New Texas laws that take effect on Sept. 1, 2025

AUSTIN, Texas – Across the 140 days of the 89th Texas Legislature, lawmakers filed 11,503 Senate and House bills.

By Sunday, June 22, which marked the final day for Gov. Greg Abbott to veto legislation, he had signed 1,155 bills. Twenty-six bills were vetoed, and 255 took effect immediately.

Those taking effect on Sept. 1 range from enhancing the state’s water infrastructure to banning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies in public schools.

Some new laws have already been met with controversy.

Senate Bill 10 was supposed to require Texas public schools to display the Ten Commandments in all classrooms. However, it was temporarily blocked by a federal judge before taking effect on Sept. 1.

U.S. District Judge Fred Biery issued the ruling Aug. 20. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a notice of appeal the following day.

While SB 10 remains caught up in the appeals process, here’s a look at some of the bills slated to take effect on Sept. 1.

Education

• House Bill 210 creates a criminal offense for vendors bidding on or receiving contracts from school districts or open-enrollment charter schools if a member of the school board or a related individual has certain business interests in the vendor.
• Senate Bill 2 establishes a broad school vouchers program, a priority for both Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. SB 2 puts $1 billion in taxpayer dollars over a two-year period toward education savings accounts to fund their children’s private school education and other school-related expenses, according to The Texas Tribune. Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) authored the bill along with several other lawmakers. Creighton also authored Senate Bill 14, beginning Texas’ crackdown on DEI measures during the last legislative session. The program created as a result of the law will take effect at the start of the 2026-2027 school year, according to The Tribune.

>> READ: From vouchers to a cellphone ban, this year’s lawmaking session brought transformative changes to Texas schools

Housing

• Senate Bill 15 covers size and density requirements for residential lots in certain municipalities. The legislation prohibits municipalities with populations of more than 150,000 from enforcing ordinances that require residential lots to be larger than 1,400 square feet or impose stricter density requirements than allowing at least 31.1 units per acre. The legislation also limits the ability for municipalities to impose setback requirements, parking space requirements and other zoning restrictions that could hinder the development of smaller residential lots, according to the bill’s analysis.

Health

• House Bill 35 requires the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to develop a first responder peer support network to include peer-to-peer support, training for peer service coordinators, technical assistance for program development and more pertaining to retaining licensed mental health professionals. The network applies to both urban and rural first responders.
• House Bill 136 requires the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to provide Medicaid reimbursement for lactation consultation services. The bill defines a lactation consultant as “an individual certified by a national or international program approved by the HHSC.” It requires the HHSC’s executive commissioner to establish language specifying a provider type for lactation consultants. The law received bipartisan support, garnering a vote of 130 to 16 in the House and 28 to 3 in the Senate. The bill aims to improve maternal and infant health, specifically in low-income families.
• House Bill 879 streamlines the process for veterans who previously served as licensed healthcare professionals while on active duty to attain licensing in the civilian world. The Texas Medical Board and the Texas Board of Nursing would be responsible for implementing licensing provisions using existing resources, according to the bill’s language.
  • To qualify, eligible veterans must:
    • Have held a valid healthcare license in another state.
    • Have left the armed forces within a year prior to applying in Texas.
    • Have served in a position to provide healthcare to service members or veterans.
    • Pass the Texas medical or nursing jurisprudence exam.
  • The law places provisions that could disqualify some applicants who:
    • Were dishonorably discharged or separated for misconduct.
    • Are under investigation or facing disciplinary actions in other jurisdictions.
    • Have felony convictions or offenses.
• House Bill 913 revises and adds new names for hospitals and community service centers across Texas and states that the executive commissioner can require each state hospital to employ a superintendent.
• House Bill 1593 will institute an advisory committee under the Texas Commission on Fire Protection to study suicide prevention and peer support programs in fire departments across the state, according to the bill.
  • Members of the 11-person advisory committee would include:
    • Representatives from professional firefighting organizations
    • Mental health professionals
    • Fire chiefs
    • A representative from the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service
• House Bill 3000 establishes a grant program administered by the Texas Comptroller to provide funds to qualified rural counties to purchase ambulances.
• Senate Bill 304 amends the existing Texas Government Code to allow municipal courts of record the power to enforce health and safety and nuisance abatement ordinances within established city limits. Individual city councils would be permitted to grant their respective municipal court the same jurisdiction as a municipal court of record, according to an analysis of the bill.
• Senate Bill 541 expands regulations for cottage food production in Texas by allowing nonprofit organizations to participate, increasing the income cap to $150,000 and introducing “cottage food vendors” who can sell products on behalf of producers. The bill exempts these operations from certain licensing requirements, limits local government regulation and sets new labeling and safety standards, especially for perishable items.
• Senate Bill 855 provides foster children with necessary healthcare, including behavioral health services. This can be done by enrolling the child in a health insurance plan beyond the Medicaid managed care program.

