After 140 days of debate, the 89th Texas Legislative Session has come to a conclusion. The following list of bills highlights important new laws affecting the real estate industry that will go into effect later this year. Also, be sure to check out our legislative update for the POA industry detailing the new laws affecting security measures, ACC committee membership and more.
SB 15 – Relating to size and density requirements for residential lots in certain municipalities; authorizing a fee
SB 15 – Bettencourt, et al.
Status: Sent to the Governor on 6/3/25
Adds Subchapter D to Chapter 211 of the Local Government Code and applies to municipalities of more than 150,000 that are wholly or partly located in counties of more than 300,000. Subchapter puts limits on what municipalities can do to regulate lot size. It does not affect a POAs ability to enforce restrictions.
SB 647 – Relating to the filing or recording of documents or instruments conveying or purporting to convey an interest in real or personal property.
Author – West
Status: Sent to the Governor on 5/28/25
Procedural bill affecting the process of clerks submitting what is believed to be fraudulent records.
HB 4063 – Relating to the filing and release of record of a unilateral memorandum of contract concerning residential property.
Author: Ordaz
Status: Sent to the Governor on 5/28/25
Adds Sec. 12.020 to Chapter 12 of the Property Code. Details requirements on how a unilateral memorandum shall be filed with the county.
SB 648 – Relating to recording requirements for certain instruments concerning real property.
Author: West
Status: Sent to the Governor on 5/28/25
Amends Sec 12.001 of the Property Code. Adds additional requirements for signature and verification to records conveying real property before recording.
SB 1734 – Relating to status of certain documents or instruments purporting to convey title to or an interest in real property.
Author: West
Status: Effective on 9/1/25
Adds Sec. 51.9035 to the Government Code which creates a petition process an owner of real property must follow to challenge the conveyance of real property the owner believes to be fraudulent. The petition must be accompanied with an affidavit created by adding Sections 5.0206 and 5.0207 to Chapter 5 of the Texas Property Code.
This bill does not include provisions on removal that were seen in other similar bills.
SB 17 – Relating to the purchase or acquisition of an interest in real property by certain aliens or foreign entities.
Author: Kolkhorst, et. al
Status: Sent to the Governor on 6/1/25
Bans citizens, governments and companies headquartered in certain foreign countries from purchasing real property. The governor would be granted the power to determine the countries.
HB 2025 – Relating to the filing for record of a plat, replat, or amended plat or replat of a subdivision of real property or a condominium.
Author: Tepper
Status: Sent to the Governor on 5/28/25
Amends Chapter 12 and Chapter 82 of the Texas Property Code to require the original tax certificate from each taxing unit with jurisdiction over the real property indicating that no delinquent ad valorem taxes are owed on the real property be attached to a plat, replat, or amended plat or replat of a subdivision of real property or condominium.
SB 1883 – Relating to the approval of land use assumptions, capital improvement plans, and impact fees.
Author: Kolkhorst
Status: Sent to the Governor on 5/22/25
Amends multiple sections of Chapter 395 of the Local Government Code addressing impact fees. Sec. 395.051(a) is amended to require the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the governing body of the political subdivision for the imposition of an impact fee.
Sec. 395.0515 is added prohibiting a political subdivision from increasing the amount of an impact fee for three years from the later of the date the fee was adopted or most recently increased.
Sec. 395.059 is added to require the political subdivision to undergo an independent audit before increasing an impact fee or adopting a new impact fee.
