The New Year brings new laws to Texas. There are two dozen new laws that go into effect Jan. 1 — they range from bingo regulations to property taxes.
On New Year's Day, two dozen bills went into effect that were passed by the 86th Legislature in 2019. In addition to those bills, there were 14 other bills with sections going into effect on Jan. 1.
The new laws were passed during the 86th legislative session in 2019. Three in particular touch on property taxes and mortgages, including Senate Bill 2060. It requires appraisal district officials to provide explanations of exemptions someone may be eligible for when they receive their appraisal notice.
Alex Doubet, founder of the real estate tech start up Door, told NBC 5 there ways to save money on property taxes and they can be easily missed.
“Depending on if you fall into one of several categories, you really should keep in mind that you could potentially save thousands of dollars every year if you get one of those exemptions in place. The most common one is just going to be what’s called a homeowner’s tax exemption,” Doubet explained. “Another common one is if you’re over 65 years of age. You can get a senior tax exemption where they’ll freeze your taxes at that level so it saves you a lot of money in the pursuing years.”
House Bill 1313, which also take effect Wednesday, applies to homeowners who successfully protest their home value.
“If your house is a $100,000 house and the county comes to you and says this year, your house is worth $105,000 – you can actually go down to the county and say whoa, whoa, whoa Mr. County that’s not correct. It’s actually 102, or $100,000 or whatever that number is,” Doubet said. “What this new law did was they put in a place a new rule where the county appraisal district – if you negotiate with them for a lower rate, they can’t raise your tax value next year without really good compelling evidence as to why they should be able to do that.”
House Bill 1885 touches on late mortgage payments.
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“A really common way people pay their homeowner's tax to the county is they'll have their payments escrowed through a mortgage company. Most people have a mortgage - generally, your mortgage company will escrow those payments or hold them on your behalf and then pay them to the county,” Doubet said.
Generally, he told NBC 5 a homeowner could still be liable for interests and penalties if the bank, for example, doesn’t pay on time. The new law says in some cases, penalties can be waved.
“It just isn't fair if someone is supposed to pay for you and doesn't pay for you, it doesn't make sense for you to be on the hook to pay a fine,” Doubet said. “I think the reality is, it’s getting really expensive for a property tax perspective for homeowners. It’s kind of a double edge sword – your house is worth a lot of more. That’s why property taxes are going up, that’s why you’re paying a lot more in property tax. On the other hand – your home equity may be going up, but it’s not like that’s cash.”
A full listing of the bills is below.
HB 69 Author: Minjarez | Rodriguez | Bailes | Collier
Sponsor: Zaffirini
Last Action: 06/15/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the right to vacate and avoid liability under a residential lease after a tenant's death.
HB 831 Author: Huberty
Sponsor: Huffman
Last Action: 06/14/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the residency requirement to be eligible for public office.
HB 918 Author: White | Davis, Yvonne | Sherman, Sr.
Sponsor: Johnson
Last Action: 06/02/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to providing discharged or released inmates with certain documents, including documents to assist the inmate in obtaining employment.
HB 1002 Author: Collier
Sponsor: West
Last Action: 06/04/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the term of a parking permit issued to a residential tenant by a landlord.
HB 1254 Author: Murphy
Sponsor: Hancock
Last Action: 05/07/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the eligibility of land secured by a home equity loan to be designated for agricultural use for ad valorem tax purposes.
HB 1313 Author: King, Phil
Sponsor: Birdwell
Last Action: 06/14/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to ad valorem taxation.
HB 1526 Author: Bell, Cecil
Sponsor: Paxton
Last Action: 06/02/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the treatment of a nursery stock weather protection unit as an implement of husbandry for ad valorem tax purposes.
HB 1607 Author: Goldman | Geren | Price | Turner, Chris | Miller
Sponsor: Taylor
Last Action: 06/14/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to a deduction under the franchise tax for certain contracts with the federal government.
HB 1815 Author: Sanford
Sponsor: Fallon
Last Action: 06/10/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the deadline for filing an application for an allocation of the value of certain property for ad valorem tax purposes.
HB 1885 Author: Bonnen, Greg | Guillen
Sponsor: Zaffirini
Last Action: 06/07/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the waiver of penalties and interest if an error by a mortgagee results in failure to pay an ad valorem tax.
HB 2441 Author: Wray | Guillen
Sponsor: Paxton
Last Action: 06/05/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the entitlement of a person who is disabled and elderly to receive a disabled residence homestead exemption from ad valorem taxation from one taxing unit and an elderly exemption from another taxing unit.
HB 2604 Author: Sanford
Sponsor: Paxton
Last Action: 06/10/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the number of emissions inspections performed by certain vehicle inspection stations.
HB 2726 Author: Kuempel
Sponsor: Creighton
Last Action: 06/14/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the commencement of construction of a project following the issuance of a draft permit for a permit amendment to an air quality permit.
HB 3496 Author: Sheffield
Sponsor: Creighton
Last Action: 06/10/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the licensing and regulation of certain pharmacies; providing an administrative penalty.
HB 4730 Author: Moody
Sponsor: Rodríguez
Last Action: 06/14/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the creation of the City of El Paso Municipal Management District No. 1; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, or taxes.
SB 195 Author: Perry
Sponsor: Parker
Last Action: 06/04/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to collecting and reporting by the Department of Family and Protective Services and the Health and Human Services Commission of certain information relating to certain alcohol and controlled substance use and treatment.
SB 346 Author: Zaffirini
Sponsor: Leach | Collier | White | Thompson, Senfronia
Last Action: 06/15/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the consolidation, allocation, classification, and repeal of certain criminal court costs and other court-related costs, fines, and fees; imposing certain court costs and fees and increasing and decreasing the amounts of certain other court costs and fees.