Water

• House Bill 517 prevents property owners’ associations from imposing penalties on residents for discolored or brown vegetation during times when watering restrictions are in place, such as during a drought, according to the bill’s language. Provisions of the bill include defining a “residential watering restriction” and placing a limitation on fines.
• House Bill 1689 amends the Water Code to use district funds to maintain wells affected by groundwater, including wells located outside the district, if there is a contract under the Government Code with the district authorizing the funds.
• Senate Bill 7 expands the scope of the Texas Water Fund and modifies an existing advisory committee overseeing water-related funds and programs. The Texas Water Development Board oversees the fund. The legislation works in conjunction with House Joint Resolution 7, which, pending a vote in November, will secure $1 billion through 2047 to support water infrastructure projects in the state.
• Senate Bill 1145 amends current law relating to the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to issue permits for the land application of water treated for beneficial use produced from certain mining, oil and gas extraction operations.
• Senate Bill 1268 amends the rules regarding the review and update of the Water Code guidance principles and rules by the Texas Development Board.
• Senate Bill 1532 removes strict website posting requirements for the Texas Water Development Board while maintaining rules for the posting of key financial and administrative disclosures regarding the use of the state water implementation fund for Texas.
• Senate Bill 1583 aims to reduce confusion and increase transparency regarding the administrative process for both groundwater conservation districts and the Texas Water Development Board.
• Senate Bill 1662 requires the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to provide a 24-hour notice to a public drinking water supply system that obtains its water supply from underground sources before performing a water quality test.
• Senate Bill 1967 was revised to include specific details about Texas Water Development Board funds going towards grants for flood mitigation and drainage systems. The law also talks about using treated wastewater effluent as an additional source of water.
• Senate Bill 2124 changes the publication deadline for the Texas Groundwater Protection Committee’s annual report that covers the activities and findings of the previous year from April 1 to June 1.
• Senate Bill 2550 aims to clarify the requirement for disclosure notices about coastal boundaries and risks for property sales near tidally influenced waters, but it is not required when only groundwater or surface water rights are being transferred.

