The Legislative Ranger HB 151-153
11/22/2026
By: Stephen O’Toole
With an unprecedented 1,511 bills and resolutions filed on the first day of pre-filing in 2024—shattering previous records, the Texas Legislature has launched into the upcoming session at full throttle. Though the next session does not begin until the middle of January, Texas law allows returning and newly elected legislators in both chambers to pre-file bills and resolutions starting the week after the general election—Monday, November 12, this year. While there are always pre-filed bills, this year’s legislators seem to be running on overdrive. To put the 1,511 filings in perspective, the 2023 session saw 920 first-day filings, and the 2021 session only 540—each setting records in their time. This surge ensures there’s plenty to scrutinize, and I am here to hold them accountable, ensuring nothing sneaks through unnoticed.
As a one-person operation, I’ll approach these filings systematically to ensure effective and efficient coverage. I’ll begin with bills, starting with the House, followed by the Senate, and then revisit resolutions afterward. My approach is alphanumeric, which means we begin with a string of bills submitted by Representative Richard Peña Raymond, a Democrat from Laredo. While this representative has faced criticism for failing to adhere to party lines—earning the title of "least liberal member of the Texas House" from the Texas Tribune—the first bill we review today is fairly innocuous.
HB151 – An act relating to honesty in state taxation, authored by Rep. Raymond, is a straightforward bill aiming to standardize the phrasing used for taxes. Instead of terms like "fees," "levies," "surcharges," and "assessments," the bill proposes these be uniformly labeled as “Regulatory Tax” to clarify they are forms of taxation. On the surface, this seems harmless—perhaps even unnecessary. It neither establishes new taxes nor changes funding allocations. Furthermore, the changes are to be implemented during routine audits, meaning minimal administrative costs. However, I remain cautious. A bill this seemingly “pointless” raises the question of intent. Could it serve as a precursor to another bill aimed at challenging the legality of certain taxes? I’ll keep digging. For now, I grade this bill as low danger and low priority.
HB152 – An act relating to the provision of funding under the public-school finance system on the basis of property value that takes into account optional homestead exemptions. Phew, what a mouthful! Unlike HB151, this bill has two identical companion bills, HB558 and HB1153, submitted by Republican Reps. Mike Schofield and Lacey Hull. This is no “cute” or innocent bill. HB152 is a veiled attempt to reduce public school funding, disguised as “more precise calculations.” Currently, property values are calculated using half the optional homestead exemption; this bill seeks to exclude the entire exemption. Additionally, it seeks to grant the Commissioner of Education greater authority to allocate funds by repealing existing safeguards limiting this power. Essentially, this bill reduces school funding while giving the commissioner disproportionate control to decide which districts bear the brunt of the cuts. I grade this bill as highly dangerous and high priority to fight against.
HB153 – An act relating to the eligibility of service members and veterans to participate in a veterans treatment court program. Thankfully, we’re back to a benign bill. This straightforward proposal aims to simplify the veterans court program by shifting the burden of consent. Currently, state prosecutors must explicitly approve a defendant’s enrollment. Under HB153, consent is assumed unless explicitly contested by the prosecution. This change removes unnecessary barriers for veterans seeking help and doesn’t negatively affect state authority. A solo bill with no companion filings, I hope this proposal becomes law. I grade this bill as low danger and moderate priority.
Three bills, one author, and a wide range of impacts. HB152 must be squashed in all its forms. Realistically, HB558 or HB1153 will likely advance to committee, as they are identical and authored by Republicans, but vigilance is critical. We cannot allow our representatives to defund public schools under the guise of precision. If these lawmakers want more accurate calculations, they must also include methods to offset the exemptions they’re advocating. Additionally delegating unchecked authority to the Commissioner of Education is nothing short of a blatant power grab.
Do better, Representatives. The eyes of the Ranger are upon you.
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