Houston Republic

Rep. Mike Schofield introduced HB 5522, a bill on Courts, Crimes, Property Interests, and Taxation, to the Texas House on Monday, April 7 during the 89(R) legislative session, according to the Texas Legislature website.

More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’Relating to the unauthorized occupancy of real property and a credit against the ad valorem taxes imposed on the real property; creating a criminal offense’’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

This bill addresses unauthorized occupancy of real property, commonly known as squatting, by establishing criminal penalties and providing remedies for property owners. It creates a Class A misdemeanor offense for unauthorized occupancy, escalating to a state jail felony or third-degree felony for repeat offenders. Property owners may seek a temporary or permanent injunction through local courts to remove unauthorized occupants. Additionally, the bill allows property owners to request a writ of mandamus to transfer prosecution to an adjoining county if local authorities refuse to prosecute. Furthermore, it introduces a tax credit for owners whose property is occupied without their consent, with the credit amount varying based on the duration of unauthorized occupancy. The tax credit provisions take effect Jan. 1, 2026, subject to voter approval of a constitutional amendment. The rest of the bill's provisions become effective on Sept. 1, 2025.

Mike Schofield, member of the House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence, proposed another 26 bills during the 89(R) legislative session.

Schofield graduated from Rutgers University with a BS and again from Louisiana State University with a JD.

Mike Schofield is currently serving in the Texas State House, representing the state's 132nd House district. He replaced previous state representative Gina Calanni in 2021.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
HB 5514	04/07/2025	Relating to the authority of a municipality or county to allow the construction of multifamily housing in certain areas
HB 5477	04/07/2025	Relating to the court orders eligible for an interlocutory appeal
HB 5470	04/07/2025	Relating to the authority of sheriffs and constables to enter into contracts to provide law enforcement services in certain counties and county financial authority in relation to sheriffs and constables in certain counties
HB 336	04/07/2025	Relating to the authority of sheriffs and constables to enter into contracts to provide law enforcement services in certain counties and county financial authority in relation to sheriffs and constables in certain counties
HB 4983	04/03/2025	Relating to an elective course on firearms safety for public high school students and a virtual course on firearms safety for the public
HB 4726	04/03/2025	Relating to the prohibited provision of homeless services in certain locations
HB 4723	04/03/2025	Relating to prohibiting the use of environmental, social, or governance scores; providing a civil penalty
HB 4717	04/03/2025	Relating to the creation of the office of state special prosecutor
HB 4512	04/03/2025	Relating to the creation of an additional county civil court at law in Harris County
HB 4501	04/03/2025	Relating to statutory construction
HB 1246	03/17/2025	Relating to the authority of sheriffs and constables to enter into contracts to provide law enforcement services and county financial authority in relation to sheriffs and constables
HB 2280	03/14/2025	Relating to the authority of a property owners' association to regulate a property owner's display of political signs
HB 1519	03/12/2025	Relating to the election date for the authorization of the issuance of bonds or a tax increase
HB 1516	03/12/2025	Relating to prohibiting the imposition of a monetary fine or penalty for a violation of a money services business's terms of service agreement; providing a civil penalty
HB 1263	03/10/2025	Relating to the verification of citizenship of an applicant for voter registration
HB 1087	03/07/2025	Relating to the process for filling a vacancy on the board of certain property owners' associations
HB 959	03/06/2025	Relating to the date of the primary election runoff
HB 951	03/06/2025	Relating to requiring a voter to be affiliated with a political party to vote in that party's primary election or otherwise participate in that party's affairs; creating a criminal offense
HB 924	03/06/2025	Relating to the location where certain sales are consummated for purposes of local sales and use taxes
HB 918	03/06/2025	Relating to the authority of a property owners' association to regulate the assembly, association, and speech of property owners or residents
HB 831	03/05/2025	Relating to the interlocutory appeal of certain orders regarding the constitutionality, effect, or enforceability of a statute
HB 788	03/05/2025	Relating to daylight saving time
HB 739	03/05/2025	Relating to the rate at which interest accrues in connection with the deferral or abatement of the collection of ad valorem taxes on certain residence homesteads
HB 558	03/03/2025	Relating to the provision of funding under the public school finance system on the basis of property values that take into account optional homestead exemptions
HB 455	02/28/2025	Relating to the establishment of a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that certain taxing units may impose on the residence homesteads of individuals who are disabled or elderly and their surviving spouses
HB 209	02/27/2025	Relating to the separation of federal elections from state and local elections, and to related practices and procedures