[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6055337,"mediaKeyId","3320052-96b6fa484474cdbe9e1c7f0a667f2a66","parentId",3320052,"title","Committee considers HB 4506 to let municipalities offer electronic zoning notices by opt-in","audioSeconds",43,"startMs",304000,"endMs",347000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3320052-96b6fa484474cdbe9e1c7f0a667f2a66&start=304&end=347","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3320052-96b6fa484474cdbe9e1c7f0a667f2a66/thumbnail_304000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6055337/Texas/Committee-considers-HB-4506-to-let-municipalities-offer-electronic-zoning-notices-by-opt-in","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6055337-f106c4cd13915a9c03fab042d71aa7b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770714420&Signature=NGi5CLeZ6CAzR05A0oo34dVUZhPr2Pzi1CMwaUbXTrut-kfsU5PW1ELwjfATvMc~Sd5zX3D98a-R992a2c-7totpj4ZQVZthGKiLFq6cVZJYrpHTv0AxPUTCPQQHst74MRxregNPKppX8pVxwRw9eL9R-lsGkDIxXUtZWTzuYreyRQYZElqDsWaBDtc8~1ZkSji3aUTHiL~rZFzIvnuaIZU77ZaWOgDX6xmSbFh1ipln7WJGCsjdPCkXgYzprZ5I86jKnl2dSJfy-kVPZdS7EUKjHktQ0B0PR1ZOFrU2sBKLOpbO3FjMKbTGhkxhMffJoyYtP13M~2k2tVNyZb000Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Texas Legislature","date","2025-05-15T00:00:00Z","article","Senators laid out House Bill 4,506, sponsored in the House by Representative Bonham and presented in the Senate by the Senate sponsor, as described in committee. The bill would permit municipalities to deliver notice of public hearings on zoning changes electronically—by email or text—to recipients who opt in through an online portal maintained by the municipality.

The senator presenting the bill said the proposal is voluntary for municipalities and voluntary for residents; it does not require citizens to receive notices electronically. The sponsor said paper mail can be delayed or misplaced and that digital notices would help ensure timely receipt of information.

The presenter cited city mailing-cost examples to illustrate potential savings, saying, “In 2023, the city of Austin spent a total of $315,000 just on mailing zoning notices. In 2021, the city of Dallas spent, roughly $125,000 on mailing zoning notices.” He emphasized the bill includes an opt-in portal so residents would not be enrolled without consent.

The committee opened public testimony, heard none, and left House Bill 4,506 pending subject to call of the chair.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee on Local Government (Part I) May 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 4506 would let municipalities provide zoning public-hearing notices electronically to residents who opt in and require an online portal; sponsor cited municipal mailing cost examples from Austin and Dallas.","taxTitle","Committee on Local Government, Senate, Legislative, Texas","taxId",16927,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6055342,"Committee hears bill to set statewide qualifications for county fire marshals in larger counties",245,1121000,1366000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3320052-96b6fa484474cdbe9e1c7f0a667f2a66&start=1121&end=1366","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3320052-96b6fa484474cdbe9e1c7f0a667f2a66/thumbnail_1121000.jpg","/articles/6055342/Texas/Committee-hears-bill-to-set-statewide-qualifications-for-county-fire-marshals-in-larger-counties","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6055342-70f9d667799b7b634383d163b65677fd/orig.mp4?Expires=1770714420&Signature=jXY7B1c3~k6PnKjnIvIZWGs1ZOhNQhwuEpvbTqG3FrAIXN1H7fN~JdhZOEuchzwKl~20OI0FPG6goaz~tJ7E2Er2JWTYsK9pAtifGegWB-6sbFvyCzkSGQTRrdnGN90KbsR2R6UrNJFLk0Dt4rsol5dOAb2ERIoGjtGBEEwvi1rs847BjCjNtu~5OO5StMAkHsQOqrRU4j7qiuLevddi8DMb8a9DdLUaJrLs~ffu1XMl9-PfEf~XJzqMqYHY67kCQHmZqMjryR8KqkJcw9TCdlI3F0u7XOC2vZFixqb9VB-zVlebqf5tOBoX-uJMIasaIYjnkaCQYpv4s9xvulCT0A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chair members laid out House Bill 36 87 in the Committee on Local Government, a measure to require minimum qualifications and a schedule for certification of county fire marshals in counties with populations over 100,000.

Senator Bettencourt explained the bill, saying several populous counties had appointed fire marshals who lacked standard training and that establishing uniform qualifications would strengthen public safety oversight. “This bill would establish standard qualifications for these important public safety positions,” he told the committee.

