A new bill authored by State Rep. Cecil Bell Jr. in the Texas House seeks to allow residents to grow fruits, vegetables, and raise certain animals on single-family lots while limiting municipal and association restrictions, according to the Texas Legislature website.
The bill on City Government, County Government, Courts, and Taxation category, introduced as HB 294 during the 89(1) legislative session on Friday, Aug. 8, was formally listed with the short title: ’Relating to the authority of the attorney general to investigate violations of law by certain local governments and to take action against those local governments to enforce the law’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill permits food production on single-family residential lots by preventing municipalities and property owners’ associations from enforcing laws or covenants that prohibit growing fruits and vegetables or raising up to six domestic fowl or rabbits. Municipalities may impose regulations ensuring good maintenance of visible growing areas and requirements regarding utility easements, odor, noise control, and safety, but they cannot enact measures that effectively prohibit these activities. Property owners’ associations are similarly limited, with additional stipulations for cottage food production and regulations on animal housing visibility, signage, and traffic. The bill excludes its application to condominium properties and voids regulations contrary to it. It becomes effective Sept. 1, 2025.
Cecil Bell Jr., the chair of the House Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs, proposed another 13 bills during the 89(1) legislative session. He is also a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources.
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.
| Legislative Session | Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 89(1) | HB 252 | 08/01/2025 | Relating to an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the total appraised value of the residence homesteads of certain elderly persons and their surviving spouses |
| 89(1) | HB 243 | 07/31/2025 | Relating to the selection of the chief appraiser of an appraisal district; authorizing a fee |
| 89(1) | HB 242 | 07/31/2025 | Relating to flood safety and disaster preparedness |
| 89(1) | HB 240 | 07/31/2025 | Relating to a limitation on increases in the appraised value of real property for ad valorem tax purposes |
| 89(1) | HB 219 | 07/28/2025 | Relating to prohibiting certain criteria in a local governmental agency contractor selection process |
| 89(1) | HB 13 | 07/28/2025 | Relating to the provision by a political subdivision of credits against impact fees to builders and developers for certain water conservation and reuse projects |
| 89(1) | HB 157 | 07/21/2025 | Relating to the limitation on increases in the appraised value of a residence homestead for ad valorem taxation |
| 89(1) | HB 156 | 07/21/2025 | Relating to the allocation and deposit of certain surplus state revenue to the property tax relief fund for use in reducing school district maintenance and operations ad valorem taxes |
| 89(1) | HB 155 | 07/21/2025 | Relating to the authority of a political subdivision to use public money for an environmental project |
| 89(1) | HB 154 | 07/21/2025 | Relating to a requirement that an appraisal review board rely on an appraisal of residential real property prepared by an appraiser and submitted to the board by the property owner to determine a protest regarding the value of the property |
| 89(1) | HB 104 | 07/16/2025 | Relating to municipal and county financial requirements |
| 89(1) | HB 103 | 07/16/2025 | Relating to state preemption of certain municipal and county regulation |
| 89(1) | HB 97 | 07/15/2025 | Relating to the authority of the legislature or a state court to declare certain federal actions to be unconstitutional federal actions, including the effect and enforcement of such a declaration |
| 89(R) | HB 5701 | 05/09/2025 | Relating to the provision of water supply service by the Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 140 to land located wholly or partly in the territory of another district |
| 89(R) | HB 5698 | 05/01/2025 | Relating to the name of and appointment of directors for the Harris-Montgomery Counties Management District |
| 89(R) | HB 5681 | 04/17/2025 | Relating to the powers of the Westwood Magnolia Parkway Improvement District |
| 89(R) | HB 5612 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to state preemption of certain municipal and county regulation |
| 89(R) | HB 5317 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the establishment of a risk management pool to provide insurance coverage |
| 89(R) | HB 5267 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to municipal and county financial requirements |
| 89(R) | HB 5266 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the authority of the attorney general to investigate violations of law by certain local governments and to take action against those local governments to enforce the law |
| 89(R) | HB 5203 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to state preemption of certain municipal and county regulation |
| 89(R) | HB 5197 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the eligibility of ratepayers to file an appeal regarding water, drainage, or sewer rates with the Public Utility Commission of Texas |
| 89(R) | HB 5176 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the retired members of the Texas State Guard |
| 89(R) | HB 5172 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the creation of a district |
| 89(R) | HB 5167 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to membership in the Employees Retirement System of Texas by certain service members of the Texas National Guard |
| 89(R) | HB 1585 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to housing finance corporations and to the location of residential developments owned by those corporations |
| 89(R) | HB 4872 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the calculation of penalties for violating certain laws governing the prompt payment of claims submitted by a physician or health care provider to certain health benefit plan issuers |
| 89(R) | HB 4756 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to certain advertisements for prescription drugs |
| 89(R) | HB 4505 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the establishment of the workforce housing capital investment fund program to fund the development of workforce housing in this state; authorizing a fee |
| 89(R) | HB 4496 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to municipal diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives |
| 89(R) | HB 4495 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the spacing and density requirements applicable to certain oil and gas wells |
| 89(R) | HB 4494 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to county regulation of residential development |
| 89(R) | HB 4491 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to fireworks sales to the public by retail fireworks permit holders on certain dates |
| 89(R) | HB 4485 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to eligibility for a general permit to discharge waste into or adjacent to waters in this state |
| 89(R) | HB 4317 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to severance pay for political subdivision employees and independent contractors |
| 89(R) | HB 4316 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to the authority of a county or municipality to prohibit or restrict the use of a certain mode of transportation on a roadway |
| 89(R) | HB 4314 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to prohibiting certain criteria in a local governmental agency contractor selection process |
| 89(R) | HB 4313 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to the authority of a political subdivision to use public money for an environmental project |
| 89(R) | HB 4138 | 03/10/2025 | Relating to the expiration date of certain permits issued by groundwater conservation districts |
| 89(R) | HB 4045 | 03/07/2025 | Relating to the allocation of low income housing tax credits |
| 89(R) | HB 3897 | 03/06/2025 | Relating to territory in an emergency services district that is annexed by a municipality |
| 89(R) | HB 3892 | 03/06/2025 | Relating to county regulation related to infrastructure planning for subdivisions and county authority to regulate building and set-back lines |
| 89(R) | HB 3875 | 03/05/2025 | Relating to the provision by a political subdivision of credits against impact fees to builders and developers for certain water conservation and reuse projects |
| 89(R) | HB 3641 | 03/03/2025 | Relating to the authority of counties to regulate noise levels in residential areas; creating a criminal offense |
| 89(R) | HB 3098 | 02/20/2025 | Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for certain assaults committed against employees of primary and secondary schools and to the conditions of community supervision for that offense |
| 89(R) | HB 2541 | 02/06/2025 | Relating to the waiver of state park entrance, admission, and vehicle entrance fees for certain holders of state parklands passports and their immediate family members |
| 89(R) | HB 2540 | 02/06/2025 | Relating to the issuance of specialty license plates for recipients of certain Texas military awards |
| 89(R) | HB 2303 | 01/31/2025 | Relating to electric market payments for and an exemption from sales and use taxes for customer-sited distributed generation |
| 89(R) | HB 2013 | 01/22/2025 | Relating to the authority of certain property owners’ associations to prohibit or restrict the keeping of chickens |
| 89(R) | HB 2012 | 01/22/2025 | Relating to regulation by certain counties of roadside or parking lot vendors and solicitors |
