In late March, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows released interim charges directing legislative committees to study key policy issues ahead of the 90th Texas Legislative session. Although the next regular session will not begin until January 12, 2027, and will run through May 31, 2027, the legislative groundwork is already underway. Interim hearings, stakeholder testimony, bill drafting, and committee reports over the coming months will help shape what reaches the Capitol next session and how those issues are framed.
For TAAHP, that makes the interim an important early stage in the legislative process. This year’s charges include several issues that could directly affect housing affordability, local development costs, permitting, insurance pressures, public financing tools, and implementation of legislation passed during the 89th Legislative session.
Members who want to review the complete lists can find the Senate interim charges from the Lieutenant Governor’s office and the House interim charges from the Texas House online. This post highlights the charges TAAHP expects to track closely because of their potential impact on affordable housing development and preservation in Texas.
TAAHP’s Early Engagement
Earlier this year, TAAHP submitted its own proposed interim charges to help elevate housing production, tax exemption implementation, and appraisal issues before the agenda was finalized. While those proposals were not adopted as standalone charges, they remain useful context for understanding the issues TAAHP worked to place before lawmakers and where the association’s priorities may still intersect with the interim work ahead.
For members who want to revisit that effort, TAAHP’s February post on its proposed interim charges outlines the specific recommendations the association submitted as part of its early strategy for the 90th Legislative Session.
Senate Charges TAAHP Will Be Tracking
The Senate Local Government Committee received some of the most important housing related charges for TAAHP. Most notably, the committee was directed to report on implementation of SB 15, SB 840, SB 2477, and SB 2038 and make recommendations to strengthen property rights as a cornerstone of Texas housing affordability. The same committee will also study local government fees, including utility connection charges, permit and inspection fees, and drainage or stormwater improvement fees, as well as transparency and oversight issues involving county appraisal district funding.
The Senate Business and Commerce Committee will examine the rising cost of property and casualty insurance in Texas, including market stability, insurer participation, and coverage availability. Because insurance continues to be a growing cost pressure for housing providers, owners, and residents, this is another area TAAHP will be following closely.
House Charges TAAHP Will Be Tracking
On the House side, the Intergovernmental Affairs Committee will monitor implementation and associated rule making of legislation passed by the committee and enacted by the 89th Legislature. That makes the committee especially important because agency implementation and rule making often determine how legislation functions in practice. The committee also received a charge to study HUD’s Foster Youth to Independence Initiative and examine best practices for preventing homelessness among young adults aging out of foster care.
The House Land and Resource Management Committee received one of the clearest housing affordability charges in the House. In addition to monitoring implementation of recent housing related bills such as HB 24, SB 15, SB 840, and SB 1567, the committee was directed to examine how local fees, third party review, and pre-approval of residential building plans may improve housing attainability and affordability. The committee will also study municipal utility districts and their impact on housing affordability and growth management.
The House Insurance Committee will study the cost drivers behind property and casualty insurance premiums and their impact on home affordability in Texas, with particular attention to coastal and catastrophe exposed regions. The charge also asks the committee to examine strategies used in other states and consider whether additional statutory changes are needed to reduce costs while maintaining consumer protections and market stability.
Why This Matters
Interim charges do not guarantee legislation, but they are one of the clearest indicators of where lawmakers want committees to focus before bill filing begins. They help determine which issues receive hearings, staff attention, and formal recommendations before the pressures of session take over.
While TAAHP’s proposed interim charges were not adopted as standalone items, many of the same concerns still appear in the broader interim agenda, especially in the Senate Local Government and House Intergovernmental Affairs committees.
That gives TAAHP an important opportunity to stay engaged, bring member expertise into the process, and help shape the housing conversations that could carry into the 90th Legislative Session.