Laurie Christiansen, who identified herself as the Harris County Fire Marshal, testified in support and described gaps in the statutory framework. Christiansen said the relevant provisions in the local government code had not been updated in decades and that HB 36 87 would require newly appointed county fire marshals to provide proof of prerequisite training within one year and certification of basic fire marshal training within two years. “When county fire marshals are appointed, we’re not only responsible for enforcing the fire codes [and] public safety at commercial facilities, but we’re also responsible for our other first responders,” Christiansen said.

The chair opened public testimony; no witnesses opposed during the hearing. After public testimony closed, the committee left the bill pending subject to call of the chair.

Committee members discussed parallels to prior professionalization efforts for other county roles and generally praised the measure as a way to prepare counties as they grow.","House Bill 36 87 would require minimum training and certification for county fire marshals in counties over 100,000 population; Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie Christiansen testified in support, saying current statute is outdated.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6055347,"Committee hears wide-ranging debate on SB 3071, which would allow injunctions if voter-approved tax uses materially deviate",2915,2369000,5284000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3320052-96b6fa484474cdbe9e1c7f0a667f2a66&start=2369&end=5284","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3320052-96b6fa484474cdbe9e1c7f0a667f2a66/thumbnail_2369000.jpg","/articles/6055347/Texas/Committee-hears-wide-ranging-debate-on-SB-3071-which-would-allow-injunctions-if-voter-approved-tax-uses-materially-deviate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6055347-666a66274bd09fe907593f101f190c05/orig.mp4?Expires=1770714420&Signature=SN-~wFAA9ICtXUTmkvr5mVtBowvR-EdbhZu9Q9s9ewKYJAg5smglQag2UpXB4ZSTUoIOsxyJBzozKhH~fehfDYO5FFlq2rMl70Ab5HIjfx00RO562BIklmA88sYsZiOGigZGTTB-kYcQJ4vC9FAtPXkg3o-hHPdaGADtMfEXMVmzyqqvgiEQJhcJ0BzxryLW0j1cX-On0j~EWAcgyHOzS6xsGDAFFQH0Q8YLOsvgv8JoXcMyuoXIN2Oxfu2JoYGDNXQ7AVXJUCu16ZHz0TCZkttA8l3xqgN5WNrx~qnk8QyPPqoOv4r4L83y1aYCTSyKpqeEtgebRZ18ZXS7jByTyw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Committee on Local Government heard extended testimony on Senate Bill 3,071, which would permit a property owner to obtain an injunction to halt collection of taxes when a taxing unit materially deviates from the purpose stated on the ballot for a voter-approved tax rate.

Senator Bettencourt, who laid out the bill, said the measure seeks to “codify limits on how much a local government can change the purpose for a tax rate election after the votes have been cast.” He told the committee the protection already exists for bond elections and should similarly apply to tax-rate elections.

The committee substitute, described in committee, would add legislative-counsel language specifying that the act applies only when the material deviation occurs after the act’s effective date; the sponsor said the act takes effect immediately if it receives two-thirds support for immediate effect, otherwise on Sept. 1.

Witnesses were divided. Rick Fine, an attorney who practices in property-tax law, supported the bill and said clearer statutory guardrails would reduce litigation over when a taxing unit has changed the use of voter-approved funds: “This statute would actually prevent a lot of litigation,” he said, adding that the bill provides “very, very lenient” guidelines for permissible deviation.

Opponents warned of unintended consequences. Jay Blaze Crossley, representing Farm & City (a transportation and planning nonprofit), opposed the bill and said it could effectively make tax-rate elections impractical by exposing taxing units to perpetual legal risk. “It creates a significant legal time and cost for cities,” Crossley said, arguing the result might be fewer local tax-rate elections.

Several witnesses used Austin’s Project Connect as an example of the kind of large infrastructure program supporters say triggered the bill. Susan Spataro, who testified earlier in the hearing, said that when project scope and alignments changed after voters approved financing measures, the deviations were material and required a remedy: “When you’re taking taxpayers’ dollars, you need to tell them the truth,” she said.

Transit Forward’s executive director, Ashika (Ashika) Ganguly, opposed the bill on similar grounds, telling the committee that large projects face inflation, supply-chain and engineering changes, and that a 33% cost increase is “not failure, it’s just a simple reality” in current construction conditions. Ganguly said the bill’s “vague definition of material deviation” risks encouraging lawsuits, draining public funds and undermining voter trust.

Proponents pointed to a 15-day filing window in the substitute and to existing mechanisms that limit frivolous suits, including court rules and bond requirements. Senator Bettencourt and other supporters argued the bill includes specific factors—such as a 33% increase in projected cost, significant reduction in scope, or a change in stated purpose—that courts could use to decide whether a deviation is material.

