Vol. 2 – February 1st
This evening Governor Abbott will deliver his State of the State Address. In this speech he
can name emergency items making those issues the sole areas the legislature is allow to pass bills
on within the first 60 days of the session. Governor Abbott’s recent comments might hint at
funding protections for law enforcement and liability protections for businesses concerning
COVID-19 as emergency items on his agenda.
Passing a biennial budget is the only required action of every Texas Legislative session. Both
the House and Senate have proposed budgets just under $120 billion in general fund expenses for
the next two fiscal years. Although revenue projections are better than feared a shortfall will
still need to be addressed.
Additionally, once a decade they must also redraw legislative districts based on the latest
census data. Texas will be the biggest beneficiary of the 2020 census for new Congressional
Representatives, with an estimated four million new Texans or 16 percent growth over the past
decade. Census data normally available in April will not be available this year before August 1st
at the earliest, due to pandemic delays, meaning redistricting will have to be resolved during a
called special session.
Proposed Bills of Interest
Bills on the Move
None until committee activity begins.
New Bills
HB 188 Bernal, Diego(D) Relating to the prohibition of certain discrimination based on sexual
orientation or gender identity or expression; providing an administrative penalty.
HB 191 Bernal, Diego(D) Relating to the prohibition of housing discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation or gender identity or expression and to the enforcement of that prohibition.
HB 203 Bernal, Diego(D) Relating to a study of the impact, feasibility, and advisability of
adopting a property tax system in which the disclosure of the sales price of real property is
required by law.
HB 288 Stephenson, Phil(R) Relating to an exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school
district for maintenance and operations purposes of the total appraised value of a residence
homestead and the offsetting of the resulting revenue loss to school districts with state sales and use tax revenue.
HB 299 Vasut, Cody(F)(R) Relating to a limitation on increases in the appraised value of real
property for ad valorem tax purposes.
HB 469 Gonzalez, Jessica(D) Relating to the deferral or abatement of the collection of ad
valorem taxes on an appreciating residence homestead. (Refiled from 86R Session)
HB 535 Shine, Hugh(R) Relating to the rate at which interest accrues in connection with the
deferral or abatement of the collection of ad valorem taxes on the residence homestead of an
individual who is elderly or disabled or a disabled veteran.
HB 663 Cortez, Philip(D) Relating to the eligibility of certain at-risk developments to receive
low income housing tax credits.
HB 738 Paul, Dennis(R) Relating to the residential building codes of municipalities.
HB 746 Bernal, Diego(D) Relating to installment payments of ad valorem taxes imposed
on certain homesteads.
HB 901 Burns, DeWayne(R) Relating to the acquisition of real property by an entity with
eminent domain authority.
HB 902 Burns, DeWayne(R) Relating to the acquisition of real property by an entity with
eminent domain authority.
HB 947 Sherman, Carl(D) Relating to the electronic filing with and the recording by county
clerks of records conveying title to or an interest in real property.
HB 948 Sherman, Carl(D) Relating to the authentication and recording of instruments
conveying real property.
HB 949 Sherman, Carl(D) Relating to the electronic filing with and the recording by county
clerks of records conveying or purporting to convey title to or an interest in real property.
HB 990 Shine, Hugh(R) Relating to the repeal of the penalty on a delinquent ad valorem tax on a residence homestead.
HB 991 Shine, Hugh(R) Relating to the authority of the owner of a residence homestead to
receive a discount for making an early payment of the ad valorem taxes on the homestead.
HB 992 Shine, Hugh(R) Relating to installment payments of ad valorem taxes imposed on
residence homesteads.
HB 1053 Bell, Cecil(R) Relating to a limitation on increases in the appraised value of real
property for ad valorem tax purposes. Companions: HB 878 Bell, Cecil(R) (Refiled from 86R
Session) SB 1086 Seliger, Kel(R) (Refiled from 86R Session)
HB 1059 Stephenson, Phil(R) Relating to a seller’s disclosure of the location of certain real
property in a floodplain.
