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Signed Into Law
Signed May 21, 2025Effective 2025-09-01
SB929

Regular Session

Relating to certain deadlines and other timing factors affecting mechanic's, contractor's, or materialman's liens.

Government Affairs & Regulatory Compliance Analysis

SB929: Government Affairs Overview

SB929 fundamentally alters the rigid deadline calculations for Texas mechanic’s liens by codifying a "next business day" rule for deadlines falling on weekends or holidays. Additionally, it redefines the "inception date" for liens filed by design professionals (architects, engineers, surveyors), making their lien priority effective only upon recording rather than the commencement of work, thereby protecting third-party purchasers.

Sen. Nathan Johnson·Senate Bill·Regular Session

Moderate
Low Cost
Effective:2025-09-01
Enforcing Agencies

County Clerk Offices • Texas Civil Courts

Business Impact

Who SB929 Affects

This legislation has regulatory implications for the following Texas businesses and organizations:

Regulatory Priority: moderate

Notable regulatory updates (effective 2025-09-01). Consider how these changes may affect your operations.

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Real Estate

Affected business types:

  • Property developers
  • Commercial landlords
  • Property managers
  • Real estate investors
View all real estate legislation

Key Operational Considerations

  • 1Real Estate Closing Docs: Sellers must update Affidavits of Debts and Liens to accurately reflect that unrecorded professional service liens may no longer hold priority over the purchaser.

Estimated Cost Impact

lowMinimal cost impact anticipated.

Enforcing Agencies

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SB929
Moderate
Relating to certain deadlines and other timing factors affecting mechanic's, contractor's, or materialman's liens.
Moderate Compliance Urgency
Requires near-term attention
Cost Impact
Low
Effective
2025-09-01
Enforcing Agencies
County Clerk OfficesTexas Civil Courts
Primary Author: Sen. Nathan Johnson
89th Texas Legislature
jdkey.com
01

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

  • Effective Date: September 1, 2025
  • Compliance Deadline: September 1, 2025. You must update internal calendaring systems prior to the September 15, 2025, lien notice deadline.
  • Agency Rulemaking: None. This is a statutory amendment to the Texas Property Code; interpretation will be determined by state civil courts, not a regulatory agency.

Immediate Action Plan

  • Immediate: Audit your current lien tracking software or manual spreadsheets. Ensure they can accommodate dynamic deadline shifts based on the 2025-2026 holiday calendar.
  • By August 1, 2025: Issue a memo to all Project Managers and AR staff explaining that Design Professional liens must be recorded *immediately* to preserve priority.
  • By September 1, 2025: Update standard contract templates to reference the computation of time under Texas Property Code § 53.003(e).
  • Ongoing: Adopt a policy of "Conservative Calendaring." Instruct staff to treat the extension as a safety net for emergencies, not a standard operating procedure. Aim for the Friday before; use the Monday after only when necessary.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

  • Master Service Agreements (MSAs): Review "Notice" and "Default" provisions. If your contract defines "days" strictly as calendar days without exception, it may conflict with the new statutory extension. Amend language to align notice deadlines with Texas Property Code Chapter 53 as amended by SB929 to avoid breach of contract claims during a valid statutory extension.
  • Real Estate Closing Docs: Sellers must update Affidavits of Debts and Liens to accurately reflect that unrecorded professional service liens may no longer hold priority over the purchaser.

Hiring/Training

  • Accounts Receivable & Legal Staff: Train staff on the new "Weekend/Holiday Rule." They must understand that while the law permits filing on the next business day, this is a hard deadline. Missing the extended Tuesday deadline after a holiday weekend is fatal to the lien.
  • Design Professionals: Architects and Engineers must be trained to record affidavits of lien immediately upon non-payment. You can no longer rely on the "relation back" doctrine to the start of the project for priority against new owners.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

  • Lien Calendaring Software: Reprogram all automated lien tracking software. Remove logic that forces Friday filings for Sunday deadlines; replace it with logic that targets the following Monday (or Tuesday, if Monday is a holiday).
  • Holiday Documentation: If utilizing the holiday extension, retain proof of the specific legal holiday (e.g., county courthouse closure notice) in the job file to defend against motions to remove the lien for untimeliness.

Fees & Costs

  • No Statutory Fee Increases: Filing fees remain unchanged.
  • Reduced Litigation Risk: The codification of the weekend rule should reduce legal spend previously wasted on arguing whether a Monday filing was valid.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

Definition of "Legal Holiday": The statute grants an extension for "legal holidays" but does not explicitly limit this to Federal or State holidays.

  • The Risk: A deadline falls on a minor holiday (e.g., Columbus Day or a specific County holiday) where the courthouse is closed, but your office is open.
  • Watch For: Court rulings clarifying whether "legal holiday" implies only days where the County Clerk is physically closed. Until then, do not assume minor banking holidays trigger the extension.

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Information presented is for general knowledge only and is provided without warranty, express or implied. Consult qualified government affairs professionals and legal counsel before making compliance decisions.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

Filed
Jan 24, 2025
Passed Senate
Mar 12, 2025
Passed House
May 8, 2025
Signed
May 21, 2025
Effective
Sep 1, 2025
TopicsProperty InterestsProperty Interests--mortgages & LiensMaterialmen's LiensMechanics' LiensContractors' Liens
03

Senate Authors

Sen. Nathan JohnsonDemocrat · Primary Author

House Sponsor

Rep. John LujanRepublican · Primary Sponsor

Bill Text(with markup)

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

Related Legislation

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More from Sen. Nathan Johnson

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Related by Topic

View more Property Interests legislation
Quick Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SB929

Q

What does Texas SB929 do?

SB929 fundamentally alters the rigid deadline calculations for Texas mechanic’s liens by codifying a "next business day" rule for deadlines falling on weekends or holidays. Additionally, it redefines the "inception date" for liens filed by design professionals (architects, engineers, surveyors), making their lien priority effective only upon recording rather than the commencement of work, thereby protecting third-party purchasers.

Q

Who authored SB929?

SB929 was authored by Texas Senator Nathan Johnson during the Regular Session.

Q

When was SB929 signed into law?

SB929 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on May 21, 2025.

Q

Which agencies enforce SB929?

SB929 is enforced by County Clerk Offices and Texas Civil Courts.

Q

How significant are the changes in SB929?

The regulatory priority for SB929 is rated as "moderate". Businesses and organizations should review the legislation to understand potential impacts.

Q

What is the cost impact of SB929?

The cost impact of SB929 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

Q

What topics does SB929 address?

SB929 addresses topics including property interests, property interests--mortgages & liens, materialmen's liens, mechanics' liens and contractors' liens.

Q

What are the key dates for SB929?

Key dates for SB929: Effective date is 2025-09-01. Consult with legal counsel regarding applicability.

Q

Which Texas businesses are affected by SB929?

SB929 primarily affects property owners and real estate professionals. These businesses should review the legislation with their legal and compliance teams to understand potential impacts.

Need Strategic Guidance on This Legislation?

JD Key Consulting is an Austin, Texas-based government affairs firm led by James Dickey, former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. We specialize in Texas regulatory compliance and legislative strategy for data centers, energy, banking, and manufacturing.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: January 11, 2026