No More Vehicle Inspections? Not So Fast, North Texas

From Staff Reports

Headlines across the Lone Star State raved that starting Jan. 1, there would be no more required annual safety inspections for personal vehicles. But in counties that require vehicle emissions tests, you’ll still have to pass an inspection. 

For North Texans, that includes Dallas, Collin, Denton, Tarrant, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, and Rockwall counties. 

House Bill 3297, which repealed a section of the state transportation code that required those inspections, passed in the 2023 legislative session and became effective on the first day of 2025. Although it’s inconvenient to pay the nominal fee and take the car in for an updated sticker, the good news is you’ll have the peace of mind that you’re not contributing to pollution. Let’s be honest, there are a few old vehicles on Dallas roadways that could use an emissions test. 

So what else is new? Not much. Most of the legislation that passed in the 88th session has already been enacted. 

According to reports, Senate Bill 2, known as the Property Tax Relief Act, states that school districts will be entitled to additional state aid to make up for lost property tax revenue if the districts aren’t “fully compensated” through state funds and the calculation of excess local revenue.

Another new law that became effective on New Year’s Day was House Bill 4, which empowers consumers to designate an authorized agent to opt out of having their personal data sold or used in targeted advertising.

A roundup of new Texas legislation was published in the Dallas Morning News on Dec. 23. 

Housing Bills to Watch

Texas lawmakers return to the Capitol next week and we’ll be watching closely to see what happens with housing. 

Six Housing Bills to Watch in Upcoming 89th Texas Legislative Session

Six housing bills we’re following include: 

• Senate Bill 234, introduced by Sen. Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas) would incentivize private sector construction of hundreds of thousands of workforce housing units through low-interest mezzanine financing. 
• House Bill 369 relates to the authority of a municipality to regulate the number of dwellings allowed on a certain property. Rep. Carl Tepper (R-Lubbock) wants to “prohibit municipalities from adopting or enforcing ordinances, zoning variances, or other regulations that allow for the construction of more than one single-family dwelling on a lot that was zoned for single-family dwellings … and is located in a subdivision with at least one developed lot.” 
• House Bill 878, sponsored by Cody Vasut (R-Angleton), relates to the regulation of residential land use and accessory dwelling units by a political subdivision, authorizing a fee. 
• House Bills 987 and 993, introduced by Steve Toth (R-The Woodlands), attempt to ensure a reasonable turnaround for building permits. House Bill 987 relates to the time for issuance of a municipal building permit, and  House Bill 993 relates to the time for processing a municipal building permit application.
• Senate Bill 210 relates to municipal permitting requirements for certain development projects supported with low-income housing tax credit allocations. Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) introduced the bill and it’s highlighted in the City of Dallas’ legislative priorities.

The aforementioned legislation is just a fraction of what has been filed, and it’s clear that housing issues are at the top of many lawmakers’ minds. Texas legislators return to Austin for the start of the 89th session on Jan. 14. 

Dallas City Council’s Legislative Priorities

Each Dallas City Council member was assigned topics of focus last week for the upcoming state legislative session, according to a plan proposed by Councilmember Cara Mendelsohn, chair of the Ad Hoc Committee for Legislative Affairs.

The focus areas include but are not limited to citizenship, economic development, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, election dates, environmental issues, equity, foster care, gambling, homelessness, LGBTQ issues, marijuana, opioid policy, public safety, publication of notices, real estate policy and transparency, taxpayer-funded lobbying, tax increment financing for displacement, Vision Zero, and water.