HB 1090 Bailes, Ernest(R) Relating to the appraisal for ad valorem tax purposes of property
that was erroneously omitted from an appraisal roll in a previous year.
HB 1101 Beckley, Michelle(D) Relating to mandatory sales price disclosure in real property
sales. (Refiled from 86R Session)
HB 1110 Johnson, Julie(D) Relating to payment of the replacement cost of damaged property under a residential property insurance policy.
HB 1129 Lopez, Ray(D) Relating to false, misleading, or deceptive advertising made in
connection with a reverse mortgage loan agreement.
HB 1153 Vo, Hubert(D) Relating to the applicability of the Texas Fair Housing Act to certain
sales and rentals.
HB 1202 Jetton, Jacey (F)(R) Relating to the amendment of a dedicatory instrument to remove a discriminatory provision.
HB 1258 Ashby, Trent (R) Relating to data matching with financial institutions to facilitate the
collection of certain delinquent tax liabilities.
HB 1395 Middleton, Mayes(R) Relating to ad valorem taxation.
HB 1469 Hefner, Cole(R) Relating to the appraisal of land for ad valorem tax purposes as
qualified open-space land following a transfer between family members.
HB 1470 Rodriguez, Eddie(D) Relating to the prohibition of housing discrimination on the
basis of a person’s source of income and to the enforcement of that prohibition.
HJR 43 Wilson, Terry(R) Proposing a constitutional amendment providing that a residence
homestead is not subject to seizure or sale for delinquent ad valorem taxes.
HJR 61 Bell, Cecil(R) Proposing a constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to limit the maximum appraised value of real property for ad valorem tax purposes. (Companion SJR 26) (Refiled from 86R Session)
SB 109 West, Royce(D) Relating to the criminal offense of fraudulent securing of document
execution.
SB 222 Hughes, Bryan(R) Relating to the removal of certain discriminatory restrictions and
provisions from certain real property records.
SB 233 Whitmire, John(D) Relating to the prohibition of certain discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or expression; providing an administrative penalty.
SB 265 West, Royce(D) Relating to the prohibition of housing discrimination on the basis of a
person’s source of income and to the enforcement of that prohibition.
SB 300 Hinojosa, Chuy(D) Relating to eligibility for the exemption from ad valorem taxation of the residence homestead of the surviving spouse of certain first responders.
SB 344 Paxton, Angela(R) Relating to the use of electronic signatures that employ blockchain or distributed ledger technology in certain business or governmental transactions.
SB 359 Miles, Borris(D) Relating to provision of a verified accounting for actions involving
foreclosure of a lien on residential real property or recovery on a consumer credit account.
SB 360 Miles, Borris(D) Relating to the release of a deed of trust or other contract lien securing a home loan after direct payoff by mortgagor.
SB 361 Miles, Borris(D) Relating to the continuation of a limitation on increases in the
appraised value of a residence homestead for ad valorem tax purposes if the property is acquired.
SB 362 Miles, Borris(D) Relating to the satisfaction of a reverse mortgage loan after the death of the last surviving borrower.
SB 363 Miles, Borris(D) Relating to prohibiting daily simple interest home loans.
SB 461 Kolkhorst, Lois(R) Relating to a seller’s disclosure of the location of certain real property in a floodplain.
SJR 23 Paxton, Angela(R) Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for a credit against the ad valorem taxes imposed on the property of certain businesses that are required to close by an order, proclamation, or other instrument issued by a state or local official as a result of a disaster.
SJR 26 Miles, Borris(D) Proposing a constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to limit the maximum appraised value of real property for ad valorem tax purposes. (Companion
HJR 61) (Refiled from 86R Session)
Previous Reported Bills
HB 216 Ortega, Lina (D) / SB 43 Zaffirini, Judith (D) Relating to residential mortgage loans, including the financing of residential real estate purchases by means of a wrap mortgage loan.
(Refiled from 86R and 85R Sessions)
Read the text of any of these bills you can go to Texas Legislature Online.