Monitoring the Session

SJR 85

Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to increase the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district of the market value of the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled.

Passed, sent to the voters

Verdict: not graded

Not graded. The reader grades bills, not resolutions.

Sen. Paul BettencourtRSenate 7
Caption

Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to increase the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district of the market value of the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled.

Caption from the bill history · Enrolled.

Summary

Not graded. The reader grades bills, not resolutions.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SJR85 · 2025-04-14

SOLD BY

Sen. Paul BettencourtRSenate 7

+ 28 coauthors

ITEM

Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to increase the amount of the exemption from ad valorem taxation by a school district of the market value of the residence homestead of a person who is elderly or disabled.

WHAT IT DOES

Not graded. The reader grades bills, not resolutions.

CHARGES

Not graded

TOTAL

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 21, 2025

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated, other than the cost of publication. The cost to the state for publication of the resolution is $191,689.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Permission to introduce
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Local Government
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Testimony taken in committee
  8. Vote taken in committee
  9. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  10. Committee report printed and distributed
  11. Co-author authorized
  12. Placed on intent calendar
  13. Rules suspended-Intent Calendar
  14. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  15. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  16. Vote recorded in Journal
  17. Three day rule suspended
  18. Record vote
  19. Read 3rd time
  20. Passed
  21. Record vote
  22. Reported engrossed
  23. Received from the Senate
  24. Read first time
  25. Referred to Ways & Means
  26. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  27. Considered in public hearing
  28. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  29. Left pending in committee
  30. Considered in formal meeting
  31. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  32. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  33. Committee report distributed
  34. Committee report sent to Calendars
  35. Considered in Calendars
  36. Placed on Constitutional Amendments Calendar
  37. Read 2nd time
  38. Postponed 5/20/25 3:00 PM
  39. Laid out as postponed business
  40. Adopted
  41. Record vote RV#3093
  42. Rules suspended
  43. Additional sponsor(s) authorized
  44. House passage reported
  45. Reported enrolled
  46. Signed in the Senate
  47. Signed in the House
  48. Filed with the Secretary of State
FILED UNDER

Not graded

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 145 yea · 0 nay

Senate · 31 yea · 0 nay

Sources

House: Adoption · May 20, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate: Final passage · Apr 23, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

Not graded

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.

Votes4

House May 20, 2025

Adoption

Yea
145
Nay
0
Present, not voting
1
Absent
0
Excused
4
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 3093

SJR 85 was adopted by (Record 3093): 145 Yeas, 0 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 145 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 4 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 23, 2025

Yea
31
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Sources

Senator Bettencourt moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SJR 85 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. The resolution was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

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

  • Yea: 31 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Senate Apr 23, 2025

Yea
31
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Sources

Senator Bettencourt moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SJR 85 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

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

  • Yea: 31 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Senate Apr 23, 2025

Yea
Not printed
Nay
Not printed
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Voice vote. No numeric tally or individual yeas are inferred.

Sources

The resolution was read second time and was passed to engrossment by a viva voce vote.

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

  • Yea: Not printed
  • Nay: Not printed
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

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

Witnesses11
For
10
Against
1
On
0
Names

For

  • Self2 registrations
  • Self; Popp Hutcheson,RyanLLC1 registration
  • Self; South Texans’ Property Rights Association1 registration
  • Self; Texas REALTORS1 registration
  • Self; Texas Silver-Haired Legislature1 registration
  • Texas Association of Builders3 registrations
  • Texas Realtors1 registration

Against

  • Self1 registration
Sources

11 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.

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

Fiscal

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 21, 2025

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated, other than the cost of publication. The cost to the state for publication of the resolution is $191,689.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Apr 14, 2025

