Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legislative Tracking topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
TLCB tracking hundreds of bills; staff monitoring reciprocity, contact-info and stipend proposals
Summary
The board's government-relations staff reported Feb. 21 that about 4,700 bills had been filed for the 2025 session and that the agency was tracking roughly 250 measures. Staff identified several appraisal-related items including a reciprocity bill that listed the board and a potential cap-on-fees bill that could affect licensing fees.
Summer Mandel, government and strategic communications director for the board and the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC), briefed members on the 2025 Texas legislative session and bills the agency is tracking.
Mandel told the board that about 4,700 bills had been filed as of the morning of Feb. 21 and that staff were actively tracking about 250 bills, many related to state agency operations. She said approximately 50 bills had been referred to Senate committees and that housekeeping and agency-related measures dominate early filings. Mandel highlighted bills affecting the appraisal industry, including those addressing reciprocity and the display of contact information for licensees, and a proposal the staff asked to be removed from text that would have capped fees at $100 for reciprocity filings (a separate bill under consideration by other license boards). She said staff is working with legislative offices and an analysis team to track caption language, referrals and committee assignments.
Mandel summarized a draft bill the board has been involved with that would: add an option for a primary contact in the AMC chapter; clarify qualification requirements for controlling persons of appraisal management companies (AMCs); allow restoration of public contact information for licensees (which had been removed following a prior statute); create authority for a board-administered stipend program to support trainees and supervisors (the bill language was edited to remove authority to collect fees to administer the stipend); and make technical statutory updates (e.g., replacing references from "commissioner" to "executive director" where applicable). Mandel said staff expects to report updates weekly while filing and assignment activities are ongoing and noted that the Senate and House committee assignment process is still in early stages.
Why it matters: Legislative changes to reciprocity, data display and stipend authority could affect how licensees are found by consumers, AMC oversight, and funding options for programs to reduce barriers into the profession.
On the record: Mandel said staff uses a commercial tracking service and daily manual review to flag potentially relevant bills and then routes flagged items to attorneys and program staff for analysis. She said the agency will request removal from a reciprocity bill that would impose conflicts with existing federal reciprocity requirements.
