Monitoring the Session

HB 5596

bill changing the tax rate formula for coastal cities

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Terri Leo WilsonRHouse 23

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 calculation of the voter-approval tax rate for certain municipalities that receive municipal hotel occupancy tax revenue.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Only for an “eligible coastal municipality” with a park board of trustees.

The bill changes the formula for the highest property tax rate a city can adopt without voter approval, but only for an "eligible coastal municipality," meaning a city covered by a cross-referenced hotel-tax definition that has also created a park board of trustees. If that city kept hotel occupancy tax money it should have passed to its park board, and spent it on something else, that amount is converted into a tax rate and subtracted from the city's voter-approval rate. The result is that such a city's tax ceiling drops by the amount of misdirected hotel tax money, starting with tax years that begin on or after January 1, 2026.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 16, 2025. Died in the Senate: voted out of the Economic Development committee 3-2, no floor vote.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB5596 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

ITEM

relating to the calculation of the voter-approval tax rate for certain municipalities that receive municipal hotel occupancy tax revenue.

WHAT IT DOES

Only for an “eligible coastal municipality” with a park board of trustees.

The bill changes the formula for the highest property tax rate a city can adopt without voter approval, but only for an "eligible coastal municipality," meaning a city covered by a cross-referenced hotel-tax definition that has also created a park board of trustees. If that city kept hotel occupancy tax money it should have passed to its park board, and spent it on something else, that amount is converted into a tax rate and subtracted from the city's voter-approval rate. The result is that such a city's tax ceiling drops by the amount of misdirected hotel tax money, starting with tax years that begin on or after January 1, 2026.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · May 22, 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

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Ways & Means
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Committee substitute considered in committee
  7. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in formal meeting
  10. Committee substitute considered in committee
  11. Reported favorably as substituted
  12. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  13. Committee report distributed
  14. Committee report sent to Calendars
  15. Considered in Calendars
  16. Placed on General State Calendar
  17. Read 2nd time
  18. Passed to engrossment
  19. Record vote RV#2771
  20. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  21. Read 3rd time
  22. Passed
  23. Record vote RV#2875
  24. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  25. Reported engrossed
  26. Received from the House
  27. Read first time
  28. Referred to Economic Development
  29. Posting rule suspended
  30. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  31. Considered in public hearing
  32. Vote taken in committee
  33. Reported favorably as substituted
  34. Committee report printed and distributed
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 73 yea · 48 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 16, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Donors

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 28, 2024 to Oct 23, 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$525,040.28

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$525,040.28

Cash
$65,000.00
Paid by others
$460,040.28
Total
$525,040.28
advertising $253,649.00mail $170,891.28polling $35,500.00

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 · Jun 27, 2025 to Aug 23, 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: 100994567, 101011936, 101042004, 101042009, 101070547.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$50,000.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$50,000.00

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$50,000.00
Total
$50,000.00
canvassing $50,000.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Feb 20, 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: 101042009.

Dustin Burrows Campaign$45,000.00

Dustin Burrows Campaign

$45,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$10,000.00
Total
$45,000.00
polling $10,000.00

Also funds 39 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 13, 2025 to Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 31, 2025 to Feb 24, 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: 101011936, 101028233, 101042004.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$525,040.28

Cash
$65,000.00
Paid by others
$460,040.28
Total
$525,040.28
advertising $253,649.00mail $170,891.28polling $35,500.00

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 · Jun 27, 2025 to Aug 23, 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: 100994567, 101011936, 101042004, 101042009, 101070547.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$50,000.00

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$50,000.00
Total
$50,000.00
canvassing $50,000.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Feb 20, 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: 101042009.

×

Dustin Burrows Campaign

$45,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$10,000.00
Total
$45,000.00
polling $10,000.00

Also funds 39 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 13, 2025 to Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 31, 2025 to Feb 24, 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: 101011936, 101028233, 101042004.

