The Texas House advanced on May 4 a bill that would give corporations significant discounts on school district property taxes. The bill is a priority of House Speaker Dade Phelan.
House Bill 5, by Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christi, would replace Chapter 313, a popular corporate tax break program that expired in December. Deemed the Texas Economic Development Act, Hunter’s proposal is aimed at attracting major businesses to the state by limiting their property taxes over a 10-year period.
The bill would provide incentives for certain projects, including national and state security, supply chain infrastructure, manufacturing, power grid reliability, and other initiatives that require “an investment in a school district in Texas of more than $1 billion.”