Monitoring the Session

HB 5486

one more way to mail a notice to vacate

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Steve TothRHouse 15

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 provision of written notice to vacate real property.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Any common carrier with evidence of mailing.

The bill adds one more way a landlord can mail a notice to vacate before starting an eviction: any mailing method where a common carrier gives evidence of mailing. It touches landlords and tenants in Texas eviction cases. Starting September 1, 2025, a landlord can send the notice to the premises by a carrier method with proof of mailing, alongside regular, registered, or certified mail.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 14, 2025 and referred to the House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB5486 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Rep. Steve TothRHouse 15

ITEM

relating to the provision of written notice to vacate real property.

WHAT IT DOES

Any common carrier with evidence of mailing.

The bill adds one more way a landlord can mail a notice to vacate before starting an eviction: any mailing method where a common carrier gives evidence of mailing. It touches landlords and tenants in Texas eviction cases. Starting September 1, 2025, a landlord can send the notice to the premises by a carrier method with proof of mailing, alongside regular, registered, or certified mail.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Steve Toth

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$33KMichael Till$20,000Don Dyer$10,000

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 · Jul 1, 2024 to Mar 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$32,500.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$32,500.00

Cash
$32,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$32,500.00

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 10, 2024 to Jun 27, 2025. 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: 101005773, 101012329.

Michael Till$20,000.00
Don Dyer$10,000.00
Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$32,500.00

Cash
$32,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$32,500.00

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 10, 2024 to Jun 27, 2025. 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: 101005773, 101012329.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

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

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 14, 2025

04/07/2025 H Referred to Trade, Workforce & Economic Development: Apr 7 2025 5:28PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

House committee · Trade, Workforce & Economic Development · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Common Carriers

Property Interests--Landlord & Tenant

Text

The text as introduced · 237 words

89R9286 JBD-D

By: Toth
H.B. No. 5486

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the provision of written notice to vacate real

property.

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

SECTION 1. Section 24.005(f), Property Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(f) Except as provided by Subsection (f-1), the notice to

vacate shall be given in person or by mail at the premises in

question. Notice in person may be by personal delivery to the

tenant or any person residing at the premises who is 16 years of age

or older or personal delivery to the premises and affixing the

notice to the inside of the main entry door. Notice by mail may be by

regular mail, by registered mail, [ or ] by certified mail, return

receipt requested, or by any method of mailing for which evidence of

mailing is provided by a common carrier to the premises in question.

SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act to Section

24.005, Property Code, apply only to a notice to vacate given on or

after the effective date of this Act. A notice to vacate given

before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it

existed immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that

law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.