Texas Bills

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 1313: Relating to prohibited signs, logos, and designs in advertising or marketing cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or other tobacco products; creating a criminal offense.

SB 1313 prohibits tobacco retailers from using specific signs, logos, or designs in advertising or marketing cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or tobacco products. It bans elements like cartoon characters targeting minors, copied trademarks of youth-focused products, symbols marketed to children, celebrity images, and designs resembling candy or juice. Retailers violating this law face a Class B misdemeanor charge. The law applies directly to businesses selling tobacco products and takes effect September 1, 2025.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SCR 32: Directing the Texas Facilities Commission to name the new transit amenity center at 207 W. 14th Street in the Capitol Complex the "Lead On! Transit Amenity" in honor of Justin Dart.

This concurrent resolution directs the Texas Facilities Commission to name a new transit amenity center at 207 W. 14th Street in the Capitol Complex the "Lead On! Transit Amenity" in honor of Justin Dart. It commemorates Dart's pivotal role in drafting the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and his lifelong advocacy for people with disabilities. The resolution specifically recognizes his work as a key architect of the ADA and his signature "Lead On!" motto. The facility name change is purely ceremonial and does not alter any laws or policies.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 3487: Relating to a deduction from the amount of taxable sales used to calculate the amount of sales and use taxes that the owners of restaurants that participate in an oyster shell recycling program are required to remit to the comptroller of public accounts.

HB 3487 allows restaurant owners participating in a state-recognized oyster shell recycling program to reduce their sales tax liability. Specifically, it permits a $2 deduction for every 50 pounds of oyster shells recycled at their establishment and provided to a qualifying recycling project. This deduction applies to taxable sales used to calculate sales and use taxes remitted to the Texas comptroller. The bill requires restaurants to participate in a program certified by the comptroller and takes effect October 1, 2025. It directly affects restaurants with food service establishments that join the oyster shell recycling initiative.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Environment

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 4158: Relating to the compensation of the directors of the Texana Groundwater Conservation District.

HB 4158 repeals the existing compensation provision for directors of the Texana Groundwater Conservation District under Texas law. The bill removes Section 8857.056 of the Special District Local Laws Code, which previously governed their pay. This change directly affects the district's directors by eliminating the specific compensation rules previously in place. The bill became effective September 1, 2025, after being signed by the Governor on June 20, 2025.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 706: Relating to the recognition of a handgun license issued by another state.

Texas House Bill 706 requires Texas to recognize valid handgun licenses issued by other states, directly affecting out-of-state license holders who travel or reside in Texas. The bill mandates that Texas will recognize such licenses only if the other state either has a mutual agreement with Texas or conducts background checks through the FBI's National Crime Information Center before issuing licenses. Texas must publish and update an annual list of states that recognize Texas-issued licenses. The law took effect September 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor on June 20, 2025.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 2775: Relating to the composition of the I-27 Advisory Committee.

HB 2775 adjusts the membership of Texas' I-27 Advisory Committee, reducing county representatives from 11 to 10 and municipal representatives from 8 to 7. The committee now includes one county official per designated county (like Dallam, Ector, and Lubbock) and one city official per participating city (including Amarillo, Lubbock, and Laredo). It also adds three economic development professionals (based on existing feasibility study regions) and one business representative each from agriculture, international trade, and energy sectors. The changes take effect September 1, 2025, and directly affect local government officials and industry representatives in the I-27 corridor region.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 4783: Relating to a report on governmental opioid antagonist programs to reverse and prevent opioid overdoses.

HB 4783 requires Texas state agencies and institutions of higher education distributing opioid overdose reversal medications (like naloxone) to prepare a biennial report every even-numbered year by October 1. The report must assess current distribution needs, establish statewide goals for medication availability, detail funding sources, outline distribution strategies, and recommend improvements for high-risk groups including rural communities, pregnant individuals, and children. It mandates coordination with all relevant agencies and requires submission of the report to the governor, lieutenant governor, and House speaker. The bill, now law after being signed by the governor on June 20, 2025, does not change current policies but creates a structured reporting requirement to inform future opioid overdose prevention efforts.

signed · Texas · Senate Jun 20, 2025

SB 519: Relating to the creation of a grant program to promote educational engagement with Texas history.

SB 519 creates a grant program administered by the Texas Historical Commission to support educational engagement with Texas history. It provides annual funding to nonprofit organizations that host statewide history competitions for school-aged students and publish student or faculty works on Texas history. The commission must establish application procedures by October 1, 2025, and monitor grant recipients through performance contracts. The bill became law on June 20, 2025, after passing both legislative chambers and receiving the governor's signature.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 1866: Relating to the state law enforcement authority of federal National Park Service law enforcement officers.

HB 1866 clarifies that federal National Park Service (NPS) law enforcement officers are not considered Texas peace officers but retain specific enforcement powers within Texas national parks and recreation areas. The bill grants NPS officers the authority to arrest, search, and seize for state law violations committed in these parks, execute Texas-issued warrants there, and use powers from Texas Health and Safety Codes within park boundaries. It directly affects NPS officers working in Texas national parks (like Big Bend or Guadalupe Mountains) by defining their jurisdiction without making them state law enforcement personnel. The law took effect immediately upon the governor's signature on June 20, 2025.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 4738: Relating to the elimination of the remittance of a portion of certain loan administration fees to the comptroller.

HB 4738 eliminates a requirement for lenders to remit portions of loan administration fees to the Texas Comptroller. Specifically, it removes language from the Finance Code that previously directed lenders to deposit $1 per fee (for loans over $1,000) or $0.50 per fee (for loans of $1,000 or less) into the Comptroller's account. The bill affects lenders who charge administrative fees on consumer loans, as it changes how those fees are handled without altering the fee amounts themselves ($25 max for loans over $1,000, $20 max for smaller loans). The change takes effect January 1, 2026, and applies to fees collected after that date.

Topics ✗ Budget & Taxes

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 1397: Relating to the care, custody, and display of the letter known as the victory or death letter, the Texas Constitution, and the Texas Declaration of Independence.

HB 1397 requires the Texas Historical Commission to manage the care, custody, and display of three key historical documents: the "victory or death letter" (William Travis' 1836 letter), the Texas Constitution, and the Texas Declaration of Independence. The bill mandates that the commission designate a secure display location for the victory or death letter at the Alamo complex by December 1, 2027, while continuing to display the Constitution and Declaration at the Capitol Complex under existing arrangements. It also requires collaboration with the Texas Historical Commission and State Preservation Board to develop and publish a formal display plan for all three documents. This law, signed by the governor on June 20, 2025, and effective September 1, 2025, institutionalizes the current practice of displaying these documents while formalizing future display locations.

signed · Texas · House Jun 20, 2025

HB 2495: Relating to certain rights of a child or a parent or the sole managing conservator of a child in relation to the child's enrollment in school.

This bill transfers certain parental educational rights to students who are 18 years old or have had their "disabilities of minority" removed under Texas Family Code Chapter 31 (typically through court order). It directly affects minors meeting these criteria, allowing them to make school enrollment decisions previously held by parents or legal guardians. The key mechanism amends Education Code Section 26.002 and Family Code Sections 31.006 and 151.001 to explicitly state that these rights transfer to the minor, unless the minor is deemed incompetent or restricted by court order. The law became effective September 1, 2025, after signing by the Governor.

Bill results