05/22/2025 E Filed with the Secretary of State

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

Data snapshot Oct 21, 2026 at 6:45 PM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors
Carol AlvaradoDSenate 6 Brian BirdwellRSenate 22 César BlancoDSenate 29 Donna CampbellRSenate 25 Molly CookDSenate 15 Brandon CreightonRSenate 4 Pete FloresRSenate 24 Roland GutierrezDSenate 19 Brent HagenbuchRSenate 30 Bob HallRSenate 2 Kelly HancockRSenate 9 Adam HinojosaRSenate 27 Juan "Chuy" HinojosaDSenate 20 Joan HuffmanRSenate 17 Bryan HughesRSenate 1 Phil KingRSenate 10 Lois KolkhorstRSenate 18 José MenéndezDSenate 26 Mayes MiddletonRSenate 11 Borris MilesDSenate 13 Robert NicholsRSenate 3 Tan ParkerRSenate 12 Angela PaxtonRSenate 8 Charles PerryRSenate 28 Charles SchwertnerRSenate 5 Kevin SparksRSenate 31 Royce WestDSenate 23 Judith ZaffiriniDSenate 21
Sponsors
Morgan MeyerRHouse 108 Trey Martinez FischerDHouse 116 Greg BonnenRHouse 24 Todd HunterRHouse 32 Diego M. BernalDHouse 123
Cosponsors
Daniel AldersRHouse 6 Alma A. AllenDHouse 131 Rafael AnchíaDHouse 103 Trent AshbyRHouse 9 Jeff BarryRHouse 29 Cecil Bell Jr.RHouse 3 Keith BellRHouse 4 Salman BhojaniDHouse 92 Rhetta Andrews BowersDHouse 113 Brad BuckleyRHouse 54 John H. Bucy IIIDHouse 136 Benjamin BumgarnerRHouse 63 Angie Chen ButtonRHouse 112 Briscoe CainRHouse 128 Elizabeth "Liz" CamposDHouse 119 Giovanni CapriglioneRHouse 98 David CookRHouse 96 Philip CortezDHouse 117 Charles CunninghamRHouse 127 Pat CurryRHouse 56 Drew DarbyRHouse 72 Aicha DavisDHouse 109 Jay DeanRHouse 7 Mano DeAyalaRHouse 133 Mark DorazioRHouse 122 Harold V. Dutton Jr.DHouse 142 Paul DysonRHouse 14 Caroline FairlyRHouse 87 Lulu FloresDHouse 51 James FrankRHouse 69 Erin GámezDHouse 38 Cassandra Garcia HernandezDHouse 115 Josey GarciaDHouse 124 Linda GarciaDHouse 107 Gary GatesRHouse 28 Stan GerdesRHouse 17 Charlie GerenRHouse 99 Barbara Gervin-HawkinsDHouse 120 Vikki GoodwinDHouse 47 Ryan GuillenRHouse 31 Sam HarlessRHouse 126 Cody HarrisRHouse 8 Caroline Harris DavilaRHouse 52 Cole HefnerRHouse 5 Hillary HicklandRHouse 55 Donna HowardDHouse 48 Lacey HullRHouse 138 Carrie IsaacRHouse 73 Ann JohnsonDHouse 134 Helen KerwinRHouse 58 Ken KingRHouse 88 Stan KitzmanRHouse 85 Suleman LalaniDHouse 76 Stan LambertRHouse 71 Brooks LandgrafRHouse 81 Jeff LeachRHouse 67 Terri Leo WilsonRHouse 23 Janie LopezRHouse 37 Ray LopezDHouse 125 AJ LouderbackRHouse 30 J. M. LozanoRHouse 43 John LujanRHouse 118 Christian ManuelDHouse 22 Armando "Mando" MartinezDHouse 39 Don McLaughlinRHouse 80 John McQueeneyRHouse 97 Will MetcalfRHouse 16 Terry MezaDHouse 105 Eddie MoralesDHouse 74 Matt MorganRHouse 26 Sergio Muñoz Jr.DHouse 36 Candy NobleRHouse 89 Tom OliversonRHouse 130 Claudia OrdazDHouse 79 Angelia OrrRHouse 13 Jared PattersonRHouse 106 Dennis PaulRHouse 129 Mary Ann PerezDHouse 144 Vincent PerezDHouse 77 Dade PhelanRHouse 21 Katrina PiersonRHouse 33 Mihaela PlesaDHouse 70 Richard Peña RaymondDHouse 42 Ron ReynoldsDHouse 27 Alan SchoolcraftRHouse 44 Matt ShaheenRHouse 66 Joanne ShofnerRHouse 11 Shelby SlawsonRHouse 59 John T. SmitheeRHouse 86 Valoree SwansonRHouse 150 Tony TinderholtRHouse 94 Steve TothRHouse 15 Ellen TroxclairRHouse 19 Gary VanDeaverRHouse 1 Cody VasutRHouse 25 Denise VillalobosRHouse 34 Hubert VoDHouse 149 Charlene Ward JohnsonDHouse 139 Trey WhartonRHouse 12 Terry M. WilsonRHouse 20 Erin ZwienerDHouse 45

House committee · Ways & Means · Committee vote 12 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Local Government · Committee vote 7 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Enabling legislation is SB 23.

Subjects

Aging

Disabilities, Persons with

Property Interests--Homestead

Resolutions--Constitutional Amendments

Taxation--Property-Appraisals & Appraisal Districts

Taxation--Property-Exemptions

Taxation--School District