HB 247 exempts property owners in Texas counties bordering Mexico from paying property taxes on the increased tax value caused by border security infrastructure (like walls, fences, or roads) installed on their land under specific agreements. It also prevents government entities from having to pay higher property taxes when purchasing land or easements for border security projects, as the price paid for those parcels won’t factor into appraising other nearby properties. The law applies only to real property in border counties and covers both infrastructure built on private land and government acquisitions for such projects. This directly affects landowners in border counties and state/federal agencies managing border security. The policy change simplifies tax treatment for border infrastructure development without altering overall property tax rates.
SB 1243 allows local governments (like cities or counties) to dissolve a public utility agency by transferring all its assets, debts, permits, and licenses to remaining participating entities through joint ordinances. It directly affects public utility agencies and the local governments that operate them, providing a legal mechanism for reorganization. Key provisions let participating entities add or remove members or fully dissolve the agency while ensuring all obligations and resources are transferred to surviving members. The bill takes effect on September 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor on June 20, 2025.
SB 2024 prohibits the marketing, advertising, selling, or offering for sale of e-cigarette products that use cartoon characters targeting minors, mimic products marketed to children (like school supplies or candy), resemble food items, include celebrity imagery, or are shaped like everyday items (e.g., highlighters, headphones, or toys). It also bans e-cigarette products manufactured in China. The law creates criminal penalties for violations and applies to offenses committed on or after its effective date of September 1, 2025. This bill directly affects e-cigarette manufacturers, retailers, and marketers operating in Texas.
HB 5149 prohibits the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) from collecting or using DNA samples from children in its foster care system without either the written consent of the child’s primary caregiver or a court order. The law directly affects children under DFPS conservatorship and their caregivers, requiring explicit permission or judicial approval before DNA collection. Key provisions mandate that DFPS cannot use DNA for any purpose - such as genetic databases or identification - without these safeguards. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, and aligns with broader privacy protections for foster youth.
SB 456 increases penalties for illegally buying or selling human organs in Texas, upgrading the offense from a Class A misdemeanor to a state jail felony under the Penal Code. It directly affects individuals involved in organ trafficking and requires physicians to lose their medical license if they knowingly use organs obtained in violation of this law. The bill adds a new provision to the Occupations Code mandating license revocation for doctors who use illegally obtained organs in medical procedures. These changes take effect September 1, 2025, and apply only to offenses occurring after that date.
SB 2165 prevents courts from dismissing certain custody cases involving the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) when a child is missing from their foster care placement. It amends Texas Family Code to require courts to retain jurisdiction and not dismiss these cases if a child is reported missing from a substitute care provider (like foster care). The bill specifically applies to cases where the child is either in juvenile justice custody or missing from care, unless the child is adopted or custody is awarded to someone other than DFPS. This change takes effect September 1, 2025, ensuring ongoing court oversight for vulnerable children in these specific situations.
SB 261 prohibits the sale and offering for sale of cell-cultured protein (food made by growing animal cells in a lab) for human consumption in Texas. It defines "cell-cultured protein" and adds it to existing prohibitions under the Health and Safety Code, making it unlawful to manufacture, distribute, or sell such products. The bill directly affects food producers, retailers, and restaurants selling cell-cultured meat or dairy alternatives within Texas. Violations carry civil and criminal penalties, though specific penalty amounts are not detailed in the provided text. This is a substantive policy change banning a new food category without exceptions for commercial sale.
HB 609 (effective September 1, 2025) creates an exemption allowing oyster farmers with cultivated oyster mariculture permits to discharge cleaning water from oyster-growing structures into state waters. It directly affects permit holders operating under Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 75. The bill permits cleaning only at authorized locations using untreated water from that site, prohibits adding chemicals or soap, and requires compliance with all other permit conditions. This change streamlines routine maintenance for oyster farming operations while maintaining environmental safeguards.
This bill amends Texas Water Code to change rules for businesses using general permits to discharge waste into state waters. It requires the state environmental agency to actively authorize a business to resume using a general permit after a denial or suspension, rather than allowing automatic reinstatement. The bill also prohibits the agency from using automatic processes to grant such authorization. These changes apply only to denials or suspensions occurring on or after September 1, 2025.
SB 2121 regulates data brokers in Texas by defining them as businesses that collect, process, or transfer personal data not gathered directly from individuals. It applies only to data brokers meeting one of two thresholds: deriving over 50% of revenue from such data, or processing data for more than 50,000 individuals. The bill amends Texas' Business & Commerce Code to establish these criteria, effective September 1, 2025, and directly affects larger data brokerage entities meeting these specific revenue or scale thresholds.
SB 663 requires county community supervision and corrections departments to submit their budget and strategic plan to the state division for approval. The bill mandates that district judges (who established the department) must first review and approve these documents before the department submits them to the state division. Departments must submit the budget and strategic plan annually by March 1st for the upcoming state fiscal biennium. This policy change directly affects county-level community supervision departments and the judges responsible for overseeing them.
SB 1254 regulates professional employer organizations (PEOs) in Texas by requiring them to hold valid licenses to provide payroll and employee benefits services. The bill establishes a 18-month grace period after a license expires during which PEOs may continue serving covered employees, but they lose this status and face penalties if they continue operating beyond that period without renewal. It also expands disciplinary actions against PEOs that provide services without a current license or while their license is expired, suspended, or inactive. This law directly affects PEOs operating in Texas, requiring them to maintain active licensing to legally provide these services.
