HB4520

HB4520 reduces the minimum non-state contribution for certain Texas Transportation Commission airport loans and grants when the airport is in an economically disadvantaged county. It was signed June 20, 2025, and took effect September 1, 2025.

The usual requirement remains at least 10% of total project cost from sources other than the state. For an airport in a qualifying county, that minimum becomes 5%. On a hypothetical $1 million project, the statutory minimum would drop from $100,000 to $50,000. That is an illustration—not an award, a guarantee that the state pays the remainder or an exemption from other applicable funding conditions.

The incorporated Section 222.053 definition uses below-average taxable property value per person, below-average income per person and above-average unemployment, compared with other Texas counties. It also contains a qualifying route for counties that met the economic criteria within the past six years and were included in at least five federally declared disasters in that period. A county does not qualify simply because a project sponsor calls it disadvantaged.

Other Section 21.105 safeguards remain: local-government control of the airport or facility for at least 20 years, disclosure of funding sources and financial ability to operate the project, and adequate planning. Existing loan-interest and term limits are unchanged.

Separately, the act repeals Section 21.114(b), which excluded reliever airports from the provision making TxDOT the state and local governments’ agent for applying for, receiving and disbursing federal general-aviation airport funds. Removing that exclusion expands the reach of the agency provision; it does not itself award federal funds or waive federal requirements.