New Texas legal guidelines taking impact on January 1, 2025

HOUSTON — With the beginning of the New Yr, there are a number of new Texas legal guidelines and parts of others that went into impact on January 1.

Here’s a breakdown of what it’s good to learn about every one.

Texas Home Invoice 3297 was handed within the 2023 legislative session and went into impact on January 1, 2025.

The brand new legislation eliminates the necessity for annual inspections for non-commercial drivers to get their automobile registration. Underneath the brand new legislation, drivers in Texas’ extra populated counties will nonetheless must cross an emissions take a look at to get their automobiles registered.  

Drivers will even must pay a $7.50 inspection program substitute price. That’ll be paid whenever you get your registration.

RELATED: Texas legislation eliminating state automobile inspections goes into impact on Jan. 1 | What DPS desires you to know

The emissions take a look at will nonetheless be required for drivers of non-commercial automobiles in Harris, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, and Montgomery counties within the Houston space. 

Drivers within the Dallas-Fort Price space in Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, and Tarrant counties will even want emissions assessments. 

Within the Austin space, drivers of non-commercial automobiles in Travis and Williamson counties will nonetheless must cross the take a look at. The identical goes for drivers in El Paso County. 

For drivers in San Antonio, the emissions take a look at isn’t required when the brand new legislation goes into impact in 2025, however drivers in Bexar County will want them starting in 2026.

Texas Home Invoice 4 launched new client information privateness laws, enhancing protections for Texans’ private info. Whereas a lot of the legislation took impact on July 1, 2024, a key provision, Part 541.055(e) of the Enterprise & Commerce Code, took impact on January 1, 2025.

RELATED: What it’s good to know in regards to the Texas information privateness legislation that is now in impact

This particular part requires companies to honor unified opt-out mechanisms for on-line information processing.

Customers will have the ability to use instruments like browser settings, system preferences, or extensions to robotically choose out of focused promoting, information gross sales, and profiling without having to work together individually with every enterprise.

Companies that fail to adjust to these guidelines might face civil penalties.

Texas Senate Invoice 2, a part of a broader property tax aid initiative, contains provisions that took impact January 1, 2025. Particularly, Sections 3.05, 3.08, and three.15(b) give attention to changes to the property tax system. 

These modifications intention to streamline appraisal limitations and tax administration, additional decreasing property tax burdens on owners and guaranteeing extra predictable property tax charges.

Texas Home Invoice 1535 makes modifications to the San Antonio River Authority’s governance, following suggestions from the Sundown Advisory Fee. Whereas a lot of the legislation took impact instantly, Part 9, efficient January 1, 2025, makes it in order that the district’s fiscal yr ends on September 30 of every yr.

Texas Home Invoice 3474 introduces a number of modifications to the state’s judicial system. Notably, Part 1.009, efficient January 1, establishes the 477th Judicial District, encompassing Denton County.

Texas Home Invoice 4504 implements a nonsubstantive revision of the Texas Code of Legal Process. This replace reorganizes and clarifies sure provisions with out altering their authorized that means.

The revisions streamline the code’s construction, guarantee consistency, and embody conforming amendments to enhance readability and accessibility for authorized professionals and the general public.

The modifications are a part of an ongoing effort to modernize and simplify Texas statutes.