Two House members filed a package of homestead property tax bills Nov. 12 that would freeze school taxes for long-time homeowners whose bills have more than doubled, give first-time buyers a one-time credit of up to $3,000, and change how appraisal districts value homes. Rep. Diego Bernal of San Antonio and Rep. Salman Bhojani of Euless filed the measures, three of which require voters to amend the Texas Constitution, according to Texas Legislature Online.
The proposals aim at two groups the current system treats differently: owners who have stayed in a home for years as values rose, and buyers entering the market for the first time. Both would cost school districts and other local governments revenue, which the bills address in different ways.
The largest piece, Bernal’s House Bill 1113 and House Joint Resolution 74, would cap school taxes for an owner who has held a homestead for at least 15 consecutive years if the school taxes in the 15th year are “at least 120 percent greater” than in the first, not counting taxes on improvements. In plain terms, once a long-time owner’s school tax bill has more than doubled over 15 years, the district could not charge more than that 15th-year amount. The cap could not be based on increases from any period that began before the 2012 tax year, according to the bill text.
The limit would carry over to a surviving spouse and could rise for new additions to the home, but not for repairs. The bill would also adjust the state’s school-funding calculations so districts are not treated as wealthier on value they cannot tax. It would take effect Jan. 1, 2028, only if voters approve the constitutional amendment.
Bhojani’s House Bill 1130 and House Joint Resolution 75 would give a one-time credit against property taxes in the first year after a person buys a home, if the buyer has never before claimed a homestead. The credit from each taxing unit would be the lesser of half that unit’s tax or that unit’s share of $3,000. The resolution would let the Legislature use state money to reimburse local governments for the lost revenue. HB 1130’s effective-date clause refers to an amendment proposed by the 90th Legislature “Regular Session, 2026,” though the session meets in 2027 — an apparent drafting error.
The package includes three more bills. Bernal’s House Bill 1106, with a companion resolution, would fully exempt the homestead of a parent, grandparent or guardian who provides unpaid care to a relative on a Medicaid waiting list for long-term home and community services. His House Bill 1104 would require appraisal districts in counties over 50,000 to value a homestead using only sales of other homesteads in the same neighborhood. His House Bill 1097 would let all homestead owners pay in installments in a county over 1.5 million where more than 70 percent of residents live in one city — a description that fits Bexar County. Today installment plans are limited to older, disabled and disabled-veteran owners.
The bills join other filed proposals to reduce property taxes, including measures to use surplus state revenue to lower school tax rates. Their costs are not yet known; fiscal notes are prepared after bills are referred to committee. Local governments and school districts typically object to new exemptions without state reimbursement, while homeowner advocates argue rising appraisals have outpaced incomes.
The constitutional amendments need a two-thirds vote in each chamber to reach the Nov. 2, 2027 ballot when the Legislature convenes Jan. 12, 2027.
Key facts
- HB 1113/HJR 74 (Bernal), filed Nov. 12, 2026: caps school taxes for 15-year homestead owners whose school taxes rose at least 120 percent (bill text).
- HB 1130/HJR 75 (Bhojani), filed Nov. 12: one-time first-home credit up to $3,000; state may reimburse local governments (bill and resolution text).
- HB 1106, HB 1104, HB 1097 (Bernal): caregiver homestead exemption, homestead-only comparable sales, broader installment payments in Bexar-sized counties (bill texts).
- Enabling bills take effect Jan. 1, 2028 only if voters approve the amendments (bill texts).