UPDATED September 29.

Texans are a step closer to real property tax relief, as legislation to buy down local school taxes with state surpluses finally saw its first action in the Texas House this week.

On Monday, House Speaker Dade Phelan sent the first batch of bills filed in the ongoing third special session to committees, where they must receive public hearings before advancing.

The bills include three measures to lower all Texans’ property tax bills by using excess money in the state budget to replace local school maintenance and operations (M&O) taxes, reducing the tax burden on property owners:

All three bills were referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. The committee chairman, State Rep. Morgan Meyer (R–Dallas), scheduled a public hearing on SB 1 and HB 90 for Thursday, September 30. Texans can testify on the bills in person or submit comments online.

Both Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Speaker Phelan named property tax relief as a priority for the ongoing third special legislative session, and Gov. Greg Abbott added it to his special session agenda last week.

Three weeks remain the current session for lawmakers to deliver tax relief to Texans.

Erin Anderson

Erin Anderson is a Senior Journalist for Texas Scorecard, reporting on state and local issues, events, and government actions that impact people in communities throughout Texas and the DFW Metroplex. A native Texan, Erin grew up in the Houston area and now lives in Collin County.

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