The Texas Senate Finance Committee will meet Sept. 2 to examine a proposal to lower the eligibility age for the state’s senior homestead tax benefits from 65 to 55, beginning formal legislative consideration of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s “Operation Double Nickel” ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
The proposal would extend the school district tax ceiling currently available to homeowners 65 and older to Texans in their late 50s and early 60s. According to the committee’s interim charge, the change would “freeze home values 10 years sooner for over 3 million homeowners.” Because the age threshold is established in the Texas Constitution, any change would require legislative approval and voter ratification through a constitutional amendment.
Under current law, homeowners who turn 65 qualify for an additional school district homestead exemption and a tax ceiling that freezes the amount of school property taxes owed on their residence. In 2025, lawmakers approved Senate Bill 4, which increased the general homestead exemption to $140,000 and the senior exemption to $150,000. Voters approved those changes through a constitutional amendment in November 2025.
Patrick’s proposal would lower the tax ceiling eligibility age to 55 while increasing the general homestead exemption by an additional $40,000. He has said the plan would benefit nearly 3.3 million homeowners.
“If you’re 48 or 51, I can get my value frozen in five or six years instead of 16 years,” Patrick said when announcing the proposal. “That’s a big deal.”
The proposal comes as Texas Republicans continue to pursue additional property tax relief. Delegates at the 2026 Texas Republican Party convention adopted the elimination of property taxes as a legislative priority, while Gov. Greg Abbott has proposed a constitutional amendment to eliminate school property taxes on homesteads.
The Finance Committee’s interim charge directs lawmakers to examine the fiscal effects of expanding the tax ceiling, including how the state would offset reduced local school tax revenue if more homeowners become eligible.
The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Sept. 2 in the Senate Finance Committee room at the Texas Capitol. The committee will hear invited testimony and public comments, with public testimony limited to two minutes per speaker.
Any proposal to lower the eligibility age would need approval by the Legislature during the 2027 session before being submitted to Texas voters for final approval.