Votes2

House May 16, 2025

Yea
73
Nay
48
Present, not voting
2
Absent
5
Excused
22
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 2875

HB 5596 was passed by (Record 2875): 73 Yeas, 48 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 73 (published)
  • Nay: 48 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 22 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House May 15, 2025

Yea
80
Nay
39
Present, not voting
1
Absent
25
Excused
5
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 2771

CSHB 5596 was passed to engrossment by (Record 2771): 80 Yeas, 39 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 80 (published)
  • Nay: 39 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 25 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 5 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses8
For
4
Against
0
On
4
Names

For

  • Galveston Park Board of Trustees2 registrations
  • Self1 registration
  • Texas Travel Alliance1 registration

On

  • City of Galveston1 registration
  • Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts3 registrations
Sources

8 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 fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · May 22, 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.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 14, 2025

05/22/2025 S Committee report printed and distributed: May 22 2025 10:30PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed · Senate Committee Report

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

Sponsors

House committee · Ways & Means · Committee vote 12 aye, 1 nay · Out of committee

Senate committee · Economic Development · Committee vote 3 aye, 2 nay · Out of committee

Companion

SB 2532 by Middleton (identical)

Subjects

Coastal Affairs & Beaches

Taxation--City

Taxation--Hotel, Motel Occupancy

Taxation--Property-Assessment & Collection

Taxation--Property-Tax Rate

Text

The text as introduced · 1,177 words

89R15178 RDS-D

By: Leo Wilson
H.B. No. 5596

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the calculation of the voter-approval tax rate for

certain municipalities that receive municipal hotel occupancy tax

revenue.

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

SECTION 1. Section 26.012, Tax Code, is amended by adding

Subdivisions (9-a), (16-a), and (16-b) to read as follows:

(9-a) "Eligible coastal municipality" means a

municipality described by Section 351.001(3)(A) that has created a

park board of trustees under Section 306.011, Local Government

Code.

(16-a) "Misspent hotel occupancy tax revenue" means an

amount equal to the amount of revenue received under Chapter 351 by

an eligible coastal municipality during the preceding tax year

that:

(A) was not distributed to the municipality's

park board of trustees to be spent for a purpose authorized by

Chapter 351; and

(B) was spent by the municipality for any

purpose.

(16-b) "Misspent hotel occupancy tax revenue rate"

means the rate expressed in dollars per $100 of taxable value

calculated according to the following formula:

MISSPENT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX REVENUE RATE = MISSPENT

HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX REVENUE / CURRENT TOTAL VALUE

SECTION 2. Section 26.04(c), Tax Code, is amended to read as

follows:

(c) After the assessor for the taxing unit submits the

appraisal roll for the taxing unit to the governing body of the

taxing unit as required by Subsection (b), an officer or employee

designated by the governing body shall calculate the no-new-revenue

tax rate and the voter-approval tax rate for the taxing unit, where:

(1) "No-new-revenue tax rate" means a rate expressed

in dollars per $100 of taxable value calculated according to the

following formula:

NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE = (LAST YEAR'S LEVY - LOST

PROPERTY LEVY) / (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY

VALUE)

; and

(2) "Voter-approval tax rate" means a rate expressed

in dollars per $100 of taxable value calculated according to the

following applicable formula:

(A) for a special taxing unit:

VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE = (NO-NEW-REVENUE MAINTENANCE

AND OPERATIONS RATE x 1.08) + CURRENT DEBT RATE

; [ or ]

(B) for an eligible coastal municipality:

VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE = (NO-NEW-REVENUE MAINTENANCE

AND OPERATIONS RATE x 1.035) + (CURRENT DEBT RATE +

UNUSED INCREMENT RATE - MISSPENT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX

REVENUE RATE)

; or

(C) for a taxing unit other than a special taxing

unit or eligible coastal municipality :

VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE = (NO-NEW-REVENUE MAINTENANCE

AND OPERATIONS RATE x 1.035) + (CURRENT DEBT RATE +

UNUSED INCREMENT RATE)

SECTION 3. Sections 26.041(a), (b), and (c), Tax Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(a) In the first year in which an additional sales and use

tax is required to be collected, the no-new-revenue tax rate and

voter-approval tax rate for the taxing unit are calculated

according to the following formulas:

NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE = [(LAST YEAR'S LEVY - LOST

PROPERTY LEVY) / (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY

VALUE)] - SALES TAX GAIN RATE

and

VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE FOR SPECIAL TAXING UNIT =

