TDHCA announces a rule action for 10 TAC Chapter 1, Administration, Subchapter A, General Policies and Procedures, Section 1.12 Negotiated Rulemaking, that was approved by the TDHCA Governing Board on July 9, 2026. This rule will be released for public comment and returned to the Board for final adoption.

The rule, including its preamble, is expected to be published in the Texas Register edition for July 24, 2026. The published version will constitute the official version for purposes of public comment and can be found at the following link: https://www.sos.texas.gov/texreg/index.shtml.

The purpose of this action: 10 TAC Chapter 1, Administration, Subchapter A, General Policies and Procedures, Section 1.12 Negotiated Rulemaking currently lays out the Department's policy on negotiated rulemaking. In the Department's current effort to streamline its rules, staff has reviewed this rule and is recommending that portions of this rule are not necessary and can be condensed. It should be noted that in the last 20 years, negotiated rulemaking has not been pursued at the Department. At the same time, Tex. Gov't Code Section 2001.021, relating to Petition for Adoption of Rules, does require that the Department, by rule, provide the form for a petition in which an interested person may request the adoption of a rule. Currently, the Department's rule does not include this. 

The rule following provides the procedure for the submission, consideration, and disposition of such a petition. The rule does require signatures for such petition as well as evidence that will enable the Department to confirm that a signatory is a resident of the state as required by the statute. Staff is recommending the rule language relating to negotiated rulemaking be condensed, the rule relating to petitioning for adoption of rules be added, and the rule be retitled more appropriately. 

The proposed rule action can be found on the TDHCA Public Comment Center at https://www.tdhca.texas.gov/tdhca-public-comment-center.

Written comments may be submitted to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, attn Brooke Boston, via email to brooke.boston@tdhca.texas.gov.

ALL COMMENTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5 p.m., Central Time, on August 24, 2026.