New Texas laws taking effect in 2025

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – While communities across the state of Texas gear up to celebrate the new year, they should also be aware of a few new state laws taking effect as soon as the ball drops for 2025.

The 88th Texas Legislature sent more than 1,095 laws into immediate effect during 2023 and about 55 others went into effect during 2024, but several others are set to go into effect in 2025.

These laws cover subjects such as vehicle safety inspections, property taxes and data privacy, as well as accreditation changes for some social services, consumer protections for emergency medical service billing, and assorted judicial procedure changes.

January 2025

Vehicle safety inspection reports are no longer required

HB 3297 eliminated the requirements in Texas for annual inspections during the vehicle registration process for non-commercial drivers. However, the requirement will be replaced by a $7.50 inspection program replacement fee, which is the same cost as the inspection fee before the law was passed.

The Property Tax Relief Act

SB 2 made amendments to the education, government and tax codes to provide for a reduction in a public school district's maximum compressed tax rate for the 2023-2024 school year. The portions that go into effect in January 2025 (sections 3.05, 3.08 and 3.15(b)) address additional state aid for adjusting the limit on tax increases for homesteads of elderly or people with disabilities, allowing for appraisers and assessors to make related tax calculations, and repealing some sections of the Tax Code.

The Texas Data Privacy & Security Act

HB 4, also known as the Texas Data Privacy & Security Act, added Chapter 541 to the Texas Business and Commerce Code. The chapter expands data privacy rights for Texans by restricting the sale and processing of personal consumer data by businesses operating in Texas, with procedures for designating a consumer's authorized agent going into effect in January.

San Antonio River Authority office terms

At the recommendations of the Sunset Advisory Commission, HB 1535 adjusted the terms of office for the members of the board of directors for the San Antonio River Authority. The portion of the law going into effect is Section 9, which established the end of the district's fiscal year as Sept. 30.

Changes to the Texas government's judicial branch

HB 3474 is an omnibus bill relating to operating and administering the practices and procedures of the Texas government’s judicial branch. It amends multiple codes to numerous effects, with Section 1.009 going into effect in January to establish the 477th Judicial District as comprised of Denton County.

Code of Criminal Procedure revisions

HB 4504 continues the legislature's statutory revision program, which provides for the nonsubstantive revision of the Code of Criminal Procedure to revise laws governing the general powers and duties of peace officers, law enforcement interactions with the public, venues, municipal courts, and the expunction of criminal records.

April 2025

Health and Human Services Commission, Medicaid and Social Services revisions

HB 4611 continues the legislature's statutory revision program and makes additions, amendments, and corrections in certain health and human services laws governing the Health and Human Services Commission, Medicaid, and other social services and makes conforming changes to enacted codes.

July 2025

Changes to issuing vehicle tags, permits, and license plates

HB 718 amends the Tax Code and Transportation Code to eliminate the issuance of temporary paper license plates and permits by a dealer for vehicles sold in Texas.

The provisions of the bill change the type of temporary plates issued by a dealer to a metal license plate, require a dealer to obtain the plates from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV), and establish that the plates are valid for the operation of the vehicle while the registration application submitted by the dealer is pending. The bill also revises the requirement for TxDMV to operate an applicable database to reflect the transition to metal license plates, which must allow law enforcement to obtain information about drivers to whom the license plates are issued.

September 2025

Voluntary accreditation for recovery housing

HB 299 adopts minimum standards for accreditation as a recovery house for substance use disorder recovery and provides for the development and administration of a voluntary accreditation program by certain approved accrediting organizations.

Section 469.009 goes into effect in September 2025, which says a recovery house that is not accredited in accordance with the chapter is ineligible for and may not receive state money.

Supreme Court of Texas and the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act

HB 3929 authorized the Texas Supreme Court to adopt the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act as rules of civil procedure before Sept. 1, 2025 and provided for the repeal of statutory provisions establishing that a witness required by a court of record in any other state or foreign jurisdiction to give testimony in Texas may be compelled to appear and testify in the same manner and by the same process used for taking testimony in a proceeding pending in Texas unless the supreme court does not adopt the act as rules.

Establishing a county health care provider participation program in Jefferson County

HB 4835 repealed provisions providing for a municipal health care provider participation program for the City of Beaumont and adjusted to provide for a county health care provider participation program in Jefferson County, with the provisions regarding the county program set to take effect in September 2025.

Consumer protections with emergency medical services billing

SB 2476 provided the method for determining the amount that a health maintenance organization, insurance and other healthcare providers must pay for a covered health or medical care service or transport that is provided by non-network or out-of-network emergency medical services providers. The Texas Department of Insurance is required to establish a publicly-accessible database for those rates, as they are set.

Sections 2b, 4b, 6b, 7b, 9b, 11b and 13b are set to take effect in September 2025.

October 2025

Changes to the Texas government's judicial branch

HB 3474 is an omnibus bill relating to operating and administering the practices and procedures of the Texas government’s judicial branch. It amends multiple codes to numerous effects, with Section 1.016 going into effect in October to establish the 498th Judicial District as comprised of Kendall County.

The 89th Legislature regular session is set to run in 2025 from Jan. 14 through June 2, with hundreds of pieces of legislation already filed. Legislation has already been filed to discuss items from artificial intelligence regulation to school vouchers and public education, marriage, elections, border and immigration, energy, wages and others.