Higher education

• Senate Bill 11 outlines a framework for school districts if they adopt a policy to provide students and staff a daily period of prayer or time of religious study. The framework also utilizes a consent form for schools to participate. The legislation takes effect with the start of the 2025-2026 school year.
• Senate Bill 12 bans DEI policies and programs in Texas’ public K-12 schools. Similar to a higher education bill filed during the last legislative session, SB 12 also prevents race, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation from being considered in hiring decisions. The ban will also include training and programs on those topics unless they are required by federal law, according to the Texas Tribune.
• Senate Bill 37 targets faculty senates, specifically increasing state oversight and reducing the senates’ authority. The bodies are made up of professors who can advise their university’s administration on curriculum, among several things.
• Senate Bill 530 aims to broaden the criteria by which postsecondary institutions in Texas may be accredited. The bill also updates the provisions concerning the maximum number of semester credit hours required for baccalaureate and associate degrees. They are now to be reflected based on the requirements of the institution’s recognized accrediting agency. In addition, students transferring between public institutions offering broadly approved programs of study must receive credit for completed coursework, subject to the standard of the institution’s recognized accrediting agency. All of these provisions promote institutional autonomy and competitive diversity in higher education accreditation across Texas.
• Senate Bill 769 instructs the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to study and report to the legislature on the state of students with disabilities. This includes any barriers to admission, total enrollment levels, availability of accommodations and related school policies.
• Senate Bill 1273 aims to create a Texas Higher Education Research Security Council that will meet quarterly to develop state-wide research security protocols, establish accreditation for security excellence, create an annual training program for tier-one universities and submit an annual report to the relevant committees and the attorney general of Texas.
• Senate Bill 1569 amends a section of the Texas Government Code to enhance the privacy protections for the key leadership figures in Texas’ higher education institutions. This protection is extended to include members of the governing boards, the CEOs of the institutions and the CEOs of the university systems whose personal information is exempt under the Texas Public Information Act.
• Senate Bill 2972 targets “expressive activities,” such as assemblies, speeches, distributing written material, signs and petitions. The legislation aims to limit how, when and where the activities can occur on Texas’s college campuses. It also bans microphones, devices to amplify sounds during class hours and wearing facial coverings during protests. The legislation comes after colleges in Texas and across the nation experienced protests last year in response to the Israel-Hamas war.

>>After college students protested Israel-Hamas war, Texas Senate votes to restrict time, place and manner of future events

Animals

• Senate Bill 1245 permits the hunting of barbary sheep from a helicopter. Also known as aoudads, the breed is native to Northern Africa and an invasive species in West Texas, according to the Texas Tribune. Aoudads have proven problematic to West Texas farmers in the past, often breaking down fences and stepping on crops. Prior to S.B. 1245, only hogs and coyotes could be hunted from a helicopter for sport.

Climate, environment and energy

• House Bill 1238 amends the current law regarding the inspection of the location of proposed Class I injection wells. The bill states that the inspections can be done virtually or in person by an engineer or geoscientist. If the virtual inspection reveals any issues, the executive director of TCEQ may require an in-person inspection.
• House Bill 3229 establishes regulations for recycling facilities that handle wind, solar and battery energy components. It also requires annual reports to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, no later than Jan. 15, that include inventories, recycling timelines, and third-party cost estimates. Facility owners must provide financial assurance equal to 100% of recycling costs and comply with specified reporting and operational standards. The TCEQ must list complaint facilities on its website and may impose penalties for violations.
• House Bill 3809 sets new requirements for battery energy storage facility agreements in Texas, including mandatory removal and cleanup provisions, financial assurance for those costs and a ban on waiving liability.
• Senate Bill 75 creates the Texas Grid Security Commission to, under the direction of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, evaluate hazards to the ERCOT electrical grid and examine vulnerabilities of essential service systems for municipalities, the language of the passed bill said.
• Senate Bill 1697 requires the Public Utility Commission of Texas to create and maintain a consumer guide with information and guidelines for installing home solar devices. This includes questions to ask about rebates and other incentives for installing the devices.

