Monitoring the Session

SB 2537

bill lowering the floor on compressed school tax rates

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Paul BettencourtRSenate 7

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 limitation on the maximum compressed tax rate of a school district.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

From 90 percent to 85 percent of another district’s rate.

The bill changes the floor on how low one school district's maximum compressed tax rate can fall compared with other districts, lowering it from 90 percent to 85 percent of another district's rate. It touches school districts whose compressed rates would otherwise fall far below other districts' rates, and the taxpayers in those districts. On the ground, those districts' maximum compressed rates can drop further before the floor kicks in, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R SB 4 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.DO-OVER. Reworked text of a bill filed before that died: 88R SB 4 (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.QUICK READ: 120 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 120 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 13, 2025 and referred to the Senate Finance committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2537 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Sen. Paul BettencourtRSenate 7

ITEM

relating to the limitation on the maximum compressed tax rate of a school district.

WHAT IT DOES

From 90 percent to 85 percent of another district’s rate.

The bill changes the floor on how low one school district's maximum compressed tax rate can fall compared with other districts, lowering it from 90 percent to 85 percent of another district's rate. It touches school districts whose compressed rates would otherwise fall far below other districts' rates, and the taxpayers in those districts. On the ground, those districts' maximum compressed rates can drop further before the floor kicks in, starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Finance
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Paul Bettencourt

Donors

Donors report through Friends of Paul Bettencourt.

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 27, 2024 to Jun 30, 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.

Money

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

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.

FILED BEFORE

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

88R SB 4

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

Introduced text

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

Relating to the maximum compressed tax rate of a school district.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Mar 13, 2025

04/03/2025 S Referred to Finance

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

Senate committee · Finance · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Education--Primary & Secondary--Finance

Taxation--Property-Appraisals & Appraisal Districts

Taxation--Property-Tax Rate

Taxation--School District

Text

The text as introduced · 120 words

89R14864 AMF-D

By: Bettencourt
S.B. No. 2537

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the limitation on the maximum compressed tax rate of a

school district.

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

SECTION 1. Section 48.2552(b), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(b) If a school district's maximum compressed rate as

calculated under Section 48.2551(b) would be less than 85 [ 90 ]

percent of another school district's maximum compressed rate, the

district's maximum compressed rate is the value at which the

district's maximum compressed rate would be equal to 85 [ 90 ]

percent of the other district's maximum compressed rate.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.