HB 5444

voters said no, so school boards can’t go around them

Companion SB 1502 became law

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the authority of the governing body of a school district to adopt an ad valorem tax rate that exceeds the district's voter-approval tax rate.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Closes the Subsection (e) path after a failed tax election.

The bill blocks a school board from using a separate path in Subsection (e) of the Tax Code's school tax rules to adopt a rate above its voter-approval rate in a year when voters already rejected the board's higher rate at an election. It touches school district boards and the property owners and voters in those districts. Once voters vote down a tax rate increase, the board cannot turn around that same tax year and adopt a rate under Subsection (e), starting with tax years that begin on or after January 1, 2026.

Labels

Labels: BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R SB 1251 by Sen. Bettencourt (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB5444 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Rep. Ellen TroxclairRHouse 19

ITEM

relating to the authority of the governing body of a school district to adopt an ad valorem tax rate that exceeds the district's voter-approval tax rate.

WHAT IT DOES

Closes the Subsection (e) path after a failed tax election.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 20, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Mar 14, 2025Filed
Apr 7, 2025Read first time
Apr 7, 2025Referred to Ways & Means
Apr 21, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 21, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 21, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 21, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 24, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 24, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Apr 30, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 30, 2025Committee report distributed
May 1, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 6, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 8, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 9, 2025Companion considered in lieu of SB 1502
May 9, 2025Laid on the table subject to call

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Ellen Troxclair

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$100K Texans for Lawsuit Reform PC$10K Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$5K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 29, 2024 to Oct 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$100,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 14, 2025 to Feb 3, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101031227, 101040659.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PC$10,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PC

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Oct 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101072162.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$5,083.34

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$5,083.34

Cash: $5,000.00
Paid by others: $83.34
Total: $5,083.34

advertising $83.34

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Sep 25, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100982032, 101031227, 101072162.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 14, 2025 to Feb 3, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101031227, 101040659.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PC

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Oct 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101072162.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$5,083.34

Cash: $5,000.00
Paid by others: $83.34
Total: $5,083.34

advertising $83.34

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Sep 25, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100982032, 101031227, 101072162.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses5

For: 4
Against: 1
On: 0

Names

For

Self; Americans for prosperity1 registration
Self; The LIBRE Initiative1 registration
Texas Public Policy Foundation1 registration
Texas Taxpayers and Research Association - (TTARA)1 registration

Against

Self1 registration

Sources

5 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 20, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R SB 1251

by Sen. Bettencourt, different lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, May 10, 2023: Referred to Ways & Means

Relating to the authority of the governing body of a school district to adopt an ad valorem tax rate that exceeds the district's voter-approval tax rate.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 14, 2025

05/09/2025 H Laid on the table subject to call

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Ways & Means · Committee vote 13 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Companion

SB 1502 by Bettencourt (identical)

Subjects

Disaster Preparedness & Relief

Education--Primary & Secondary--Finance

Education--School Districts

Taxation--Property-Assessment & Collection

Taxation--Property-Tax Rate

Taxation--School District

Text

The text as introduced · 187 words

89R10467 TJB-D

By: Troxclair
H.B. No. 5444

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the authority of the governing body of a school district

to adopt an ad valorem tax rate that exceeds the district's

voter-approval tax rate.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 26.042, Tax Code, is amended by adding

Subsection (e-1) to read as follows:

(e-1) The governing body of a school district may not adopt

a tax rate under Subsection (e) for a tax year in which:

(1) the governing body previously adopted a tax rate

that exceeded the district's voter-approval tax rate;

(2) an election was held under Section 26.08 for the

purpose of determining whether to approve the district's adopted

tax rate; and

(3) the proposition to approve the district's adopted

tax rate was not approved by the voters of the district at the

election.

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to an

ad valorem tax year that begins on or after the effective date of

this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026.