State Budget & Other Priority Bills Press Release

Texas House Passes State Budget and Priority Bills on Property Tax Relief, Public Safety, and Government Accountability

Austin, TX – Over the past several weeks, the Texas House of Representatives has passed a series of major and
priority bills aimed at strengthening the state’s economic standing, improving public services, and ensuring
greater government accountability.

SB 1 & HB 500: Texas State Budget and Supplemental Appropriations Bill

Rep. Leo Wilson voted in favor.
• Total Budget: $337.4 billion (federal & state), including $153.6 billion in General Revenue.
• Property Tax Relief: $51 billion dedicated—15% of the entire budget.
• Public Education: $7.7 billion in targeted K-12 funding, $1 billion for school choice (SB 2), $450M for
teacher health insurance, and $400M for school safety upgrades (HB 124).
• Border Security: $6.5 billion allocated, with additional funds for troopers, correctional facilities, and law
enforcement pay.
• Health & Human Services: Increases wages for care attendants, expands mental health services, supports
maternal safety, and strengthens community-based foster care.
• Infrastructure: Includes $30B for roads, $2.5B for water infrastructure, $750M for nuclear energy
advancement (HB 14), and $400M for flood mitigation (HB 500).
• Disaster Preparedness: Over $1B for wildfire response and emergency readiness.
• Fiscal Discipline: Budget remains well below all spending limits, pays down pension liabilities to save
taxpayers $11.2B long-term.

SB 14 (HB 10) – Texas DOGE

Rep. Leo Wilson voted in favor and is a co-sponsor.
• Creates the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office to modernize and streamline outdated regulations.
• Requires proposed rules to be written in plain language with public access to a searchable database.
• Strengthens legislative and judicial oversight of rulemaking processes.

HB 12 – Sunset Review Modernization

Rep. Leo Wilson voted in favor.
• Improves public participation in the Sunset review process.
• Introduces midcycle reviews to identify excessive regulations.
• Establishes third-party efficiency audits to root out waste and improve agency performance.

HB 9 & HJR 1 – Small Business Property Tax Relief

Rep. Leo Wilson voted in favor and is a co-author.
• Raises personal property tax exemption from $2,500 to $250,000.
• Provides substantial tax relief for small and medium businesses.

• Reduces paperwork and compliance burdens by simplifying reporting requirements.

HJR 4 – Ban on Securities Transaction Tax

Rep. Leo Wilson voted in favor.
• Constitutional amendment to prohibit taxes on stock or bond transactions.
• Protects 401(k)s, pensions, and mutual funds from higher trading costs.
• Ensures Texas remains a pro-business, pro-investment environment.

HB 22 – Ending Intangible Personal Property Tax

Rep. Leo Wilson voted in favor.
• Eliminates the property tax on assets like stocks, trademarks, patents, and copyrights.
• Encourages business development and capital investment in Texas.

HB 13 – Texas Interoperability Council

Rep. Leo Wilson voted no.
• While supportive of the intent to improve emergency communications, Rep. Leo Wilson raised concerns
about the lack of transparency and safeguards in the Council’s authority. Additionally, she would have
wanted the council to be subject to review by the Sunset Commission.
• The bill establishes a statewide plan for emergency communication upgrades and training following
challenges exposed during the 2024 Panhandle wildfires.

HB 143 – Electrical Safety at Oil & Gas Sites

Rep. Leo Wilson voted in favor.
• Codifies emergency response coordination between the Railroad Commission and the Public Utility
Commission.
• Improves public safety by addressing dangerous electrical conditions at oil and gas sites.

HB 748 – Trey’s Law

Rep. Leo Wilson voted in favor and is a co-author.
• Voids any nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) that prevent victims from reporting acts of sexual abuse.
• Inspired by the story of Trey Carlock, the law seeks to protect survivors and prevent further abuse by
ending secrecy provisions that shield perpetrators.
“These wins for Texas reflect our focus on practical, people-centered solutions,” said Rep. Leo Wilson. “We’re
keeping government accountable, protecting individual rights, and setting up our communities and economy for
long-term success.”