AUSTIN – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued this statement today following the bipartisan passage of Senate Bill 23 and Senate Joint Resolution 85, Increasing the Homestead Exemption to $200,000 for Seniors, by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston:

“Over the years, I have made increasing the homestead exemption my mission because it is the most effective way to deliver permanent property tax reductions for homeowners. When I became Lt. Governor in 2015 the homestead exemption was $15,000 and, today, the exemption is $100,000, and $110,000 for seniors. In 2023, the $100,000 homestead exemption was permanently codified into the Texas Constitution when voters passed Proposition 4 with 83% of voters in support. This made the $100,000 homestead exemption permanent, and homeowners will receive tax relief every single year, forever.

“Earlier this session, the Texas Senate passed SB 4 to increase the homestead exemption to $140,000, and $150,000 for seniors. When savings from SB 23, SB 4, and SB 1 are combined, the average Texas senior homeowner will save $950.87 on their property taxes. That is real tax relief.

“Because property taxes are frozen for seniors, the combined $200,000 homestead exemption means school property taxes would be ELIMINATED for the average Texas senior homeowner. Working with Speaker Burrows, I believe that we have a real opportunity to deliver this historic victory for Texas seniors! I thank Sen. Bettencourt for his shared commitment to delivering meaningful property tax relief for Texans.”

Senate Bill 23, by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, increases the homestead exemption for disabled Texans and Texans aged 65 or older from $10,000 to $60,000. When combined with the across-the-board $140,000 homestead exemption passed in Senate Bill 4 and Senate Joint Resolution 2, seniors and disabled Texans would receive a $200,000 homestead exemption. Because over-65 homeowners’ tax bills are already frozen, the combined $200,000 homestead exemption means school property taxes would be eliminated for the average over-65 homeowner.

Senate Joint Resolution 85, by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, is the constitutional amendment to permanently codify the $200,000 homestead exemption for seniors. The $200,000 exemption will be retroactive to 2025 and be submitted to voters during the November 2025 constitutional amendment election.