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Read. Follow. Verify.Texas expands property tax homestead exemptions for surviving spouses of federal law enforcement and border agents
Last action · March 12, 2025: Referred to Ways & MeansSponsor: Mihaela Pleșa
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What This Bill Proposed
Texas House Bill 1577 expands property tax homestead exemptions to include the surviving spouses of federal agents such as those from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection who die in the line of duty, effective January 1, 2026.
- Texas law provides property tax exemptions on residence homesteads for surviving spouses of first responders killed in the line of duty. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Surviving spouses of certain federal first responders
Eligible surviving spouses gain entitlement to a total ad valorem tax exemption on their residence homestead starting in tax year 2026.
Local appraisal districts
Tax appraisal districts must process property tax exemptions for an expanded category of surviving spouses beginning January 1, 2026.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is newly included as a first responder under this bill?
What tax benefit do eligible surviving spouses receive?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
3 actions- Mar 12, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to Ways & Means
- Mar 12, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time
- Dec 11, 2024HouseIntroducedFiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Extension of Local Tax Benefits to Federal Personnel
The legislation broadens state-level property tax relief traditionally reserved for local first responders to encompass specific federal immigration and border protection agents.
Connected Entities
Sources
capitol.texas.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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