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It seems as though it was just the other day when the many conservatives of the 89th Texas Legislature were waiting to see what Gov. Greg Abbott would do with the bill to ban all intoxicating hemp products in Texas. But it wasn’t just the other day. It was months ago.
As quickly as most years seem to progress, that goes double for the years in which a legislative session takes place. The list of new state laws going into effect on Jan. 1 isn’t quite as buzzworthy as previous years. That’s certainly not due to a shortage of hot-button topics being contested in Austin, but primarily the result of some of those more high-profile bills having already taken effect on Sept. 1.
After failing in the past few sessions, a controversial and long-fought-over school voucher program became legal upon Abbott’s signing, for example. Senate Bill 10, which aims to require all public school classrooms to display a copy of the Ten Commandments, became law on September 1, but many districts have been ordered by a federal judge to remove the posters while the law is contested in court.
Senate Bill 12 became law on Sept. 1 and is not being challenged in court. The bill advances the DEI ban placed on public college campuses established following the 88th Legislature by banning DEI policies and programs in public K-12 schools. But that’s old news. Here are some of the new Texas laws that take effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
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House Bill 149
The Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act establishes regulations governing the use of AI. Government agencies must now disclose their interactions with AI, while the creation of certain AI practices, including deepfakes or content encouraging self-harm, is now prohibited by law.
Senate Bill 8
Sheriffs in counties operating jails are now required to enter into agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the federal 287(g) program, compelling some local law enforcement to actively assist in enforcing federal immigration laws, including identifying, detaining, and processing individuals for potential deportation. City police departments still have the option to participate in or decline to join the 287(g) program. Keller recently entered the program, while Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux recently announced that he opted to decline the partnership that he says would have netted the city $25 million.
Senate Bill 2420
The Texas App Store Accountability Act requires app stores, such as Apple’s App Store and Google Play, to implement safety measures, including age verification, parental consent for app downloads and in-app purchases, and requires developers to post age-based content ratings. Similar to SB 10, however, as of late 2025, the law is being challenged after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction to block its enforcement.
Senate Bill 1522
The Texas Continuing Care Facility Disclosure and Rehabilitation Act amends Chapter 246 of the Health and Safety Code to clarify the definition of “continuing care” and to strengthen the regulation, oversight, and consumer protections for assisted living facilities. One of the new protections in the law prohibits facilities from including contract clauses that would prevent residents from assembling or meeting with groups.