Crime and law enforcement

• House Bill 116 clarifies and expands the grounds for the involuntary termination of parental rights, specifically in cases involving child neglect, abuse or endangerment. The law amends the Texas Family Code, reinforcing the fiscal responsibility of parents whose parental rights have been terminated, according to the bill’s language. Specifically, it would require financially capable parents to continue supporting their children even if their parental rights are revoked.
• House Bill 1261 covers arrangements and disposal of unclaimed property seized by peace officers. Unclaimed or abandoned personal property seized by officers must be delivered for disposition to designated municipal or county officials after 30 days if not currently being held as evidence or ordered for return, according to the bill. Officials would also have to notify the property owner through the mail or an online notice. If the property has a fair market value of $500 or more and the owner cannot be reached, a public notice for the property would need to be published.
• House Bill 2000 amends the Texas Criminal Procedure Code to include child grooming as a reportable conviction under sex offender registration requirements. The law, also called “Audrii’s Law,” is named in honor of 11-year-old Audrii Cunningham, who was found dead on Feb. 24, 2024, after she was reported missing days earlier. A 42-year-old man, who lived on the family’s property, was charged with capital murder in connection with her death. The law requires individuals convicted of child grooming to be registered as sex offenders. It only applies to offenses committed on or after the Sept. 1 effective date, according to the Texas Legislature Online website.
• House Bill 3248 allows “defense base development authorities” to employ and commission peace officers to assist with security. The officers would be hired by the board of directors of a base development authority. The base would fund the peace officers, with no fiscal impact to the state. An analysis of the bill lists Port San Antonio, located on the former site of Kelly Air Force Base, as an example of a defense base development authority. Part of an impetus for the law, again using Port San Antonio, is the need to protect “high-value, sensitive defense assets” and the respective work done on the campus.
• House Bill 5061 prevents state contractors from engaging in surveillance of Texas residents, nor can they use private information to influence official decisions. A first-time violation of this law will result in immediate termination from any state contract following an investigation by the DPS. They will also be met with a fine of $500,000 to $2 million. Any subsequent violation will result in contract termination and a fine of $1-2 million.
• Senate Bill 34 addresses state preparedness around wildfire threats through measures such as:
  • Requiring the Texas A&M Forest Service to create and maintain a statewide database of firefighting equipment. The database will be accessible to all fire departments in the state and updated annually.
  • Increases the funding cap for the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Fund to $40 million, with 10% of the funds being designated for high-risk wildfire areas.
• Senate Bill 36 helps establish a Homeland Security Division within the Texas Department of Public Safety, which will be tasked with enhancing Texas’ security. A bill analysis said the legislation would provide “comprehensive authority for the new division to coordinate border security operations, manage intelligence centers, develop homeland security plans, and protect critical infrastructure.”
• Senate Bill 412 amends the Texas Penal Code to provide protections for judicial and law enforcement officers charged with certain offenses involving obscene or harmful material to children if they were doing their official jobs. It removed older rules that allowed similar protection for people acting for educational, medical, or other professional reasons. These changes apply only to actions that happen on or after Sept. 1, 2025.
• Senate Bill 463 aims to prevent workplace violence by broadening the definition of “facility” to ensure more organizations are subject to prevention requirements. The legislation amends the “facility” definition to include
  • Home and community support service agencies employing at least two registered nurses.
  • Hospital, nursing facilities, ambulatory surgical centers, freestanding emergency medical care facilities, mental hospitals, intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual disabilities and state-supported living centers.
• Senate Bill 487 strengthens protections for victims of crimes involving stalking, invasive visual recording and indecent assault. The law revised the definition of a victim to include the newly added offenses, specifically amending the language in the Code of Criminal Procedure.
• Senate Bill 608 amends reporting requirements for evidence collection kits by requiring an annual public report from the DPS, titled the “Statewide Electronic Tracking System Report.” It also mandates that response teams submit biennial reports to local commissioners’ courts, now including data on kits not collected by law enforcement, in addition to summaries of sexual assault cases and investigations.
• Senate Bill 693 imposes harsher penalties against those impersonating or misusing the powers of a notary public. This makes it a Class A misdemeanor for a notary public to knowingly sign a document aware that the signer did not appear at the time of notarization. If a document transferring property is notarized, it is considered a state jail felony. Additionally, S.B. 693 requires notaries public to complete courses designed by the Texas Secretary of State to renew their status.
• Senate Bill 703 imposes regulations on massage schools and massage therapists to combat human trafficking in the industry. Anyone previously convicted of human trafficking is ineligible to be licensed as a massage therapist or instructor. Anyone convicted of human trafficking while practicing will have their license revoked.
• Senate Bill 745 reclassifies penalties for intoxicated manslaughter from Class A Misdemeanors to first-degree felonies. Drunk drivers can be charged with a felony should they kill more than one person in an incident or cause serious injuries to on-duty firefighters or emergency medical services personnel.
• Senate Bill 761 hopes to improve outcomes in criminal trials by providing victims, their guardians, and relatives of deceased victims with better access to legal assistance during trials.
• Senate Bill 835 prevents the use of non-disclosure agreements in civil settlements for sexual abuse victims. The bill originally targeted crimes against victims of child sexual abuse, but was broadened to include sexual abuse and trafficking of any age after testimony from survivors supported language that would apply to victims of all ages.
• Senate Bill 1300 amends several criminal codes to help deter retail theft, specifically by enhancing penalties and clarifying the legal procedures involved in prosecuting related offenses.

