These new Texas laws go into effect in December and January

AUSTIN, Texas - Dozens of new Texas laws are set to take effect in December and January impacting education, health, law enforcement and more.

Over 800 laws took effect in September from this year's regular session. The new laws taking effect come from the regular session and the second special session.

New laws taking effect in December

Redistricting

The laws set to take effect in December include the legislation behind Republicans' push to redistrict the state ahead of the midterm elections to add five additional Republican seats to the U.S. House.

The redistricting fight started after President Donald Trump told Texas lawmakers that he wanted to gain five GOP seats in the House.

Congressional districts are typically redrawn at the beginning of each decade to compensate for new census data. However, mid-census redistricting is not illegal.

And even though Texas House Democrats stalled the vote by breaking quorum and leaving the state in protest, Texas Republicans succeeded in redrawing a map to give the GOP a better chance of winning in five districts.

Private citizens can sue abortion pill manufacturers

House Bill 7 takes effect on Dec. 4 and will let private citizens sue corporations or people who mail abortion medication to women in Texas.

Those who successfully sue could be awarded $100,000 in damages.

Replacing the STAAR test

House Bill 8 replaces the STAAR test with three shorter tests given throughout the school year. One in October, a second in January, and then the third in the spring. The bill goes into effect Dec. 4 and students will take the new tests beginning next school year.

Penalties for lawmakers that break quorum

House Bill 18 is a bill in direct response to the Democrat effort to block congressional redistricting. 

The law would allow for a House or Senate member's seat to be vacated if they leave the state for over a week during a legislative session without being excused. 

Before HB 18, members were merely fined $500 per day for unexcused absences. 

Quorum breaking is a long-practiced tactic of the minority party to attempt to prevent partisan legislation.

Gov. Abbott added the bill to the second Special Session upon the return of the Texas Democrats.

Buying ivermectin without a prescription

Beginning Dec. 4, ivermectin will be available over the counter without a prescription.

While ivermectin is most commonly used for livestock and pets, humans are also prescribed the drug for parasites like scabies or head lice under a doctor's care and prescription. Now, it will be available over the counter in drug stores.

The fight over access to the drug stems from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Food and Drug Administration has not approved ivermectin for use against a virus like COVID, only for parasite treatment by prescription from a doctor.

But in Texas, state lawmakers are removing that requirement.

Medical freedom, as supporters describe it, goes back to the pandemic.

People nationwide began searching out ivermectin before there was a vaccine, some even going to vets to get the drug.

Limiting bathroom access in public buildings

Senate Bill 8 from the second special session requires individuals in schools and government buildings, like prisons and jails, to use a bathroom that coincides with their biological sex.

It also prohibits those assigned male at birth from using women's domestic violence shelters , unless they are a minor and the child of a woman receiving services there. Institutions that violate the law would face a $25,000 fine for the first violation and a $125,000 fine for each violation after.

Protections against prosecution for trafficking victims

Senate Bill 11 will protect trafficking victims from prosecution for certain crimes if they were forced or coerced by the trafficker.

Those who committed serious offenses like murder, trafficking a person or child, sexual assault or burglary, would be ineligible for protection under the law.

Laws taking effect on Jan. 1

Texas sheriffs must work with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Senate Bill 8 from the regular session requires all sheriffs in Texas to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by serving federal immigration warrants at local jails.

The bill requires sheriffs to request partnerships with ICE, known as 287(g) agreements. The agreements allow ICE to authorize local authorities to perform certain types of immigration enforcement in local jails, including allowing officers to question inmates about their immigration status and serve administrative warrants.

In its original form, the bill would have applied only to counties with populations over 100,000. On May 24, the House passed an amended version in an 89-50 vote that would apply to all sheriffs in the state.

App Store Accountability Act

App store operators like Google and Apple will now be required to verify the age of users in Texas and get parental consent from parents before allowing minors to download an app.

The App Store Accountability Act requires age verification from all users and will prevent minors from downloading apps or making in-app purchases without parental consent from a connected account that has been verified.

In total, 31 bills passed during the regular session and two bills passed during the second special session got into effect on Jan. 1. A full list of regular session bills can be found here, and special session bills can be found here.

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