(NO-NEW-REVENUE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE x

1.08) + (CURRENT DEBT RATE - SALES TAX GAIN RATE)

or

VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE FOR ELIGIBLE COASTAL

MUNICIPALITY = (NO-NEW-REVENUE MAINTENANCE AND

OPERATIONS RATE x 1.035) + (CURRENT DEBT RATE + UNUSED

INCREMENT RATE - SALES TAX GAIN RATE - MISSPENT HOTEL

OCCUPANCY TAX REVENUE RATE)

or

VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE FOR TAXING UNIT OTHER THAN

SPECIAL TAXING UNIT OR ELIGIBLE COASTAL MUNICIPALITY =

(NO-NEW-REVENUE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS RATE x

1.035) + (CURRENT DEBT RATE + UNUSED INCREMENT RATE -

SALES TAX GAIN RATE)

where "sales tax gain rate" means a number expressed in dollars per

$100 of taxable value, calculated by dividing the revenue that will

be generated by the additional sales and use tax in the following

year as calculated under Subsection (d) by the current total value.

(b) Except as provided by Subsections (a) and (c), in a year

in which a taxing unit imposes an additional sales and use tax, the

voter-approval tax rate for the taxing unit is calculated according

to the following formula, regardless of whether the taxing unit

levied a property tax in the preceding year:

VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE FOR SPECIAL TAXING UNIT =

[(LAST YEAR'S MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS EXPENSE x

1.08) / (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY VALUE)] +

(CURRENT DEBT RATE - SALES TAX REVENUE RATE)

or

VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE FOR ELIGIBLE COASTAL

MUNICIPALITY = [(LAST YEAR'S MAINTENANCE AND

OPERATIONS EXPENSE x 1.035) / (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE -

NEW PROPERTY VALUE)] + (CURRENT DEBT RATE + UNUSED

INCREMENT RATE - SALES TAX REVENUE RATE - MISSPENT

HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX REVENUE RATE)

or

VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE FOR TAXING UNIT OTHER THAN

SPECIAL TAXING UNIT OR ELIGIBLE COASTAL MUNICIPALITY =

[(LAST YEAR'S MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS EXPENSE x

1.035) / (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY VALUE)] +

(CURRENT DEBT RATE + UNUSED INCREMENT RATE - SALES TAX

REVENUE RATE)

where "last year's maintenance and operations expense" means the

amount spent for maintenance and operations from property tax and

additional sales and use tax revenues in the preceding year, and

"sales tax revenue rate" means a number expressed in dollars per

$100 of taxable value, calculated by dividing the revenue that will

be generated by the additional sales and use tax in the current year

as calculated under Subsection (d) by the current total value.

(c) In a year in which a taxing unit that has been imposing

an additional sales and use tax ceases to impose an additional sales

and use tax, the no-new-revenue tax rate and voter-approval tax

rate for the taxing unit are calculated according to the following

formulas:

NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE = [(LAST YEAR'S LEVY -

LOST PROPERTY LEVY) / (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW

PROPERTY VALUE)] + SALES TAX LOSS RATE

and

VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE FOR SPECIAL TAXING UNIT =

[(LAST YEAR'S MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS EXPENSE x

1.08) / (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY VALUE)] +

CURRENT DEBT RATE

or

VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE FOR ELIGIBLE COASTAL

MUNICIPALITY = [(LAST YEAR'S MAINTENANCE AND

OPERATIONS EXPENSE x 1.035) / (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE -

NEW PROPERTY VALUE)] + (CURRENT DEBT RATE + UNUSED

INCREMENT RATE - MISSPENT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX REVENUE

RATE)

or

VOTER-APPROVAL TAX RATE FOR TAXING UNIT OTHER THAN

SPECIAL TAXING UNIT OR ELIGIBLE COASTAL MUNICIPALITY =

[(LAST YEAR'S MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS EXPENSE x

1.035) / (CURRENT TOTAL VALUE - NEW PROPERTY VALUE)] +

(CURRENT DEBT RATE + UNUSED INCREMENT RATE)

where "sales tax loss rate" means a number expressed in dollars per

$100 of taxable value, calculated by dividing the amount of sales

and use tax revenue generated in the last four quarters for which

the information is available by the current total value and "last

year's maintenance and operations expense" means the amount spent

for maintenance and operations from property tax and additional

sales and use tax revenues in the preceding year.

SECTION 4. This Act applies only to ad valorem taxes imposed

for an ad valorem tax year that begins on or after the effective

date of this Act.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026.