Dozens of new Texas laws will take effect in De - cember 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 ses - sion 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.
Laws in limbo:
House Bill 4 - the legis- lation behind the GOP’s push to redraw Texas’ congressional map — is supposed to take effect on Dec. 4. Earlier this month, a federal court ruled against the new lines. Now, it’s in the U.S. Supreme Court’s hands. It temporarily restored the new map while the justices consider their final decision.
•Senate Bill 5 was hit by a lawsuit, blocking a consti - tutional amendment from go ing into effect on Dec. 1. The
law would allow the use of $3 billion to create a research institute to study dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other brain-related conditions.
Laws going into effect in December:
•House Bill 7 will let pri - vate citizens sue anyone who manufactures or distributes abortion drugs to or from Tex - as. Those who take the drugs cannot be sued.
•House Bill 8 will replace the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness with three shorter tests throughout the school year.
House Bill 18 will create more penalties for lawmakers who break quorum to delay legislative actions.
•House Bill 25 will al - low people to buy ivermectin, which is mainly used to treat parasites in livestock, without a prescription.
•House Bill 26 will allow Harris County’s sheriffs and constables to provide addition al policing for homeowner as - sociations, school districts and municipal utility districts with - out needing approval from the county’s commissioners court.
•Senate Bill 8 (from the second special session) will restrict which private spaces transgender people can use in public buildings based on their sex assigned at birth.
Senate Bill 11 will shield trafficking victims from prose-
cution for certain crimes com -
mitted under their trafficker's force, fraud or coercion.
Laws going into 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.
•Senate Bill 8 (from the regular session) will require sheriffs in counties that oper - ate a jail to formally cooperate with ICE and carry out certain immigration enforcement ac -
tions.
Senate Bill 38 will speed up the eviction process for squatters.