The committee took the testimony and left the committee substitute pending subject to the call of the chair. No committee vote was taken the day of the hearing.","Senate Bill 3,071 would let property owners seek injunctions barring tax collection when a taxing unit materially deviates from the purpose described in a voter-approved tax-rate ballot; senators and witnesses debated standards, effects on voter-approved financing and Project Connect examples.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6055351,"Senate committee hears competing views on HB 24 change to zoning protest petitions",628,1519000,2147000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3320052-96b6fa484474cdbe9e1c7f0a667f2a66&start=1519&end=2147","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3320052-96b6fa484474cdbe9e1c7f0a667f2a66/thumbnail_1519000.jpg","/articles/6055351/Texas/Senate-committee-hears-competing-views-on-HB-24-change-to-zoning-protest-petitions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6055351-fff46ba387221336e4c067761bf843b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770714420&Signature=ITiVYNSjDfyvahTC32Umicso8Bp~nQgP~lwNfo9DswX5spI-2aCsra6iTCw0itiYAG7BWa~rYOJINwmAXPcnlLNczsjUS-tX6Ncij85~onDFDXEcpl0wKcQGVq4qIyQga4eVzO1Nhu4vng49IuhE3yhhkfGhkArnHpAD1RKWfC59JCPhmSA3uVO-h23x3JaRQAAFVvL6tZwSINhYJpI8n2SGhJDwN5G5Q3snCeTL5woNslKY2R2fEnlEsVRaMYtPuuAtwPSdQG7NfiU-Mcllzcdf3MYNDuiRbS9nfgwygLDOQc~cGo~kmPXe2f4ug2mZqvgQ5ZZsqMSD109HJ-l8kQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Committee on Local Government on Tuesday heard hours of public testimony and debate on the committee substitute to House Bill 24, a measure that would narrow when surrounding property owners can use petition protests to force a supermajority vote on local zoning changes.

The substitute, offered by Senator Hughes, would limit the protest mechanism to rezonings that “result in more residential development” rather than allowing protests to apply broadly to commercial or industrial changes. Senator Hughes said the change was intended “to address those concerns” about the kinds of projects covered while keeping the bill focused on housing affordability.

The bill’s supporters said it addresses the state’s housing shortfall. Judge Shepherd, a policy analyst for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, testified in favor and cited a state comptroller estimate, saying, “According to the comptroller 2023, Texas is about 306,000 homes short of what’s needed.” He told the committee that a minority of property owners should not be able to block zoning changes that increase housing supply.

Opponents, including nearby residents and neighborhood advocates, said the substitute weakens longstanding protest rights and reduces local checks on zoning changes. Betsy Greenberg, testifying for herself, warned that HB 24 would replace a supermajority safeguard with a simple majority and urged lawmakers, “Please do not pass HB 24.” Barbara McArthur argued the bill “eliminates the longstanding right of families to file written protest against a harmful zoning change next to their home,” and said parts of the substitute could also shorten legal deadlines for court challenges.

Susan Spataro, who said she frequently appears before the committee, told members that recent zoning shifts in Austin already have changed single-family neighborhoods. “This definitely destroys the nature of a single-family neighborhood,” Spataro said, describing tall multifamily projects near long-standing homes.

Supporters including Emily Bridal (as she identified herself to the committee) framed the substitute as a modernization of a 100-year-old statute that they said is often used to block housing. “This statute is used to kill housing,” Bridal said, and thanked the committee for efforts aimed at “improving housing affordability.”

The committee opened public testimony, heard multiple witnesses on both sides and then closed the public record. The committee substitute to House Bill 24 was left pending subject to the call of the chair.

The debate reflected a broader statewide tension lawmakers have pursued this session between easing regulatory barriers to housing and preserving local notice and protest tools for neighbors. The committee did not vote on the substitute on the day it was discussed; members left the item pending for later consideration.

For now, the statute that governs protest petitions and the precise petition thresholds remain unchanged until the committee reports the substitute to the full Senate or takes further action.","The Committee on Local Government heard testimony for and against a committee substitute to House Bill 24, which would limit the ability of nearby property owners to veto rezoning by petition and instead require a lower protest threshold for many rezonings affecting residential housing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee considers HB 4506 to let municipalities offer electronic zoning notices by opt-in

Committee hears bill to set statewide qualifications for county fire marshals in larger counties

Committee hears wide-ranging debate on SB 3071, which would allow injunctions if voter-approved tax uses materially deviate

Senate committee hears competing views on HB 24 change to zoning protest petitions