SB 579 Author: Hughes
Sponsor: VanDeaver
Last Action: 05/31/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the exemption from ad valorem taxation of certain property owned by the TexAmericas Center.
SB 943 Author: Watson | Buckingham | Hinojosa | Rodríguez
Sponsor: Capriglione | Phelan | Canales | Wilson | Zerwas
Last Action: 06/14/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the disclosure of certain contracting information under the public information law.
SB 1337 Author: Huffman
Sponsor: Flynn
Last Action: 06/14/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to credit in, benefits from, and administration of the Texas Municipal Retirement System.
SB 1402 Author: Rodríguez
Sponsor: González, Mary
Last Action: 05/31/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to regulation by certain counties of lots in platted subdivisions that have remained undeveloped.
SB 2060 Author: Menéndez
Sponsor: Guillen
Last Action: 06/10/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the contents of a notice of appraised value sent to a property owner by the chief appraiser of an appraisal district.
SB 2296 Author: Powell
Sponsor: Vo | Cain
Last Action: 06/10/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to definition of a common paymaster.
SB 2531 Author: Creighton
Sponsor: Murphy
Last Action: 06/10/2019 E Effective on 1/1/20
Caption: Relating to the disposition of an ad valorem tax protest by means of an agreed order.
The following bills have sections which go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020
HB 3
Relating to public school finance and public education; creating a criminal offense; authorizing the imposition of a fee. This Act takes effect Sept. 1, 2019, except Article 2 and Sections 1.026, 1.029, and 5.010 take effect immediately; Sections 1.001, 1.010, 1.065, 1A.008, 3.053, 3.057, and 3.080 take effect Jan. 1, 2020; and Sections 1.004(b), 1.014, 1A.001-1A.007, and 2.011 take effect Sept. 1, 2020.
HB 492
Relating to a temporary exemption from ad valorem taxation of a portion of the appraised value of certain property damaged by a disaster. This Act takes effect Jan. 1, 2020, but only if HJR 34 is approved by the voters.
HB 914
Relating to the regulation of bingo games. This Act takes effect Jan. 1, 2020, except Sections 2001.502(c) and 2001.507(a) and (a-1), Occupations Code, as added or amended by this Act, take effect Sept. 1, 2019.
HB 1532
Relating to the regulation of certain health organizations certified by the Texas Medical Board; providing an administrative penalty; authorizing a fee. This Act takes effect Sept. 1, 2019, except Section 162.005(b), Occupations Code, as added by this Act, takes effect Jan. 1, 2020.
HB 1717
Relating to a person holding office as a municipal judge in more than one municipality at the same time. This Act takes effect Jan. 1, 2020, but only if HJR 72 is approved by the voters.
HB 2329
Relating to the dissolution of the North Montague County Water Supply District. This Act takes effect Sept. 1, 2019, except Section 2 takes effect Jan. 1, 2020.
HB 2859
Relating to the exemption from ad valorem taxation of precious metal held in a precious metal depository located in this state. This Act takes effect Jan. 1, 2020, but only if HJR 95 is approved by the voters.
HB 3522
Relating to assignment of certain death benefits payable by the Employees Retirement System of Texas. This Act takes effect Sept. 1, 2019, except Sections 1 and 2 take effect Jan. 1, 2020.
HB 4390
Relating to the privacy of personal identifying information and the creation of the Texas Privacy Protection Advisory Council. This Act takes effect Sept. 1, 2019, except Section 1 takes effect Jan. 1, 2020.
HB 4611
Relating to certain distributions to the available school fund. This Act takes effect Jan. 1, 2020, but only if HJR 151 is approved by the voters.
SB 2
Relating to ad valorem taxation; authorizing fees. This Act takes effect Jan. 1, 2020, except Sections 106 and 118 of this Act take effect August 26, 2019; Section 92 of this Act takes effect Sept. 1, 2019; Sections 6.41(b), (b-1), (b-2), (d-9), and (d-10), 6.414(d), 6.425, 41.44(d), 41.45(d), (d-1), (d-2), and (d-3), and 41.66(k) and (k-1), Tax Code, as added or amended by this Act, take effect Sept. 1, 2020; Sections 25.19(b-3) and (b-4), 26.04(d-1), (d-2), (d-3), (e-1), (e-5), and (g), and 26.05(e), Tax Code, as added or amended by this Act, take effect Jan. 1, 2021; and Sections 25.19(b) and (i), Tax Code, as amended by this Act, take effect Jan. 1, 2022.
SB 7
Relating to flood planning, mitigation, and infrastructure projects. This Act takes effect immediately; Article 2 takes effect Jan. 1, 2020, but only if HJR 4 is approved by the voters.
SB 26
Relating to the allocation to and use by the Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Historical Commission of certain proceeds from the imposition of state sales and use taxes on sporting goods. This Act takes effect Sept. 1, 2021, except Section 1 takes effect Jan. 1, 2020, but both take effect only if SJR 24 is approved by the voters.
SB 212
Relating to a reporting requirement for certain incidents of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking at certain public and private institutions of higher education; creating a criminal offense; authorizing administrative penalties. This Act takes effect Sept. 1, 2019, except Section 51.260, Education Code, as added by this Act, takes effect immediately and Section 51.255(a), Education Code, as added by this Act, takes effect Jan. 1, 2020.
There are still 28 additional bills that will go into effect between June 1, 2020 and Jan. 1 2024. The 87th Legislative session begins Jan. 12, 2021 and ends May 31, 2021.
