Texas Governor David Acton said Monday he has signed the Texas Inflation Relief Act of 2026, a state package that his office said is aimed at lowering costs for families and businesses through tax changes, housing measures, permitting reforms and regulatory limits. In a press release announcing the signing, Acton described the law as a response to inflation pressures and said his administration would move quickly to carry out its provisions. “Today we are striking a blow against inflation by cutting taxes, boosting housing supply, and reducing government burdens,” Acton said in the release. He added that the bill would put “real money back in Texans’ pockets.” According to the release, the new law expands the business personal property exemption to $250,000 per location and applies accelerated appraisal caps limited to 3% annual increases. The administration also said the measure includes a six-month preemption of restrictive local zoning on new single-family and multi-family housing in high-demand areas, along with a 60-day fast-track permitting process for residential construction and infrastructure projects. The law also sets a “one-in, two-out” rule for regulations paired with cost-benefit analysis, according to the governor’s office. Other elements listed in the release include the removal of barriers to vocational training, apprenticeships and certifications, as well as the creation of a Texas DOGE Task Force focused on cutting waste and bureaucracy. Acton’s office said the act also permanently bans taxpayer-funded lobbying, requires full competitive bidding transparency and provides liability protections for farmers and ranchers against what the release described as activist lawsuits. The broader law is set to sunset in nine months, while the administration said key accountability measures will remain permanent. Implementation begins immediately, the release said, with executive actions expected on permitting reforms and establishment of the DOGE Task Force. The press release did not provide additional operational details on how agencies will apply the housing, zoning or permitting provisions, or when specific executive actions will be issued. The signing follows a short public push by the governor on the issue. In recent days, Acton had announced the legislation, then said it had reached the Legislature floor while urging swift passage. The new release did not include vote totals or further details about legislative debate. The package arrives at a time when cost of living remains a major political issue nationally and in many states. In Texas, the mix of tax relief, housing supply measures and business regulation changes places the law at the center of several recurring policy debates, including how aggressively states should intervene in local land-use rules, how quickly residential construction can be approved, and how much regulatory review is appropriate during periods of elevated costs. Because the measure sunsets in nine months, its immediate effects may receive close attention from both supporters and critics as implementation begins. The press release framed the temporary structure as a way to deliver near-term relief while preserving some permanent oversight provisions. It did not include estimates for fiscal impact, projected housing production, or the number of businesses and workers expected to be affected. The law’s housing provisions may draw particular notice because they temporarily override some local zoning restrictions in high-demand areas and require faster permit processing for housing and infrastructure. Those steps echo broader state-level efforts elsewhere to accelerate construction and address affordability concerns, though the Texas release did not compare the law directly with other states’ policies. For now, the immediate next phase is administrative. Under the governor’s announcement, state agencies are expected to begin implementing the act at once, while Acton prepares follow-up executive actions tied to permitting reforms and the new task force.