Texans for Fiscal Responsibility has issued the following vote notice for April 8th, 2025 

Texas House of Representatives

Subject: House Joint Resolution 99 (HJR 99) – Animal feed tax exemption

• Author: State Rep. Cody Harris (R-Palestine)
• Caption: Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation tangible personal property consisting of animal feed held by the owner of the property for sale at retail.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • HJR 99 proposes a constitutional amendment to allow the Texas Legislature to exempt animal feed held for retail sale from property taxes. Right now, while feed is tax-free during production and use, it’s unfairly taxed when held as inventory in stores. Removing this tax would reduce costs for feed suppliers and help lower prices for farmers and ranchers, who are already dealing with rising operational expenses. From a fiscally conservative standpoint, this is a smart move—it simplifies the tax code, prevents double-taxation, and supports small agricultural businesses without expanding government spending. 
  • It must be noted, however, that supporting legislation that uses exemptions as the form of providing tax relief, comes with some reticence. Exemptions inevitably narrow the tax base, shift burdens and make issues that all property tax elimination more difficult.

Subject: House Bill 1399 (HB 1399) – Animal feed tax exemption

• Author: State Rep. Cody Harris (R-Palestine)
• Caption: Relating to an exemption from ad valorem taxation of tangible personal property consisting of animal feed held by the owner of the property for sale at retail.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • HB 1399 is the enabling legislation for HJR 99. It exempts animal feed held for retail sale from property taxes. Right now, while feed is tax-free during production and use, it’s unfairly taxed when held as inventory in stores. Removing this tax would reduce costs for feed suppliers and help lower prices for farmers and ranchers, who are already dealing with rising operational expenses. From a fiscally conservative standpoint, this is a smart move—it simplifies the tax code, prevents double-taxation, and supports small agricultural businesses without expanding government spending. 
  • It must be noted, however, that supporting legislation that uses exemptions as the form of providing tax relief, comes with some reticence. Exemptions inevitably narrow the tax base, shift burdens and make issues that all property tax elimination more difficult.

Subject: House Bill 1400 (HB 1400) – Groundwater innovation

• Author: State Rep. Cody Harris (R-Palestine)
• Caption: Relating to creation of the groundwater science, research, and innovation fund to be administered by the Texas Water Development Board.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT / AMEND
• Background: 
  • HB 1400 establishes a state fund, managed by the Texas Water Development Board, to provide grants for local groundwater research and innovation. These grants aim to improve groundwater models, support data collection, and promote water conservation and recharge efforts—all critical for long-term water planning. The bill wisely encourages local buy-in by requiring recipients to contribute 25% in matching funds, promoting fiscal responsibility and shared investment. However, a mandated requirement that at least 35% of funds go to small districts—regardless of project quality or efficiency—risks distorting priorities and misallocating resources. The bill should be amended with a better approach, which would fund the most impactful projects based on merit, not arbitrary demographics. From a fiscally conservative standpoint, the bill should focus on return on investment, transparency, and performance—not quota-based redistribution.

Subject: House Bill 1094 (HB 1094) – Funeral transport agreements

• Author: State Rep. Stan Lambert (R-Abilene)
• Caption: Relating to the regulation of transportation protection agreements.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • HB 1094 makes clear that transportation protection agreements—which help coordinate the handling and movement of a deceased person’s body—are not the same as insurance or prepaid funeral services. This distinction ensures that small businesses offering such services aren’t burdened by unnecessary regulations meant for more complex financial products. By doing this, the bill protects consumer choice, avoids regulatory overreach, and supports a freer marketplace. It helps keep costs down by reducing compliance burdens and avoids growing the size or scope of government oversight.

Subject: House Bill 365 (HB 365) – Increases non-repayable water funding

• Author: State Rep. Mary González (D-San Elizario)
• Caption: Relating to the authority of the Texas Water Development Board to provide financial assistance from the economically distressed areas account that is not required to be repaid.
• TFR Position: OPPOSE
• Background: 
  • HB 365 allows the state to hand out more grant money—up to 90% of available bond funds—to cities and local governments in distressed areas for water and sewer projects, without requiring repayment. Supporters say it will help struggling communities build needed infrastructure. But this bill means the state will collect less money back from these projects, putting more financial burden on state taxpayers. It effectively expands state spending without guardrails and encourages dependence on non-repaid state grants rather than fiscally responsible planning at the local level. The program already provides significant assistance; raising the cap could lead to inefficient use of taxpayer-backed bonds. For these reasons, TFR opposes HB 365.

Subject: House Bill 1109 (HB 1109) – Tax carveout for county fuel

• Author: State Rep. Gary VanDeaver (R-New Boston)
• Caption: Relating to an exemption from certain motor fuel taxes for counties in this state.
• TFR Position: OPPOSE
• Background: 
  • HB 1109 would allow Texas counties to avoid paying state gasoline and diesel taxes on fuel used for county vehicles and equipment. This means counties could either avoid paying the tax upfront or file for a refund after the fact. While this might ease local budget pressures, it does so by cutting off revenue currently used to fund state services like public education and highway maintenance. The bill results in millions in lost revenue annually, further shifting tax burdens to taxpayers or reducing critical infrastructure investment. The bill represents an another carveout that complicates the tax code and undermines broad-based consumption taxation. While many first responders already enjoy this exemption, it is an entirely different question when considering adding in every county owned vehicle in Texas, without any safeguards, or accompanying requirements for counties to reduce their budgets to pass on the cost savings to taxpayers. Instead of pushing counties to cut waste or operate more efficiently, it rewards consumption and bloats local government budgets. For these reasons, TFR opposes HB 1109.

