Bill > HB246

This bill establishes a comprehensive border crime property damage compensation program administered by the Attorney General to help landowners and lessees who suffer property damage related to specific criminal activities near the border. The program defines "border crime" as offenses involving transnational criminal activity, including certain drug, human trafficking, and criminal trespass violations. Landowners and lessees can receive compensation for damage to agricultural land, buildings, livestock, timber, or crops caused by trespassers engaged in border crimes or by law enforcement responses to such trespassers. The program will have a maximum compensation limit of $75,000 per incident, with a separate $10,000 cap for livestock, timber, and crop damages. The Attorney General will create standardized forms, eligibility criteria, and application procedures, and will require law enforcement agencies to provide documentation of the damage. Importantly, the bill also prohibits insurance companies from considering claims related to these border crime incidents when setting insurance rates, and ensures that the victim's identifying information remains confidential. The program will apply only to damages incurred from offenses occurring on or after the bill's effective date of September 1, 2025, with insurance policy changes taking effect on January 1, 2026.

Government Affairs

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB246