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Texas Proposition 17, Property Tax Exemption for Border Security Infrastructure Amendment (2025)
| Texas Proposition 17 | |
|---|---|
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| Election date |
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| Topic Property tax exemptions |
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| Status On the ballot |
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| Type Legislatively referred constitutional amendment |
Origin |
Texas Proposition 17, the Property Tax Exemption for Border Infrastructure Amendment, is on the ballot in Texas as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 4, 2025.[1][2]
A "yes" vote supports allowing the Texas State Legislature to exempt from property taxes increases in a property's value—located in a county bordering Mexico—that results from building or installing border security infrastructure. |
A "no" vote opposes allowing the Texas State Legislature to exempt from property taxes increases in a property's value—located in a county bordering Mexico—that results from building or installing border security infrastructure. |
Overview
What would Proposition 17 do?
- See also: Text of measure
Proposition 17 would amend Article 8 of the state constitution to authorize the state legislature, through law, to provide a property tax exemption for an increase in a property's value as a result of installing or constructioning border security infrastructure or related improvements on a property in a county bordering Mexico. The amendment would authorize the state legislature to define border security infrastructure and to pass additional eligibility requirements for the exemption.[2]
The Texas State Legislature passed the implementing legislation, House Bill 247, during the 2025 legislative session. You can read the details of the bill here.
Who supports and opposes Proposition 17?
- See also: Support and Opposition
South Texans’ Property Rights Association, Texas Farm Bureau (AGFUND), and Texas Policy Research endorsed Proposition 17. Texas Policy Research said, "Proposition 17 respects private property rights, individual liberty, and limited government by preventing tax penalties for landowners who choose to invest in border security. While exemptions should be used sparingly, this one is well-targeted and permissive, offering relief without expanding state programs or spending."[3][4]
True Texas Project registered in opposition to Proposition 17 during the legislative session.[4] Ballotpedia has not located arguments in opposition to the ballot measure. You can share arguments, along with source links for this information, with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title is as follows:[2]
| “ | The constitutional amendment to authorize the legislature to provide for an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the amount of the market value of real property located in a county that borders the United Mexican States that arises from the installation or construction on the property of border security infrastructure and related improvements.[5] | ” |
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article 8, Texas Constitution
The measure would amend Article 8 of the state constitution. The following underlined text would be added:[2]
Section 1-y.
(a) The legislature by general law may exempt from ad valorem taxation the amount of the market value of real property located in a county that borders the United Mexican States that arises from the installation or construction on the property of border security infrastructure and related improvements.
(b) The legislature by general law may define "border security infrastructure" for the purposes of this section and may prescribe additional eligibility requirements for the exemption authorized by this section.[5]
Full text
The full text is available here.
Support
Supporters
Officials
- State Rep. Ryan Guillen (R)
Organizations
Arguments
Opposition
Ballotpedia has not located a campaign in opposition to the ballot measure. You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, with us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Opponents
Organizations
Arguments
You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.
Campaign finance
Ballotpedia has not identified any committees registered to support or oppose Proposition 17. If you are aware of a committee registered to support or oppose this amendment, please email editor@ballotpedia.org.
| Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Oppose | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Background
House Bill 247 (2025)
The Texas State Legislature adopted the implementing legislation for Proposition 17, House Bill 247 (HB 247), during the 2025 legislative session. HB 247 would take effect on January 1, 2026, if Proposition 17 is approved.
HB 247 would add a property tax exemption to the state tax code for the increased amount of the appraised value of property located in counties bordering Mexico that arises from the installation or construction of border security infrastructure and related improvements. The bill defines border security infrastructure as a "wall, barrier, fence, road, trench, apparatus, or other improvement designed or adapted to surveil or impede the movement of persons or objects crossing the Texas-Mexico border."[6]
The property tax exemption would also apply to the installation or construction of border security infrastructure:[6]
- under a qualified border security infrastructure agreement between the state or federal government and the private property owner or
- on private land used by the state or federal government under a recorded easement.
HB 247 would also prohibit an appraiser from considering the price paid by the state or federal government to purchase a parcel of or an easement in the property if the purchase was to install or construct border security infrastructure.
