Texas is currently experiencing a housing shortage. According to the Texas Comptroller, “Texas was 306,000 homes short of what was needed” in 2023 (Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, 2024). Recently, Texas A&M’s Student Government Association’s Policy Division and Department of Legislative Relations released a data set that estimates that Texas has 1.7 to 4.3 million spare bedrooms (TAMU SGA, 2024). However, under most municipal occupancy ordinances and codes, there are limits to the number of occupants a dwelling may have (if the occupants are not related). On the other hand, municipal occupancy codes and ordinances generally have no limits on related (whether by blood, marriage, or adoption) occupants. These limits on unrelated occupants hamper the ability for Texans to earn a little more cash by leasing a spare bedroom, while also keeping other Texans out of housing. House Bill 2797 (2025) aims to rectify this situation, by prohibiting municipalities from passing ordinances and rules that limit unrelated occupancy, albeit with a few exceptions for health and safety.
A Trio of New Transparency Laws: Examining the Open Government Reforms Instituted by SB 843, HB 103, & HB 3526
During the Regular Session, the 89th Texas Legislature passed three key measures to meaningfully improve fiscal transparency and cultivate a more informed decision-making environment. These well-intentioned measures include: • HB 103 (2025), relating to the creation and maintenance of a database of taxing unit bond, tax, and bond-related project information; providing a civil penalty; •...