Legislative Track Record
Historic Property Tax Reductions
Delivered historic property tax relief for Texas families and businesses—passing a record $51 billion tax cut, the largest in state history.
More than tripling the homestead exemption to $140,000, raising it to $200,000 for seniors and disabled Texans, providing a $125,000 exemption for business equipment and inventory, and further cuts to school property tax rates.
Since 2019, these reforms have helped drive school district tax rates down significantly—for example, reducing the M&O tax rate in SBISD and HISD from just over $1.00 to about $0.70.
This is real, long-term property tax relief that makes Texas more affordable. But Mano knows more must be done to significantly reduce the property tax burden on Texas families and ensure homeowners can keep more of their hard-earned money.
Funding Schools And Protecting Children
In the 89th Legislative Session, Mano voted to pass the largest investment increase in public education in Texas history—more than $8.5 billion through House Bill 2 to support teachers, strengthen our schools, and help students succeed.
HB 2 provides $4.2 billion for permanent teacher pay raises and invests more than $2.2 billion in student success, including funding for special education, early literacy and numeracy programs, career and technical education, and $430 million for school safety improvements. Invested $1 billion in Education Savings Accounts to expand parental choice and give families more educational opportunities.
Mano’s work in the Texas legislature has helped increase state funding for public education and significantly reduce the burden of “Robin Hood” recapture on local taxpayers. By increasing the state’s share of school funding to over 50% for the first time in decades, Mano successfully fought to reduce “recapture” by more than $350 million for HISD and SBISD.
These reforms reduced property taxes permanently and keep more local tax dollars in our community while increasing to investment in our teachers, school safety, instructional materials, and resources to support our students.
Fought to protect children and uphold Texas values. Supported legislation to remove sexually explicit materials from school libraries, crack down on obscene and exploitative content, ban NDAs in child abuse cases, and strengthen online safety through the App Store Accountability Act.
Passing A Balanced Budget
As Vice Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Articles I, IV, and V, Rep. Mano DeAyala helped deliver a balanced, conservative budget that protects taxpayer dollars and keeps spending well below statutory and constitutional limits—responsibly investing $337.9 billion across all funds to keep Texas strong and growing while growing our rainy-day fund to record levels.
Securing The Border
Secured funding for 200 new vehicles for the Houston Police Department to strengthen public safety and ensure officers have the resources they need to respond quickly and effectively across our community. Co-sponsored SJR 5, a major public safety measure that allows judges to deny bail to violent offenders who pose a clear threat to the community. For Houston—where repeat violent offenders released on low or no bond has been a serious concern—this reform is a significant step toward keeping dangerous criminals off the streets and giving law enforcement and victims greater protection.
In addition, Mano helped pass key legislation to combat human trafficking, including protecting at-risk foster children, establishing a dedicated human trafficking unit to strengthen enforcement statewide, delivering swift and severe punishment for human trafficking and fentanyl-related crimes in Texas and designated drug cartels and similar groups as “foreign terrorist organizations.”
Public Safety
Secured funding for 200 new vehicles for the Houston Police Department to strengthen
public safety and ensure officers have the resources they need to respond quickly and
effectively across our community. Co-sponsored SJR 5, a major public safety measure
that allows judges to deny bail to violent offenders who pose a clear threat to the
community. For Houston—where repeat violent offenders released on low or no bond
has been a serious concern—this reform is a significant step toward keeping dangerous
criminals off the streets and giving law enforcement and victims greater protection.
In addition, Mano helped pass key legislation to combat human trafficking, including
protecting at-risk foster children, establishing a dedicated human trafficking unit to
strengthen enforcement statewide, delivering swift and severe punishment for human
trafficking and fentanyl-related crimes in Texas and designated drug cartels and similar
groups as “foreign terrorist organizations.”
Investing in Houston/Harris County
Mano secured $100 million to rebuild the Lynchburg Pump Station, which supplies 67% of the Houston region’s raw water—providing clean water to more than 4 million people and supporting over 600 industrial facilities along the Ship Channel.
This past session, he filed legislation to rein in Harris County Commissioners Court and ensure excess toll revenues from the Harris County Toll Road Authority are used as intended—requiring funds to support the toll road system and be distributed appropriately to precincts for use in road infrastructure.
Passed legislation creating five new Harris County Civil District Courts—the first added since 1985. This major step forward for Harris County and the Houston region will help reduce case backlogs, speed up civil disputes, and improve access to justice for families and businesses.
Keeping Texas Businesses #1
To keep Texas the #1 state for business and job opportunities, Rep. DeAyala cut taxes, streamlined regulations, and made it easier to start and grow a business here.
This session, Mano worked to raise the business personal property tax exemption to $125,000 , sped up business filings , protected home-based entrepreneurs from local overreach , and required state agencies to modernize their websites to better serve Texans.
Protecting Private Property Rights and Stopping Affordable Housing Abuse
Authored important legislation protecting property rights by giving homeowners the
ability to opt-out of conservation districts imposed upon them in certain municipalities.
(HB 4057)
Joint-Authored legislation to close the state’s largest property tax loophole and stopped
the past abuses costing taxpayers billions. (HB 2071)
Fought to protect Texas homeowners and strengthen property rights. Cracking down on
squatters with SB 38, giving property owners faster tools to remove unlawful occupants
and regain control of their homes.
loopholes and ensuring taxpayer dollars serve Texas families—not special interests.
new property theft and fraud offenses, requires photo ID for real property filings, directs
clerks to report suspected fraud to law enforcement, and ensures victims can receive
restitution.
Fighting for Commonsense Values
Co-Authored the Save Women’s Sports Act requiring student-athletes at Texas universities to compete based on their biological sex.
Banned Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices at Texas universities.
Protecting Children from AI Exploitation (SB 20) – Creates an offense for the possession or promotion of explicit sexual material that appears to depict a child, including materials that are generated by artificial intelligence (AI), animated, or do not depict a real child.
Teacher Bill of Rights (HB 6) Empowers teachers with greater authority to discipline or remove disruptive students from the classroom to foster a productive learning environment.
Parental Bill of Rights (SB 12) – Bans discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and programs in public schools. Prohibits instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity and gives parents more control over their child’s education.
Helping students focus on what matters most—their education—Mano co-authored HB 1481, creating cellphone-free classrooms across Texas by prohibiting student cell phone use during the school day.
Stregthening The Grid
Helped pass major reforms to strengthen Texas’ power grid and prepare for rising energy demand—critical for our district, home to the Energy Corridor and many of the companies that power Texas and the world.
Expanded the Texas Energy Fund to $10 billion to support new reliable power generation and infrastructure, improved oversight of our grid regulators, and set new standards to manage growing demand from large energy users like data centers.
Launched the Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office and strengthened grid cybersecurity.
These reforms ensure Texas energy keeps up with Texas’ growing economy.