>> READ: Bill to prohibit NDAs for sexual abuse cases has been signed into law

• Senate Bill 1437 creates procedures for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department to place former employees on a no-hire list in cases of poor conduct:
  • If the executive director and panel of three board members find that the individual’s employment threatens the safety of juveniles in the juvenile justice system, the department can temporarily suspend them until a hearing is held
  • A hearing must be held before the State Office of Administrative Hearings, who then determine if the individual should be suspended permanently.
• Senate Bill 1499 establishes the Financial Crimes Intelligence Center. The center will coordinate law enforcement and government response to payment fraud. This includes combating the use of skimmers.
• Senate Bill 1809 designates gift card fraud and tampering as a felony. This includes possessing a gift card or its digital code without the owner’s permission, tampering with the gift card’s packaging or knowingly trying to make purchases with a counterfeit gift card. Engaging in this conduct can lead to being charged with a felony:
  • Less than five gifts: state jail felony
  • Between five and 10 gift cards: third-degree felony
  • Between 10 and 50 gift cards: second-degree felony
  • Upwards of 50 gift cards: first-degree felony
• Senate Bill 2180 requires a certification before peace officers are able to administer polygraph tests. The officer must complete a course and pass an exam testing their knowledge on investigative polygraph. Both of these modules are overseen by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

Money

• House Bill 3526 requires the Texas Bond Review Board (BRB) to create a publicly accessible, searchable online database to be launched by Sept. 1, 2026. The bill also requires local governments to report detailed information on this database about bond elections, issued and unissued bonds and repayment status.
• Senate Bill 1173 raises the threshold from $50,000 to $100,000 for when school districts, municipalities and counties must use competitive procurement methods for contracts involving goods, services or construction.
• Senate Bill 1577 allows racing venues to temporarily sell alcohol, provided they have a pre-existing mixed beverage permit. Distilled spirits, wine and malt liquor can be sold in venues with capacities of over 40,000. Vendors cannot sell alcohol in factory-sealed containers, sell more than two drinks to a customer at the same time nor can they serve alcohol after 75% of the feature race is complete, among other provisions.
• Senate Bill 2034 allows courts to take control of a child welfare contractor’s operations if the contractor is failing to meet its responsibilities or putting children at risk. The bill also sets rules for how the receiver is chosen, what they can do, how they are paid and what happens when their job ends.

Gender and LGBTQ+

• Senate Bill 1257 requires that healthcare plans covering gender transition procedures also provide coverage for possible adverse effects of gender transitions. Any insurance plan that offers coverage for gender transitions must offer the following care, regardless of whether the patient was enrolled in the plan at the time of their initial procedure:
  • Any short or long-term effects of the procedure
  • Any follow-up screening or testing to assess the patient’s mental and physical health on at least an annual basis
  • Any procedures designed to manage or reverse the patient’s gender transition

Guns

• Senate Bill 2284 expands the authority of municipalities and counties to include archery equipment regulation. It prohibits local governments from requiring liability insurance, restricting use at shooting ranges, or seizing legally owned items. It also allows counties to regulate bow hunting on small lots. The bill ensures local rules do not interfere with the lawful sale or use of firearms, air guns or archery equipment.

