January not only brings the new year and resolutions, but also new laws enacted by the 88th Legislature, which convened in 2023. Three of these new laws are big wins on the private property rights frontier. Beginning January 1, 2025, Texans will no longer have to purchase vehicle safety inspection stickers thanks to the passage of HB 3297. As TPPF’s Greyson Gee explains, getting an inspection sticker isn’t convenient and infringes on an individual’s personal time and enjoyment of their property. Thankfully, Texan drivers will no longer be subject to unnecessary government regulation regarding their own private property.
Similarly, HB 4 protects your private property, specifically, your personal data. CBS explains that, “According to this law, Texans have the ability to access, correct, delete, and obtain a copy of their personal data collected by businesses. HB 4 states that businesses must be transparent about their data practices, obtain consent before collecting sensitive data, and implement measures to protect data security.” Mandating consent and transparency actively protects your personal information from being sold/transferred to third-parties to do whatever they wish to with said information. The law essentially contains a “digital bill of rights” that will act as wall of protection when it comes to Texans’ personal data. These protections will keep Texans safe an informed as to whether their personal data is being given to data brokers, who “will generally sell the data they have obtained to any interested buyers, with little oversight to whom they may sell personal information.” [emphasis mine]
Finally, certain aspects of SB 2, better known as the Property Tax Relief Act, go into effect as well to the benefit of Texas taxpayers. Not only did this bill raise the homestead exemption to $100,000, but also added a provision which caps appraised value increases at 20% for non-homestead real property. Further, maximum compressed rates for school districts for the current and preceding year are to be calculated and posted online. SB 2 also provides that if a school district is not wholly compensated by local revenue, that it will be made whole via compensation from the state. SB 2 was passed to give taxpayers some relief from high property taxes, and we will start to see more of that relief in action come January 1.
These laws are victories in the ever-present fight to protect Texans’ private property rights, from the government or other entities. With the 89th Texas Legislature beginning this month, these laws from the previous session will are great bases from which new protections can be determined and put through the law-making process.