Subject: House Bill 647 (HB 647) – Drivers License Updates post-surgery

• Author: State Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco)
• Caption: Relating to the removal of certain restrictions imposed on driver’s licenses; authorizing a fee.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • HB 647 removes unnecessary red tape for Texans who no longer need corrective lenses after surgery. It allows them to update their driver’s license by simply submitting a doctor’s note and a small fee, avoiding a visit to a government office. It’s a practical reform that respects personal responsibility and medical advancements without growing government. It maintains public safety while reducing bureaucratic friction and modernizing DPS processes. By offering both electronic and mail-in options, it increases efficiency and accessibility.

Texas Senate

Subject: Senate Bill 779 (SB 779) – Limits public nuisance lawsuits

• Author: State Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston)
• Caption: Relating to common law public nuisance claims.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SB 779 reins in the misuse of public nuisance lawsuits, which have increasingly been used to target businesses for legal activities that are already approved or regulated by government authorities. By stopping these duplicative lawsuits, the bill protects businesses from unpredictable litigation costs and discourages backdoor regulation through the courts. This ensures that policy decisions remain with elected officials and regulatory agencies—not activist lawyers or judges. The bill helps reduce legal uncertainty, promotes a stable business environment, and avoids wasting taxpayer dollars on unnecessary litigation.

Subject: Senate Bill 868 (SB 868) – Rural fire grant reform

• Author: State Sen. Kevin Sparks (R-Midland)
• Caption: Relating to the allocation of money appropriated to the rural volunteer fire department assistance program.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SB 868 enhances support for rural volunteer fire departments by eliminating funding caps and allowing resources to better match real-world demand. It ensures at least 10% of the money goes to departments in wildfire-prone areas, where the risk to lives and property is greatest. By focusing existing dollars more strategically, the bill helps reduce a massive backlog of unfunded equipment and training requests. It does all this without growing government or creating new programs—just smarter use of what’s already available. The result is stronger local emergency response and better protection for taxpayers’ communities and investments.

Subject: Senate Bill 1365 (SB 1365) – DMV authority expansion

• Author: State Sen. Robert Nichols (R-Jacksonville)
• Caption: Relating to vehicle registration, license plates, and inspection reports.
• TFR Position: OPPOSE
• Background: 
  • SB Senate Bill 1365 expands the authority of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) by allowing the agency to unilaterally deny, revoke, or suspend vehicle registrations without a formal hearing—only requiring notice and a chance to respond. This represents a troubling erosion of due process protections for individuals and businesses. The bill further exempts TxDMV actions from key provisions of the Texas Administrative Procedure Act, weakening judicial oversight and consolidating more unchecked power in a state agency. In addition to bureaucratic overreach, the bill imposes a mandatory $200 annual fee on electric vehicle owners, increasing costs on Texans. It also gives TxDMV broader enforcement tools to penalize dealers, even without clear avenues for appeal in some cases.

Subject: Senate Bill 1484 (SB 1484) – Catfish Labeling Transparency

• Author: State Sen. Adam Hinojosa (R-Corpus Christi)
• Caption:Relating to the marketing and sale of catfish and similar fish by food service establishments, food service suppliers, wholesalers, distributors, and wholesale distributors; providing administrative and civil penalties.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SB 1484 protects consumers and honest businesses by requiring clear labeling of catfish and similar fish in the food supply chain. Under this bill, restaurants and suppliers cannot mislabel imported fish like swai or basa as “catfish”—a common tactic that undercuts Texas aquaculture. By enforcing accurate product descriptions and country-of-origin disclosure, the bill levels the playing field for domestic producers and safeguards consumer trust. It also ensures that regulatory penalties are fair and not duplicative. This bill limits deceptive trade practices, strengthens market integrity, and protects consumers.

Subject: Senate Bill 2064 (SB 2064) – Ends inheritance car tax

• Author: State Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock)
• Caption: Relating to an exemption from certain taxes imposed on the transfer of a motor vehicle to a person from a decedent or the decedent’s estate.
• TFR Position: SUPPORT
• Background: 
  • SB 2064 eliminates the motor vehicle gift tax when a car is inherited from a deceased family member’s estate. While gifts between close family members are already exempt from this tax, inheritances from estates were oddly still taxed—this bill fixes that inconsistency. Removing the tax reduces the financial burden on grieving families, particularly those with modest means. It also prevents the government from taxing the same asset multiple times and simplifies the estate process. This bill respects private property rights, eliminates unnecessary taxation, and reduces bureaucratic red tape.

Subject: Senate Bill 2112 (SB 2112) – Oyster farm penalties

• Author: State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham)
• Caption: Relating to the punishment for certain criminal offenses related to cultivated oyster mariculture; increasing a criminal penalty.
• TFR Position: OPPOSE
• Background: 
  • SB 2112 increases criminal penalties for people who repeatedly violate Texas oyster mariculture laws, such as operating without a permit or breaking rules set by state agencies. While first-time penalties remain unchanged, the bill escalates repeat offenses to higher misdemeanor levels, depending on the violation. Rather than addressing noncompliance through civil fines or administrative remedies, the bill leans heavily on criminal prosecution as its enforcement tool. This approach grows the burden on the criminal justice system, increases taxpayer-funded enforcement costs, and risks criminalizing small business missteps that could be better handled through regulatory reform or administrative penalties.

Reminder: Vote Notices are provided to both Texas state lawmakers and the general public, sharing Texans for Fiscal Responsibility’s position on issues to be rated as a part of the Fiscal Responsibility Index. Notices are provided prior to votes being taken in each legislative chamber.

Disclaimer: We reserve the right to consider amendments to legislation that may be introduced without notice as a part of issues to be rated on the Fiscal Responsibility Index. We will make every effort to provide notice on amendments that are pre-filed.