Several new laws passed during the 89th Regular Legislative Session in Texas took effect on September 1, as highlighted by Governor Greg Abbott. The legislation covers a range of issues including education, public safety, property rights, and support for veterans.
“This session will be remembered as one of the most consequential in Texas history,” said Governor Abbott. “We made bold promises to the people of Texas—to secure the border and keep Texans safe, to defend freedom, life and property rights, and to ensure every child has access to a great education. And we delivered. Today, Texans will realize the results of many of these promises. The laws we passed reflect our values: safer communities, stronger schools, and a future built on freedom, faith, and hard work.”
Among the changes in K-12 education is Senate Bill 2, which establishes an Education Savings Account program. This initiative allows eligible students to use state funds for preapproved educational providers or services such as private school tuition or instructional materials. The program is set to launch with $1 billion in funding for the 2026-2027 school year.
House Bill 2 allocates $8.5 billion in new funding for public education along with $4 billion dedicated to teacher and staff pay raises.
Career training opportunities are expanded through House Bill 120 by aligning high school and technical college programs with workforce needs in fields like welding and plumbing.
Senate Bill 10 mandates that public elementary and secondary schools display the Ten Commandments beginning with the next academic year.
Parental rights are addressed by Senate Bill 12—the Parents’ Bill of Rights—which includes bans on DEI hiring practices in schools, requires sex education participation to be opt-in only, prohibits certain gender-related instruction in K-12 settings, enforces biological sex categories in sports competitions, protects parental decision-making regarding their children’s upbringing and medical care, and shifts curriculum focus toward core subjects.
Additional oversight over school libraries is established through Senate Bill 13 by requiring parent-led advisory councils and giving school boards authority over library materials.
In other areas:
Senate Bill 33 restricts Texas governmental entities from supporting abortions financially or logistically.
Senate Bill 9 gives prosecutors more ability to appeal bail decisions involving serious crimes or repeat offenders; it also limits who can reduce bail conditions set by elected judges.
House Bill 150 creates a Texas Cyber Command agency based in San Antonio focused on defending against cyber threats.
House Bill 128 prohibits local governments from entering sister-city agreements with foreign adversaries while encouraging partnerships with U.S. allies. Senate Bill 17 bars certain foreign entities from acquiring real estate within Texas.
Senate Bills 1333 and 1349 address property squatting issues—empowering law enforcement response—and create criminal offenses related to transnational repression while mandating new law enforcement training programs on this issue.
Water infrastructure improvements fall under Senate Bill 7 which assigns coordination responsibilities to the Texas Water Development Board for water supply projects pending voter approval later this year.
To combat human trafficking: House Bill 2306 eliminates parole eligibility for those convicted of trafficking children or disabled individuals; Senate Bill 1212 increases penalties for human trafficking offenses.
Support for veterans comes via several measures: Senate Bills 1814 and 1818 establish electronic databases connecting service members leaving active duty with resources and streamline licensing processes for military families moving into Texas; House Bill 114 consolidates veteran program administration under one agency.
Election integrity receives attention through House Bill 5115 which criminalizes counting invalid votes or refusing valid ones as election fraud—a second-degree felony offense under this statute.
“These reforms represent not just legislative victories, but long-term wins for Texas families, students, small business owners, and communities across the state.”
