TOMBALL, Texas — City staff reviewed a wide range of bills from the 2025 Texas legislative session at the Tomball City Council workshop on July 7, outlining which measures may require code updates, policy changes or administrative work by city departments.

Jessica, a city staff member who presented the legislative update, said TML tracked thousands of filed measures and that 1,231 bills passed this session; staff identified roughly 262 bills with potential impact on city operations. She noted many provisions will not take effect until tax year 2026 or Sept. 1, 2025, and staff are still sorting through details.

Key items and local impacts:

Business personal property exemption: Jessica said the constitutional amendment (listed in the packet as HJR1) would raise the business personal property exemption from $2,500 to $125,000 and take effect in tax year 2026. She explained the exemption change shifts the tax burden and affects how the city’s rate is calculated; the levy may remain similar but the distribution of burden between residential and business property could shift.

Tax-calculation and filing forms: Jessica said SB 1023 and SB 1453 (referenced as SB 10 23 and SB 14 53 in the presentation) change calculations used in the tax process; both are scheduled to apply beginning tax year 2026.

Competitive-bid threshold: Jessica said SB 1173 (presented as SB 11 73) increases the competitive-bidding threshold from $50,000 to $100,000 effective Sept. 1. She said Tomball will still use quotes and pricing processes but will update procurement policy to reflect the higher statutory threshold.

Open-meetings posting: Jessica described HB 1522 (presented in discussion as HB 15 22) as changing the posting rule for open meetings from “72 hours” to “three business days” before the meeting, and discussed the practical calculation problems it creates around holidays and weekends. Staff advised the council the change becomes effective Sept. 1 and that it will shape the city’s agenda and back-up scheduling, especially for budget items.

Impact fees and advisory committees: Jessica said SB 1883 (cited as SB 18 83) prohibits planning and zoning commissions from acting as the impact-fee advisory committee and requires the advisory committee to include 50% representatives from the development community; it also mandates separate, independent audits of impact fees. Tomball will need to reconstitute its impact-fee advisory committee and adjust procedures.

Zoning protest threshold: Jessica said HB 24 (listed as HB 24) lowers the percentage of property owners whose protest triggers a supermajority vote when council increases residential density; the bill changes how protests and signage are handled and will require changes to the city’s unified development code.

Public safety and grants: Jessica noted HB 2217 creates grant opportunities for bullet-resistant police vehicles and equipment; she said Tomball’s Police Chief Burt testified in support of that bill. She also noted new requirements for assisted-living facilities to have preparedness plans and to coordinate with local agencies.

Right-of-way utility relocation (failed): Jessica summarized a bill that did not pass which would have required cities to pay to move telecom lines in the right-of-way when the city performs road or utility projects. She said that bill would have significantly increased construction costs, and that it did not pass.

Franchise agreements transparency: Jessica said HB 5057 adds notice and public-hearing requirements for exclusive solid-waste franchise agreements; if Tomball were to amend or renew its exclusive contract, the city would need to follow the new public-notice procedures.

Other items: Jessica flagged changes to ballot-language presentation (SB 1025, described as SB 10 25, requiring an all-caps statement when a ballot involves a tax increase), cybersecurity and AI training mandates for municipal officials, and publishing requirements for public improvement district service plans.

Council questions and staff notes: Council members asked how some bills would apply locally and whether the city had already implemented certain requirements (for example, staff noted Tomball already posts PID service plans online). Staff repeatedly cautioned that several bills’ text is long and technical, that implementation details and effective dates vary, and that legal counsel or future rulemaking may be necessary to interpret requirements.

(Ending) Staff recommended council members consult the TML plain-language summary and the linked bills for details and said they will return with specific code amendments or policy changes when staff identifies required local action.