Dozens of new Texas laws will take effect in December and January, bringing wide-ranging changes to the state’s education system, law enforcement, taxes and more.
Over 800 laws from this year’s regular legislative session already took effect on Sept. 1, but more measures from that period as well as the second special session will soon activate. Some also had to wait for voters’ approval, such as more tax exemption for businesses’ inventory.
Notably, the legislation behind the Texas GOP’s mid-decade push to redraw the congressional map and get five more seats for President Donald Trump is supposed to take effect on Dec. 4. The measure took two special sessions this summer to pass, after most of the Texas House Democrats skipped town in protest and froze legislative businesses. Now, all eyes are on the legal fight over the new lines, which escalated to the U.S. Supreme Court after a federal court ruled against Texas earlier this month. The high court has temporarily restored the new map, while the justices consider their final decision.
A recent lawsuit also halted the constitutional amendment that allows Senate Bill 5 to go into effect Dec. 1.
A priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick during the regular session, the law would create the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to study dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other brain-related conditions, as the state is growing older faster than the rest of the country.
In early November, voters approved the constitutional amendment providing $3 billion in surplus state revenue to fund the institute. But the lawsuit now claims that voting machines used in this election were faulty — a tactic that right-wing activists have used in the past to block constitutional amendments from going into effect. Patrick has urged the court to resolve the matter quickly in order for this law to take effect.
In the meantime, here are some other key measures to watch.
Laws taking effect in December
House Bill 7 will let private citizens sue anyone who manufactures or distributes abortion drugs to or from Texas; those who take the drugs cannot be sued. The plaintiff, if related to the fetus, could get at least $100,000 following a successful case. If they are unrelated to the fetus, they could only get 10% of the damages and they must give the remainder to charity. Backers of the law say it protects unborn babies and closes loopholes, while its critics said the measure turns individuals into “bounty hunters” and tries to broaden the state’s abortion ban beyond its border. The law will take effect on Dec. 4.
House Bill 8 will replace the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness with three shorter tests throughout the school year. The law will swap out the standardized test that critics have long said puts too much pressure on students and requires too much classroom preparation time. The vast majority of its provisions will activate on Dec. 4, and students will start taking the new assessments in the next school year.
House Bill 18 will create more penalties for lawmakers who break quorum to delay legislative actions, including harsher fines, new limits on funds they raise during the break, as well as loss of seniority and committee posts. The law was passed during the second special session after most of the Texas House Democrats fled the state in response to the Republican congressional redistricting effort. It will take effect on Dec. 4.
House Bill 25 will allow people to buy ivermectin, which is mainly used to treat parasites in livestock, without a prescription. The drug became popular during the pandemic as a COVID-19 treatment, even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved it for such use. Its backers said the measure is about medical freedom, while its opponents are concerned about misuse and drug safety. The law will take effect on Dec. 4.
House Bill 26 will allow Harris County’s sheriffs and constables to enter into contracts with homeowner associations, school districts and municipal utility districts to provide additional policing for them without needing approval from the county’s commissioners court. Its backers said the measure protects the popular deputy contract program, while some local officials including county commissioners said it will disrupt the county’s budget process. The law will take effect on Dec. 4.
Senate Bill 8 from the second special session will restrict which private spaces transgender people can use in public buildings — such as government offices, public schools, universities, prisons and jails — based on their sex assigned at birth. It will also prohibit those assigned male at birth from using women’s domestic violence shelters, unless they are a minor and the child of a woman receiving services there. Institutions would face a $25,000 fine for the first violation and a $125,000 penalty for each subsequent one. The law’s backers said it protects women’s privacy and safety, while critics said the measure will put trans people as well as cisgender people who are falsely accused in danger. The law will take effect on Dec. 4, following a decade-long effort by Texas Republicans to pass such restrictions.
Senate Bill 11 will shield trafficking victims from prosecution for certain crimes committed under their trafficker’s force, fraud or coercion. Lawmakers also passed a similar legislation during the regular session, but Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed it for being too broad. The measure, which will take effect on Dec. 4, also makes those who committed serious offenses — such as murder, trafficking of a person or child, sexual assault or burglary — ineligible for protections under this law.
Laws taking effect in January
House Bill 9 will exempt up to $125,000 of businesses’ inventory from being taxed by all entities such as counties, cities and school districts. This type of inventory is currently not taxed if it’s valued under $2,500. The law, which its backers called a win for Texas businesses, will take effect on Jan. 1 after voters approved a related constitutional amendment. Meanwhile, the legislative budget board estimated that local revenues would be reduced by $442 million in fiscal year 2027, if entities like cities or counties don’t adopt higher tax rates.
Senate Bill 8 from the regular session will require sheriffs in counties that operate a jail to formally cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and carry out certain immigration enforcement actions under the so-called 287(g) program. It will also allow them to apply for grants — from $80,000 to $140,000 depending on the county’s population — to help with their participation. The law’s backers said it is about public safety, while critics said it will lead to more racial profiling affecting immigrants and citizens alike. The law, which covers the vast majority of Texas counties, will take effect on Jan. 1.
Senate Bill 38 will speed up the eviction process for squatters. While the law targets those who are illegally occupying properties, housing advocates are concerned that it reduces protections for tenants. For example, it will effectively ban the state’s governor and supreme court from changing eviction proceedings during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. One section of the law already took effect in September, while the rest of it will activate on Jan. 1.
This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.
