Lawmakers Eye $13B in Federal Refunds for Property Tax Relief

07/25/2025

Lawmakers Eye $13B in Federal Refunds for Property Tax Relief

By | Texas Scorecard | July 24, 2025

With the Texas Legislature currently meeting for a 30-day special session, some lawmakers are calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to use a new influx of federal dollars to provide immediate property tax relief to Texans.

State Rep. Helen Kerwin (R–Glen Rose) filed House Resolution 23 on Tuesday, urging the governor to dedicate any funds Texas receives from President Donald Trump’s recent reconciliation bill—estimated at over $13 billion—toward reducing the state’s property tax burden.

“With the influx of federal dollars from President Trump’s reconciliation bill, we have a unique opportunity to deliver long-overdue relief,” Kerwin told Texas Scorecard. “Texans have been burdened for far too long by rising property taxes. House Resolution 23 is about doing the right thing—using those funds to ease the tax burden on Texas families, homeowners, and small businesses. It’s not Washington’s money—it’s the people’s money, and they deserve it back.”

The federal funding, authorized to reimburse states for border security efforts, is expected to significantly benefit Texas, which has led the nation in deploying state resources to the southern border. When combined with unspent general revenue lawmakers could have more than $16 billion in available funds.

Kerwin noted that property taxes are the second biggest issue in her district after border security.

While Gov. Abbott’s special session agenda includes “additional property tax relief,” the details remain undefined.

Though the resolution does not carry the force of law, if passed, it would signal the Legislature’s intent and ramp up pressure on the governor to act.

Thus far, Speaker Dustin Burrows has not referred HR 23 or any other pieces of legislation filed during the special session.

Brandon serves as the Senior Editor for Texas Scorecard. After managing successful campaigns for top conservative legislators and serving as a Chief of Staff in the Texas Capitol, Brandon moved outside the dome in order to shine a spotlight on conservative victories and establishment corruption in Austin. @bwaltens