Infrastructure and utilities

• House Bill 150 established the Texas Cyber Command to be housed at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The group will be responsible for executing and enhancing cybersecurity responsibilities performed by the Department of Information Resources.

>> WATCH: Gov. Greg Abbott in San Antonio with UTSA president for Texas cybersecurity bill signing

• House Bill 206 states that a county may not require a cash bond as a condition of approval for the construction of a new pipeline within the boundaries of the county.
• Senate Bill 687 protects land surveyors from being held liable for negligent acts committed by third parties during construction projects. Architects, engineers and land surveyors could previously be held liable for negligence of other parties during construction because of third-party liability clauses included in contracts. House Bill 2116, passed during the 87th Legislative Session, prohibited designing contracts that shifted blame onto engineering and architectural services, but land surveyors were left out of the applicability of this bill. This bill will end agreements forcing land surveyors to cover damages made outside of their responsibilities.
• Senate Bill 1366 directs the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation to require information about construction and maintenance work zones to be included in driver’s education and driving safety courses.
  • Possible dangers of violating traffic laws in construction and maintenance zones
  • Penalties imposed for traffic violations in construction and work zones

Parks and outdoors

• House Bill 2018 establishes more straightforward guidelines for agricultural conservation easements, designed to protect agricultural lands from development and fragmentation, according to the TLO website. A Conservation Easement, according to its national database, is “a voluntary, legal agreement that permanently limits the use of land in order to protect its conservation values. Also known as a conservation restriction or conservation agreement, a conservation easement is one option to protect a property for future generations.”

>> Sprawl stopper: Heart of Texas Conservancy joins other land trusts to protect Hill Country

• Senate Bill 384 creates an option to donate to the Operation Game Thief Fund when applying for a state hunting or fishing license. The fund supports wildlife conservation and enforcement efforts in Texas, according to the TLO website. Donation amounts include $1, $5, $10 or $20.
• Senate Bill 1247 updates TPWD hunting licenses for nonresidents. Nonresidents can purchase an unlimited number of five-day hunting licenses each year or a nonresident general hunting license, valid for a full year. Five-day hunting licenses are not valid for mule deer, white-tailed deer, turkey, pronghorn antelope, desert bighorn sheep or alligator.
• Senate Bill 1248 amends current law relating to the disclosure of certain harvest report information submitted to the TPWD, exempting location information. However, this information is allowed to be released in certain instances, such as to both federal and state law enforcement bodies, as well as in an aggregate form that maintains the confidentiality of the specific landowner’s location.
• Senate Bill 1930 updates TPWD rules regarding the use of proceeds from the sale of saltwater fishing stamps to be used only on coastal fishery management.

Transportation

• House Bill 2003 requires entities proposing high-speed rail projects to annually submit detailed financial and planning information to TxDOT while the project is in the Texas Rail Plan. This includes financing methods, securities details, a balance sheet, cost and ridership projections, proposed construction timeline, proposed route, an organized chart of the entity’s management and staff, as well as a disclosure of any current or planned foreign investment in the project. The bill also requires TxDOT to make the submitted information available to the public on its website.
• Senate Bill 296 allows defendants to dismiss multiple traffic offenses from the same incident with a single approved driving or motorcycle safety course, rather than one course per offense. Courts may charge a separate administrative fee for each offence and the new rules apply to course requests made on or after the bill’s effective date.
• Senate Bill 305 extends prior “Move Over, Slow Down” protections to include additional vehicles such as those occupied by animal control officers, those involved with removing animal carcasses and parking enforcement vehicles. Under the legislation, drivers would be required to slow down or change lanes when approaching the vehicles.
• Senate Bill 1729 updates laws on vehicle registration and inspection fees. The bill outlines a three-year emissions inspection period for some vehicles, allows 24-month registration for certain cars and light trucks and revises related fees.

