{"id":108586,"date":"2026-01-02T17:36:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T17:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/108586\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T17:36:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T17:36:07","slug":"new-texas-laws-took-effect-on-jan-1-what-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/108586\/","title":{"rendered":"New Texas laws took effect on Jan. 1. What to know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Texans are starting 2026 under new rules approved by lawmakers last session, including changes to how local jails handle immigration cases, how quickly certain evictions move through the courts, and how the state monitors artificial intelligence. <\/p>\n

Here is what you need to know about the most notable laws now in force. <\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"AImmigration and Public Safety<\/p>\n

Senate Bill 8 <\/a>requires county sheriff offices to cooperate with U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement through participation in the federal 287(g) program. <\/p>\n

Under the law, local jail staff are authorized to verify inmates\u2019 immigration status and to carry out certain federal immigration warrants. <\/p>\n

The state has created a grant program to help sheriffs cover training and implementation costs tied to the mandate. <\/p>\n

Political Points<\/p>\n

Get the latest politics news from North Texas and beyond.<\/p>\n

By signing up, you agree to our\u00a0Terms of Service<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n

Housing and Property<\/p>\n

Senate Bill 38<\/a> accelerated eviction proceedings involving unauthorized occupants, commonly referred to as squatters. <\/p>\n

The law shortens court timelines for these cases, reducing them to an estimated 10 to 21 days, and limits procedural delays available to occupants. <\/p>\n

Technology and AI <\/p>\n

House Bill 149<\/a> establishes a statewide framework for regulating artificial intelligence systems. <\/p>\n

The law requires transparency from companies using AI, including notifying people when they are interacting with an AI system. <\/p>\n

It also creates a state advisory group to oversee implementation and compliance. Penalties may apply for violations of the new requirements. <\/p>\n

Business and Taxes<\/p>\n

House Bill 9<\/a> expands the business inventory tax exemption, raising the exemption limit to $125,000. <\/p>\n

The change reduces the amount of inventory subject to property taxes, offering relief to small businesses that maintain stock as part of their operations.<\/p>\n

Other changes<\/p>\n

Technology platforms: Under the Texas App Store Accountability Act, app stores must verify a user\u2019s age and obtain parental consent for app downloads or purchases made by minors. <\/p>\n

Tax calculations: Adjustments to how specific ad valorem tax rates are calculated, particularly following natural disasters. <\/p>\n

Insurance rules: Changes affecting when insurers may decline, cancel or choose not to renew policies. <\/p>\n

Letters to the Editor – U.S. Postal Service, Gen. George Marshall, resolutions, the penny<\/a>Nearly two dozen states are increasing minimum wage in 2026. Will Texas follow?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Texans are starting 2026 under new rules approved by lawmakers last session, including changes to how local jails…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":80429,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[102,287,27,29,28],"class_list":{"0":"post-108586","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-texas","8":"tag-dallas","9":"tag-politics","10":"tag-texas","11":"tag-texas-headlines","12":"tag-texas-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108586"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108586\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}