New Laws, New Texas: What You Need to Know Sept. 1

Texas lawmakers just wrapped one of the busiest sessions we’ve seen in a minute, and the results are about to hit the streets. Every two years, the Legislature meets in Austin to push bills, cut deals, and shape how we live day-to-day. Some ideas come straight from community pressure, others from political fights, and plenty from national headlines. After months of debate and late-night votes, Governor Abbott signed off, and now—September 1—the laws become real. From classrooms to courtrooms, and even what’s on your plate, here’s the breakdown of what’s changing in the Lone Star State.

Schools & Students

Cell phone ban (HB 1481): Students can’t use phones, smart watches, or tablets during the school day. Schedules must be on paper.
Ten Commandments (SB 10): Schools must post a 16×20 Ten Commandments poster in every classroom—though some districts are blocked by court orders.

Prayer & religion (SB 11, SB 965): Schools can set aside time for prayer and Bible reading. Teachers/staff are also protected if they pray while on duty.
DEI ban (SB 12): Expands Texas’ ban on teaching gender identity & sexual orientation, and requires parents to “opt-in” to sex ed.
Library oversight (SB 13): Parents can vote to restrict or remove books from school libraries.
Food additives (SB 314): Certain chemicals (like red dye 3 and titanium dioxide) banned from school meals.
Financial literacy (HB 27): All high schoolers must take a half-credit personal finance class.
Funding (HB 2): $8.5 billion goes toward teacher pay, special ed, safety, and early childhood learning.

Money & Property

Property taxes (SB 4): Raises the homestead exemption to $140K—saving the average Texan about $363 on their school tax bill.
Veteran business tax break (HB 346): Veterans launching businesses get a 5-year franchise tax exemption.

Food & Lifestyle

Lab-grown meat ban (SB 261): Texas bans selling cell-cultured meat, siding with cattle ranchers.
Fireworks (HB 5084): Sales now allowed around Lunar New Year in counties that approve it.
SNAP restrictions (SB 379): SNAP benefits can’t be used to buy candy or certain sugary drinks.

Crime & Safety

Tougher penalties for trafficking (HB 2306, SB 1212): Human trafficking involving kids or disabled people = no parole, and most trafficking crimes now first-degree felonies.
Child protection (HB 1443, SB 20, SB 835): Bans child-like sex dolls, bans AI-generated child porn, and bans NDAs in child sex abuse cases.
Bank jugging (HB 1902): Following customers from banks/ATMs to rob them is now a felony—up to first-degree.
Intoxication manslaughter (HB 2017): If the suspect is undocumented, minimum prison sentence is now 10 years.
Police protections (HB 1871, SB 1637): Attempting to kill an officer can bring the death penalty; officers pointing guns while on duty can’t be charged with deadly conduct.
Fentanyl penalties (HB 6): Selling or making fentanyl that causes a death now carries tougher criminal penalties.

Elections

Election fraud (HB 5115): Penalties now second-degree felonies—first-degree if committed by elected officials.
No double roles (HB 677): County election administrators can’t hold other offices.

Cigarettes & Vapes

SB 1313: Illegal for tobacco companies to use kid-focused logos or ads.
SB 1316: No e-cigarette advertising within 1,000 feet of schools or churches.

Roads & Drivers

Move Over, Slow Down (SB 305): Drivers must now yield not just to police and ambulances, but also tow trucks, garbage trucks, TxDOT crews, and animal control. Fines range from $500 to $1,250.

Health & Safety

Safer med spas (HB 3749 – Jenifer’s Law): Only licensed nurses or physician assistants can give IV drips at med spas, after a Texas woman died during treatment in 2023.

Business & Advertising

No “bandit signs” (HB 3611): Those “We Buy Houses” or quick-cash signs stuck in medians/telephone poles? Illegal now. Fines start at $1,000 and can go up to $5,000.

At the end of the day, these laws aren’t just headlines—they’re rules that shape our daily moves, from what kids can bring to school, to how much we pay in taxes, to how safe our streets and communities feel. Knowing the laws keeps us informed, protects our rights, and helps us hold leaders accountable. Texas is changing fast, and the choices made in the Capitol today set the tone for the future. Stay tapped in, because what happens under the dome in Austin always finds its way to our front doors.

LEARN MORE AT LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE LIBRARY

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New Laws, New Texas: What You Need to Know Sept. 1 was originally published on thebeatdfw.com