Senators spent a prolonged floor colloquy on House Bill 17, a proposal to require taxing entities to mail notice of budget and tax-rate meetings to each property owner while allowing -- and encouraging -- electronic notice where taxpayers have opted in.

Senator Paul Bettencourt, presenting HB 17, said the bill requires mailed notices to property owners for tax-rate hearings while allowing publication in newspapers as supplemental notice. He said the measure would also permit electronic delivery when a property owner has previously elected to receive communications electronically through the county appraisal district portal or other county portals. "This will be how much property tax was supposed to be collected last year versus what's proposed this year...and it would require taxing entities provide uniform and easy to understand notices," Bettencourt said.

Several senators raised operational and cost concerns. Senator Hinojosa asked whether the bill forces taxing entities to mail notices rather than allowing publication only in newspapers; Bettencourt said the bill requires mailing but that the pending amendment would create an electronic opt-in system to reduce costs over time. He acknowledged that school districts and some cities could face substantial first-year mail costs: examples cited on the floor included a $212,000 mailing cost for Corpus Christi ISD and $250,000 for McAllen compared with much smaller newspaper ad costs.

Senator Sparks and Senator Hagenbo expressed concern about the number of mineral-interest owners and other property accounts that might not have opted into electronic delivery and the potential expense to rural counties. Bettencourt said the plan is to amalgamate existing opt-in lists maintained by appraisal districts and county portals and to push opt-in language in every notice so electronic participation grows over time. Bettencourt said implementation would start next year, giving one year of data for review.

After extended discussion and an invitation to review a technical amendment, Senator Bettencourt withdrew his motion to suspend the regular order of business to take up HB 17 immediately; the floor returned the bill to later consideration. The senator said he would bring a technical amendment addressing electronic communication details and urged further committee and house engagement.

Outcome: Substantive floor discussion highlighted trade-offs between universal mailed notice and electronic delivery to reduce cost. No final action was taken on HB 17 during this floor period; the sponsor withdrew the immediate consideration motion to allow time to refine and circulate the amendment.