HB 247 passed in the state House by a vote of 134-13, with three not voting or absent. It passed in the state Senate by a vote of 23-8.[7]
According to the Comptroller of Public Accounts, there is active construction as of May 2025 that could be subject to the exemption in Cameron, Starr, Zapata, Webb, Maverick, and Val Verde counties.[8][9]
Texas counties bordering Mexico
The property tax exemption proposed by Proposition 17 would apply to Texas counties bordering Mexico. Fifteen counties in Texas border Mexico, including:
Texas ad valorem property tax system
In 1968, Texas voters adopted Proposition 7, which provided for a gradual reduction in the state property tax and eventual abolishment after 1978, with exceptions for certain institutions of higher learning. In 1982, this exception for certain higher education institutions to levy state ad valorem property taxes was repealed with the passage of Proposition 1. As of 2025, only local taxing units, cities, counties, school districts, junior colleges, and special districts levy ad valorem taxes.
Path to the ballot
Amending the Texas Constitution
- See also: Amending the Texas Constitution
A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session for the Texas State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 100 votes in the Texas House of Representatives and 21 votes in the Texas State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
House Joint Resolution 34 (2025)
The following is the timeline of the constitutional amendment in the state legislature:[1]
- March 3, 2025: House Joint Resolution 34 (HJR 34) was introduced.
- May 6, 2025: The House passed HJR 34 by a 116-20 vote.
- May 21, 2025: The Senate passed HJR 34 by a vote of 23-8.
Learn more about the ballot measures PDI →
| Votes Required to Pass: 100 | |||
| Yes | No | NV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 116 | 20 | 14 |
| Total % | 77.4% | 13.3% | 9.3% |
| Democratic (D) | 35 | 19 | 8 |
| Republican (R) | 81 | 1 | 6 |
| Votes Required to Pass: 21 | |||
| Yes | No | NV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 23 | 8 | 0 |
| Total % | 74.2% | 25.8% | 0.0% |
| Democratic (D) | 3 | 8 | 0 |
| Republican (R) | 20 | 0 | 0 |
How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in Texas
See below to learn more about current voter registration rules, identification requirements, and poll times in Texas.
See also
View other measures certified for the 2025 ballot across the U.S. and in Texas.
Explore Texas's ballot measure history, including constitutional amendments.
Understand how measures are placed on the ballot and the rules that apply.
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Texas State Legislature, "HJR 34," accessed May 6, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Texas State Legislature, "HJR 34 text," accessed May 2, 2025
- ↑ Texas Policy Research, "Texas 2025 constitutional amendments explained," accessed July 10, 2025
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Texas State Legislature, "HJR 34 witness list," accessed July 10, 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 6.0 6.1 Texas State Legislature, "HB 247 text," accessed July 10, 2025
- ↑ Texas State Legislature, "HB 247 history," accessed July 10, 2025
- ↑ Texas Facilities Commission, "June 18, 2025 update," accessed July 10, 2025
- ↑ Texas State Legislature, "HB 247 fiscal note," accessed July 10, 2025
- ↑ VoteTexas.gov, "Who, What, Where, When, How," accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Request for Voter Registration Applications,” accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Voter Registration,” accessed February 27, 2023
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed July 28, 2024
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Request for Voter Registration Applications," accessed July 28, 2024
- ↑ Texas Constitution and Statutes, “Election Code,” accessed February 23, 2023
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, “Texas officials flag tens of thousands of voters for citizenship checks,” January 25, 2019
- ↑ The New York Times, “Federal Judge Halts ‘Ham-Handed’ Texas Voter Purge,” February 28, 2019
- ↑ The New York Times, “Texas Ends Review That Questioned Citizenship of Almost 100,000 Voters,” April 26, 2019
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, “Secretary Whitley Announces Settlement In Litigation On Voter Registration List Maintenance Activity,” April 26, 2019
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 Texas Secretary of State, "Required Identification for Voting in Person," accessed February 27, 2023 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "tvid" defined multiple times with different content