Agriculture

• House Bill 2018 aims to prioritize the protection and maintenance of agriculture or timber productivity in conservation easements under the Texas Farm and Ranch Lands Conservation Program. It shifts the focus from simply preventing development to actively preserving the land’s productive use and requires the council to consider productivity when evaluating grant applications.
• Senate Bill 503 amends the Texas Agriculture Code to create an online, centralized system for livestock brand registration, managed by the Texas Animal Health Commission. This replaces the current paper-based process at county clerk offices, streamlining registration while maintaining clerk involvement and improving access for law enforcement, producers and officials.

Miscellaneous

• House Bill 1397 requires the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) to act as the entity responsible for the care and custody of historical artifacts, namely the “Victory of Death” letter from Lt. Col. William B. Travis. Under the bill, TSLAC is expected to work with the Texas Historical Commission and State Preservation Board to determine appropriate public display locations for the letter at the Texas Capitol and the Alamo Complex.
• House Bill 3135 directs the Texas Department of Transportation to create a specialty license plate for both retired volunteer and certified firefighters. TxDOT will design and issue the license plates without any accrued fees, according to the TLO website.
• Senate Bill 14 affects the reforming procedures that allow state agencies to adopt certain rules and impose regulations. It will establish “clearer guidelines” for how agencies can adopt and impose, among other points.
• Senate Bill 22 increases funding for the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program (TMIIIP) from $200 to $300 million per biennium. Control of the fund will be housed within Abbott’s office, specifically the Music, Film, Television and Multimedia Office.

>> READ: New Texas bill could help grow film industry in San Antonio

• Senate Bill 767 establishes a statewide database managed by the Texas Forest Service to track firefighter equipment for wildfire response across the state. It includes equipment details and contact information and requires annual updates to keep information current.
• Senate Bill 927 directs the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to issue special license plates for recipients of the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. These plates must include the medal’s respective emblem and have the words “Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal” written on the bottom.
• Senate Bill 1316 prohibits ads for cigarettes, e-cigarettes and tobacco products from being placed closer than 1,000 feet from a church or school. The distance between the two is measured using the nearest property line of the church or school to a point on a street or highway closest to the sign.
• Senate Bill 1426 mandates Texas’ first state historic site and the replica of the Republic of Texas’ House of Representatives building be preserved by the Texas Historical Commission. The Texas Historical Commission must expand, renovate and manage the site to preserve historical accuracy and provide quality experiences for visitors.
• Senate Bill 1568 directs the Texas DMV to design and issue specialty license plates with the phrase “Spay. Neuter. Adopt.” Proceeds made from these plates will be placed into an animal-friendly account, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. Funds are distributed to animal welfare organizations and agencies that sterilize pets for minimal to no cost.
• Senate Bill 2053 creates the Governor’s Medal of Service Award. The governor can award two residents who have:
  • Retired from public service at the state or local government level.
  • Contributed to the state and its residents in significant ways in the private sector.
  • Served in an exemplary manner as a member of the Texas Legislature.
• Senate Bill 2141 directs the Texas DMV to issue special license plates for visiting state and federal judges. The plates will include the terms “State Judge” and “U.S. Judge,” but are optional.
• Senate Bill 2938 aims to enhance the verification of veteran status for inmates and prisoners. The bill requires sheriffs to verify veteran status during intake and report it when transferring inmates. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice must confirm this status using federal data and help eligible veterans apply for benefits at no cost. Verified veterans must be given free tools to request assistance and allowed free visits with veterans’ service officers.

Read more:

• New Texas laws signed by Gov. Greg Abbott that took effect immediately