AUSTIN – Governor David Acton today filed the Texas Inflation Relief Act of 2026, a focused, temporary package to deliver real relief to families and businesses by attacking high taxes, housing shortages, and government bureaucracy. “Inflation is a hidden tax on Texas families,” said Governor Acton. “This bill cuts costs where it matters most: property taxes, housing, and regulations—while protecting agriculture and improving government efficiency. It’s careful but impactful relief that puts money back in Texans’ pockets without new spending.” Key provisions of the bill include:

• Property Tax Relief: Expands the business personal property exemption to $250,000 per location and accelerates appraisal caps to a maximum 3% annual increase for the next two years.
• Housing Supply Boost: Preempts restrictive local zoning on new single-family and multi-family housing in high-demand areas for six months and fast-tracks residential construction and infrastructure permits to 60 days (with deemed approval if unmet).
• Regulatory Relief: Implements a “one-in, two-out” rule for new regulations with cost-benefit analysis (90-day sunset).
• Workforce Access: Removes barriers to vocational training, apprenticeships, and industry certifications.
• Government Efficiency: Creates a Texas DOGE Task Force for a comprehensive audit to cut waste and reduce bloat.
• Permanent Protections: Bans taxpayer-funded lobbying, requires full competitive bidding transparency for contracts, and provides strong liability protections for farmers and ranchers against activist lawsuits. The bill includes a nine-month sunset clause (with exceptions for key accountability measures). “This legislation builds on our recent energy successes by tackling the cost-of-living crisis head-on,” Governor Acton added. “I urge the Legislature to pass the Texas Inflation Relief Act quickly so we can keep Texas affordable and prosperous.” The bill is filed for consideration in the current monthly session.