Monitoring the Session

SB 321

bill to cut the homestead appraisal cap to 5 percent

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Lois KolkhorstRSenate 18

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 increases in the appraised value of a residence homestead for ad valorem taxation.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

10 percent becomes 5, if voters say yes. If not, nothing changes.

The bill cuts the yearly cap on how much a homestead's taxable appraised value can rise from 10 percent to 5 percent, plus the value of new improvements. It touches every Texas homeowner with a residence homestead exemption and every appraisal office that values those homes. If voters approve a matching constitutional amendment, the lower cap applies starting with the 2026 tax year; if they reject it, nothing changes.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R SB 152 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R SB 152 (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.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 12, 2024 and referred to the Senate Local Government committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB321 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

ITEM

relating to the limitation on increases in the appraised value of a residence homestead for ad valorem taxation.

WHAT IT DOES

10 percent becomes 5, if voters say yes. If not, nothing changes.

The bill cuts the yearly cap on how much a homestead's taxable appraised value can rise from 10 percent to 5 percent, plus the value of new improvements. It touches every Texas homeowner with a residence homestead exemption and every appraisal office that values those homes. If voters approve a matching constitutional amendment, the lower cap applies starting with the 2026 tax year; if they reject it, nothing changes.

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 Local Government
FILED UNDER

PROPERTY TAX RELIEF THAT ISN'T

THE TEXT

“five [ 10 ] percent of the appraised value of”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill halves the homestead appraisal cap, which limits how fast a home's taxable value can grow but does not by itself change tax rates.

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 · Jul 11, 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$60,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$60,000.00

Cash
$60,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$60,000.00

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 · Nov 19, 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.

Report IDs: 101007416, 101012417, 101070754.

Border Health PAC$35,000.00

Border Health PAC

$35,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$35,000.00

Also funds 17 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 28, 2024 to Aug 26, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 6, 2024. 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: 101012417.

SRR Ranches, LLC$30,000.00

SRR Ranches, LLC

$30,000.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$30,000.00

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 23, 2024 to Oct 8, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 23, 2024 to Oct 1, 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: 101012417, 101070754.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$60,000.00

Cash
$60,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$60,000.00

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 · Nov 19, 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.

Report IDs: 101007416, 101012417, 101070754.

×

Border Health PAC

$35,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$35,000.00

Also funds 17 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 28, 2024 to Aug 26, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 6, 2024. 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: 101012417.

×

SRR Ranches, LLC

$30,000.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$30,000.00

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 23, 2024 to Oct 8, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 23, 2024 to Oct 1, 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: 101012417, 101070754.

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 152

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

Introduced text

Last action, Feb 15, 2023: Referred to Local Government

Relating to the limitation on increases in the appraised value of a residence homestead for ad valorem taxation.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Nov 12, 2024

02/03/2025 S Referred to Local Government

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Senate committee · Local Government · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

HB 338 by Bell, Keith (identical)

HB 356 by Metcalf (identical)

HB 442 by Bell, Cecil (identical)

SB 320 by Creighton (duplicate)

Enabling legislation for SJR 22.

Subjects

Property Interests--Homestead

Taxation--Property-Appraisals & Appraisal Districts

Taxation--Property-Exemptions

Text

The text as introduced · 275 words

89R1247 RDS-D

By: Kolkhorst
S.B. No. 321

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the limitation on increases in the appraised value of a

residence homestead for ad valorem taxation.

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

SECTION 1. Section 23.23(a), Tax Code, is amended to read as

follows:

(a) Notwithstanding the requirements of Section 25.18 and

regardless of whether the appraisal office has appraised the

property and determined the market value of the property for the tax

year, an appraisal office may increase the appraised value of a

residence homestead for a tax year to an amount not to exceed the

lesser of:

(1) the market value of the property for the most

recent tax year that the market value was determined by the

appraisal office; or

(2) the sum of:

(A) five [ 10 ] percent of the appraised value of

the property for the preceding tax year;

(B) the appraised value of the property for the

preceding tax year; and

(C) the market value of all new improvements to

the property.

SECTION 2. This Act applies only to the appraisal for ad

valorem taxation of residence homesteads for a tax year that begins

on or after the effective date of this Act.

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

if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 89th Legislature,

Regular Session, 2025, to authorize the legislature to set a lower

limit on the maximum appraised value of a residence homestead for ad

valorem taxation is approved by the voters. If that amendment is

not approved by the voters, this Act has no effect.