Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – Governor Greg Abbott today ceremonially signed Senate Bill 38 and Senate Bill 1333 into law to close loopholes, remove squatters, and defend homeowners' property rights during a bill signing ceremony at the Texas Capitol.
- "Texas is facing a squatting crisis, with property owners struggling to evict delinquent tenants or remove people who were never supposed to be on their property in the first place,” said Governor Abbott.
"Through these new laws, homeowners now have an efficient means of evicting squatters from their property... Private property rights are a cornerstone of our Texas values."
The Governor was joined by Speaker Dustin Burrows, Senator Bryan Hughes, Senator Paul Bettencourt, Representative Katrina Pierson, Representative Jeff Leach, Texas Association of Business President & CEO Glenn Hamer, Texas Public Policy Foundation CEO Greg Sindelar, and Greystar Managing Director of Real Estate Renee Zahn.
Senate Bill 38 (Bettencourt/Chen Button) streamlines the eviction process by clarifying venue requirements and establishing consistent timelines for trials and appeals, including a requirement that a court hold a trial in eviction suits within 21 days of a petition being filed.
Senate Bill 1333 (Hughes/Leach) empowers sheriffs and constables to take action quickly when a property owner submits a sworn complaint that a squatter has taken possession of their property unlawfully. It also increases criminal penalties for criminal mischief related to criminal trespass involving a home and engaging in a real estate transaction involving property the person does not have a legal interest in.
