Texas lawmaker files $17 billion household rebate bill

Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez has filed a bill proposing one-time $1,500 payments to eligible households, advancing Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa’s campaign pledge to address rising living costs. The plan would use about $17 billion from the state’s Economic Stabilization Fund, which holds more than $27 billion, and would require the comptroller to establish a new process for verifying eligibility and distributing payments, potentially by the end of 2027. The bill argues that an affordability emergency qualifies as a “public calamity,” a legal basis for direct payments; it does not specify a U.S. citizenship requirement. The proposal faces a steep path to passage: withdrawing the funds requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers, including substantial Republican support in the GOP-led Senate.