The bill amends the Education Code and Tax Code to enhance notification requirements related to property tax information that taxing units and appraisal districts must provide. Key provisions include a mandate for school districts to mail notices of budget and proposed tax rate meetings to each property owner, with an alternative to publish in local newspapers if no suitable publication is available. Additionally, a new subsection requires the inclusion of specific information regarding population growth and inflation rates in the notices, along with a statement about adjusted tax collections for the current tax year. The bill also updates the language concerning the publication of notices, replacing "publish" with "provide," and clarifies definitions for terms such as "adjusted tax collections," "inflation rate," and "population growth rate."

Moreover, the bill introduces amendments to the Texas Tax Code and Water Code concerning property tax revenue notifications and calculations. It requires the comptroller to determine and publish the inflation rate used by taxing units for property tax computations annually on July 1. Taxing units must include statements in their tax rate notices detailing estimated property tax revenue for the current year compared to the previous year, accounting for population growth and inflation. The notice requirements for hearings related to property tax rates are also modified, allowing for publication in local newspapers at least seven days prior to the hearing and requiring notices to be mailed to property owners at least ten days before the hearing date. These changes will take effect for ad valorem tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 44.004, Education Code 44.0041, Tax Code 26.061, Tax Code 26.062, Tax Code 26.17, Water Code 49.236 (Tax Code 26, Water Code 49, Education Code 44)