Northwest Austin Edition | April 2023

AT THE CAPITOL

News from the 88th legislative session

QUOTE OF NOTE

Texas Senate approves package for $16.5B in property tax relief

TAX RELIEF TRIO Three bills aimed at property tax relief have passed in the Texas Senate. Senate Bill 3 • Increases the portion of a home’s value that cannot be taxed from $40,000 to $70,000 • Increases exemption for people over age 65 and the disabled from $10,000 to $30,000 Senate Bill 4 • Cuts school property tax rates by $0.07 per $100 valuation • Has the state of Texas pay school districts at least $5.38 billion to make up for lost revenue Senate Bill 5 • Increases the portion of a business’ property that cannot be taxed from $2,500 to $25,000 • Provides businesses with a 20% tax credit for inventory and property Texas House, which crafted its own property tax relief package. If both chambers and the governor pass either package, Texas voters will decide the matter in November. ? WHAT’S NEXT? The bills were sent to the

NUMBER TO KNOW That is how many Texans were affected by the end of emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in March, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. 3.6M UPDATES FROM LOCAL LEGISLATORS SEN. SARAH ECKHARDT, D-AUSTIN, COMMENTING ON SENATE BILL 15, WHICH, IF PASSED, WOULD REQUIRE COLLEGE STUDENTS TO COMPETE ON SPORTS TEAMS BASED ON THEIR SEX ASSIGNED AT BIRTH “TRANS ATHLETES IN COLLEGIATE COMPETITIONS ARE RARE. WHEN THEY DO SEEK TO COMPETE, THE NCAA HAS ALREADY EXHIBITED AND WILL CONTINUE TO EXHIBIT THE EXPERTISE TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD ON A CASE- BY-CASE BASIS.” House Bill 1855 This bill would designate roads with high numbers of crashes as highway safety corridors with signs at each portion of the roadway indicating fines will be doubled for that section of road. The bill was reported favorably by no revisions April 12 and will go before the House for further consideration in the future. VIKKI GOODWIN District 47 • Democrat • Elected: 2019 CHARLES SCHWERTNER District 5 • Republican • Elected: 2012 Senate Bill 804 This bill would expand eligibility for student loan repayment assistance for mental health professionals who are board certified and either provide care to patients in a state hospital or those receiving services from a local mental health authority. The Subcommittee on Higher Education reported this bill favorably without amendments April 6 and the bill will return to the Senate floor for voting in the future. Sign up for our newsletter at communityimpact.com for daily updates throughout the session. SUBSCRIBE TODAY

BY HANNAH NORTON

bill would increase the portion of a home’s value that cannot be taxed from $40,000 to $70,000, which lawmakers have said would save the average homeowner $341 annually. SB 4, which is also by Bettencourt, would cut school property tax rates by $0.07 per $100 valuation. The bill states Texas would provide school districts with at least $5.38 billion to make up for the lost revenue. SB 5 was filed by Parker, a freshman senator. The bill is intended to save business owners money by increasing the business personal property tax exemption—or the portion of a busi- ness’ personal property that cannot be taxed—from $2,500 to $25,000. Business owners would also receive a 20% credit for the taxes they pay on inventory and property. Parker said the goal of SB 5 is to give money back to Texans. The bills have been sent to the Texas House.

$120M set for state internet expansion package, Senate Bill 3, would impact the state’s homestead exemption, which is a reduction in a portion of a home’s value for tax purposes. The In a unanimous vote, Texas senators passed a $16.5 billion property tax relief package on March 22. Cutting property taxes for home- owners and businesses has been listed as a top priority for Republicans this session, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott. The package aims to save Texans money on their property tax bills by increasing the state homestead exemption, cutting school district property tax rates and limiting how much businesses can be taxed for their personal property. Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, authored two of the bills alongside Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound. The first component of the

SOURCE: TEXAS LEGISLATURE ONLINE/ COMMUNITY IMPACT

TxDOT seeks input on statewide 2050 transportation plan

GETTING THE GRANT L​ocal governments, school districts and

internet service providers across Texas have until May 5 to apply to receive a portion of $120 million in grants to expand broadband service. April 3 May 5 After May 5 grant applications opened application window ends the Texas Broadband Development Office will post submitted applications online. Texans will have 30 days to challenge the eligibility of any applications before the office makes its final decisions.

BY HANNAH NORTON

BY HANNAH NORTON

The Texas Broadband Develop- ment Office will award $120 million in grants to governments, school districts and internet providers bringing broadband access to underserved communities, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said. Applications opened April 3 for the Bringing Online Opportunities to Texas program. Eligible projects must be designed to provide inter- net service that “reliably meets or exceeds” speeds of 100 megabits per second. The application will be open until May 5, at which point all eligible applications will be posted online for public review, according to Hegar’s office. The Broadband Development Office was formed in 2021 to create a broadband development plan and publish a map highlighting areas that are eligible for broadband expansion, among other initiatives.

The Texas Department of Transpor- tation is turning to local residents as it works on its long-range transportation plan, Connecting Texas 2050. Through May, Texans can attend open houses in their communities or access an online meeting room to share their ideas about the future of Texas transportation and provide input on department goals. According to TxDOT officials, Connecting Texas 2050 is aimed at making the state’s transportation system as safe, reliable and resilient as possible. The project is ongoing and will be updated every four years. In-person meetings will be held until May 4 in 13 of TxDOT’s 25 dis- tricts. TxDOT officials also said there is a plan to host a statewide public hearing early next year, before the plan is adopted in summer 2024. For more information, visit www.txdot.gov.

For more information and to access the application form, scan the QR code:

SOURCES: OFFICE OF THE TEXAS COMPTROLLER, TEXAS BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT OFFICE/COMMUNITY IMPACT

“This infrastructure is the interstate highway system of this century, and ensuring Texans have access to reliable, high-speed inter- net is critical for Texas’ continued economic growth and prosperity,” Hegar said in the release.

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NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • MAY 2023

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