New Texas Laws that came into force on January 1 – Highlands Crosby Courier star

Texas state capital

By David Taylor / Manager

With the days of Texas State legislation, away from the excitement of the 89th regular legislative session, the biggest battle on the floor floor on the first day will be above the election of a new speaker.

During the last beat, the legislative body prepared legislation, which was signed by the governor and came into force on January 1, 2025. Only about four laws could directly affect local voters.

Here they are:

Senate Bill 2
Relief of ownership tax

The bigger part of the law is already in force, with the exception of sections 3.05, 3.08 and 3.15 (b), which they took in law on January 1, 2025. Divisions 4.02, 4.05, 4.08, 4.10 and 4.12, which enter into force on force at January. In addition, the Education Code will now require the Texas Education Agency to publish the maximum compressed rate of each school area for the current and previous tax year, bearing light to taxpayers’ taxpayers. Section 3.15 (b) cancel the tax discounts that already have
It expires.

Bill No. 4
Texas Data Privacy and Security

The bigger part of the law came into force on July 1, 2024, introducing new rules for the privacy of consumer data, improving the protection of personal information of Texas. The key provision of the bill came into force on January 1, which was the Code of Business and Trade. What is it doing? It gives consumers more power over their personal data with combined mechanisms for refusing their personal online data processing.

Users will be able to use their browser settings, device preferences or extensions to choose an automatically purposeful advertising, data sales and profiling without having to interact individually with each business.

Users can confirm whether the business processes its personal data and will have access to its personal data, corrects inaccuracies, deletes personal data provided by or received for the User, and withdraw from the processing of personal data for the purpose of target advertising, the sale of personal information or profiling.

Businesses will be required to respond to the user’s request by 45 days after receiving and without delay. They declare and extend as long as they inform the user and give the reason for the extension. If the business wishes to refuse the user’s request, they must justify and instructions on how to appeal the decision.

Bill No. 3297
Elimination of state vehicles inspections

The law was adopted in the legislature in 2023 and shall enter into force on January 1, 2025. New legislation removes annual inspections for non -commercial drivers to obtain the registration of their vehicle with several exceptions that include Harris
County.

Drivers will have to pay a par value of $ 7.50 to replace the verification program when they receive their registration.

The exceptions are for the counties that will require non -commercial vehicles in the cities of Harris, Brazoria, Fort Band, Galveston and Montgomery will include a program for inspection and maintenance of vehicle emissions. The law also affects the drivers at Dallas-Form Worth in Colin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker Rolko and Taran. It also includes Travis, Williamson. El Paso and Bexar Counts (2026).

Bill No. 4504
Rationalization of criminal proceedings

This bill is a continuous effort to simplify the legal rules in Texas. There are small, technical updates of the Code of Criminal Procedure, without changing the meaning of the laws. These updates directly include police officers’ obligations, how they interact with the public where cases can be considered, moving cases to a different place, rules for certain local courts and clearing criminal records.

There are significantly more laws that do not directly affect taxpayers locally, including the creation of several new court areas throughout the country.