AUSTIN — State Representative Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) this week co-authored House Bill 3, comprehensive legislation to fundamentally transform the public school finance system in Texas. School finance and property tax reform are the two top priorities for the 86th Texas Legislature and both have been declared emergency items by Governor Greg Abbott.

"I am proud to be a co-author of House Bill 3 and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to make sure it is passed," Landgraf said. "This is the kind of meaningful school finance reform I've been eager to make happen since before I became a member of the legislature."

House Bill 3 (also referred to as the "Texas Plan") invests in Texas students and teachers by adding $9 billion in state funding into our classrooms. It ushers in property tax reform by lowering school property taxes by 4 cents statewide, and for the Permian Basin, House Bill 3 reduces recapture, or "Robin Hood," by 38%. House Bill 3 also raises the minimum educator salary schedule and allocates an additional $140 million in funding for a teach quality program, providing districts with the resources for recruiting and retaining teachers in the classroom, which are desperately needed in West Texas.

“I applaud Brooks for authoring House Bill 3 and for taking us one step closer to passing transformational school finance legislation this session,” said Speaker Bonnen. “By committing to meaningful, lasting investments in Texas classrooms through House Bill 3, Brooks is at the forefront of preparing our students for the demands of a bustling workforce and keeping the State of Texas a beacon of economic opportunity. I look forward to working with Brooks to pass this critical legislation into law and thank him for his hard work in bringing this priority bill to fruition.”

To learn more, visit www.TheTexasPlan.com. The 86th Texas legislative session is underway and will run through May 27, 2019.