout the state. From the moment bills started being filed in the House of Representatives and Senate in November, our dedicated volunteers and staff have been working tirelessly.
Throughout the legislative session, Texas REALTORS® diligently reviewed a staggering number of bills, totaling 8,153, to identify their relevance to industry-related concerns. Out of these, Texas REALTORS® closely monitored 2,224 bills as they progressed through the legislative process, actively supporting 283 bills and opposing 147 others.
It's not over yet, the first of likely multiple special legislative sessions is currently underway with property tax relief taking center stage.
Here are some of the REALTOR®-supported bills the Legislature passed during the regular session:
HB 5 will create a means for companies to receive property tax relief in exchange for providing jobs and other economic boons to their communities.
SB 28 and HB 9 will create funds to develop the state’s water and broadband infrastructure, respectively. Each of those bills have accompanying constitutional amendments that will need to be approved by Texas voters in November.
HB 14 is major housing affordability legislation that will reduce unnecessary delays caused by bureaucratic backlogs and red tape. The bill will allow approved third parties (including any licensed engineer) to review builders’ development permits and inspections if local authorities fail to review and make decisions on those applications within two weeks.
HB 19 creates a business specialty court to streamline resolutions of business disputes. This bill would strengthen Texas' reputation as the best state in which to conduct business and give businesses confidence in Texas’ legal system by ensuring the court is staffed by qualified and skilled judges. For REALTORS®, the creation of this court would create peace of mind in case deals go awry.
HB 1193 will stop property owners’ associations from prohibiting homeowners from accepting housing vouchers as a form of payment.
SB 1577 will modernize the statute governing the Texas Real Estate Commission and the Texas Real Estate Research Center at Texas A&M University, bringing them into the 21st century and setting them on the path to success.
SB 1668 will continue the work the Texas Legislature did in 2021 to make homeowners associations more transparent and accountable to the property owners they serve. The bill proposes extending components of the 2021 law to also cover condo owners’ associations. The legislation now awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature.
SB 1916 will increase property owner awareness of whether their property is located in a PID by disclosing that information on the central appraisal district websites.
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