New Texas laws that take effect on Sept. 1, 2023

SAN ANTONIO – New laws surrounding school safety, crime, gender, voting and guns in Texas go into effect on Sept. 1.

Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas lawmakers passed more than 1,100 bills during the 88th Legislature, and 774 of those are about to go into effect. Click here to see which ones already became law in June.

Among those that become law on Sept. 1 are a sweeping school safety bill that requires an armed person at every school campus, the “Puppy Mill Bill” that clamps down on breeders, the “Death Star Bill” that returns sovereign regulatory powers to Texas, and a bill that eliminates sales tax for several health-related and family care products.

Other new laws address road safety, books in schools, transgender children, fentanyl, COVID-19 mandates, workplace violence, electric vehicle registration and hair discrimination.

Here’s a guide to notable laws to look out for.

Animals

• HB 598 implements a Class C misdemeanor if a person convicted of animal cruelty within the last five years is in the possession of an animal. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 4164 makes it illegal for a person to knowingly present a pet as a service animal if the animal is not trained as one. A person committing the offense may face a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, and 30 hours of community service. Under the new law, a person who abuses or neglects their service dog will be subject to seizure of the animal. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 876 is the “Puppy Mill Bill” that requires licenses for dog or cat breeders in possession of five or more female animals used for breeding. In the previous law, only breeders with 11 or more animals for breeding purposes needed a license. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.

Climate

• SB 471 gives the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) the choice not to inspect facilities that have complaints filed against them. Residents who make more than three complaints would face a fine if the investigation does not find actionable enforcement, according to the Texas Tribune. TCEQ would decide when fines would be pursued and for how much the resident would be charged. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 784 gives the state of Texas exclusive jurisdiction over the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. Formerly, cities held the responsibility. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 1017 prevents cities from being able to regulate lawn equipment and their noise production. Additionally, the bill will “prevent political subdivisions in Texas from adopting or enforcing regulations that prohibit or restrict the use, sale, or lease of an engine based on its fuel source,” an analysis of the bill says. Per the text of the bill, a political subdivision “includes a county, municipality, special district, school district, junior college district, or housing authority.” The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept.1, 2023.
• SB 1860 implements a municipal policy when addressing climate charters on a local level. After Sept. 1, cities will have to get permission from the Legislature before addressing changes to their charters “that purport to address climate change,” as reported by the Texas Tribune. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.

Crime/Law Enforcement

• HB 17 allows courts to remove district attorneys for misconduct should the D.A. choose not to pursue a certain type of crime. As reported by the Texas Tribune, Republicans in the Texas Legislature authored the bill as a means of “reigning in rogue prosecutors” after those in largely Democratic counties chose not to prosecute abortion-related crimes. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 22 sets up qualified grant programs to allow for financial assistance to sheriff’s, constable’s and prosecutor’s offices in rural counties. According to the bill’s text, “qualified county” applies to one whose population is 300,000 or less. The county’s comptroller will be responsible for authorizing the grant. The grant programs will administer money to raise salaries for sheriffs, deputies, jailers and prosecutors. Additionally, the money can be used to hire backups and purchase necessary equipment such as vehicles, firearms and safety equipment. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 28 raises the criminal penalty for aggravated assaults from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony if the assailant uses a deadly weapon during an assault that causes a traumatic brain or spinal injury that results in a vegetative state or paralysis. The change in law applies only to an offense committed on or after Sept. 1. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 30 increases the transparency of the state’s public records law by closing the “dead suspect” loophole. According to reporting by The Texas Tribune, “the bill would close a long-standing loophole in the law that government agencies have used to withhold information in situations in which suspects die in police custody, are killed by law enforcement or kill themselves.” The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 63 prevents anonymous reports of child abuse cases from being received. Under the new bill, an investigation will not occur until the caller or online reporter provides their name, address and phone number. Authors of the bill cited it as a deterrent to the number of false reports that occur. However, child advocates worry it might prevent actual reports of abuse or neglect from being investigated. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept.1, 2023.
• HB 393 orders a defendant convicted of intoxication manslaughter to pay restitution to a child whose parent or guardian was killed in the crash. They will have to pay monthly support until the child reaches 18 years old or until they have graduated from high school, whichever is later. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 1163 creates a separate criminal offense for boating while intoxicated with a child passenger. In this bill’s context, a child passenger is someone who is younger than 15. Several amendments that come with the bill can be viewed in the bill’s analysis. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 1184 allows researchers who are funded by any government fund(s) or criminal justice grants to access databases that hold criminal history record information for research or statistic-based projects. Formally, access was only granted to those using state funds. According to an analysis of the bill, in Texas, those records are stored in the Texas Crime Information Center, which is operated by the Department of Public Safety. The bill was filed without Abbott’s signature and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 1442 builds off the foundation laid by SB 1495 from the last session and gives law enforcement officials and prosecutors additional means to combat street racing and street takeovers in Texas. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1. 2023.
• HB 2660, also called “Tim’s Law” by lawmakers, requires law enforcement agencies who receive a missing person report to electronically submit the report to the clearinghouse and the National Crime Information Center’s missing person file. The agency that receives the report must submit information to each neighboring municipal or county law enforcement agency within 200 miles about the missing person(s). The legislation will also set up training programs for agencies to better handle missing person(s) reports. The law was filed after Timothy Perez was reported missing in Austin last October. Perez was later seen near a church in Round Rock, but the Round Rock Police Department was not made aware of Perez’s missing person status. Perez’s remains were later found near State Highway 45 in Williamson County. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 3858 allows qualifying law enforcement agencies to establish and maintain a mental health wellness program for officers. Further, a fund and state grant program to assist in the program’s maintenance will also be created. According to the bill’s text, the fund will be composed of money appropriated to the fund by the Legislature, gift and grant contributions and earnings the fund might make. The Health and Human Services Commission is responsible for making grants. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 602 gives Border Patrol agents the power of a police officer to arrest and conduct search and seizure for offenses under Texas or federal law. The law makes clear this applies to areas outside their designated working locations, such as ports of entry. Before, agents were only allowed to detain individuals before transferring them to a police officer. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 840 implements an increased penalty for assaulting “certain hospital personnel” from a Class A misdemeanor to a third-degree felony. The bill’s text notes that hospital personnel include all individuals “who are employed by or work in a facility that is licensed as a general hospital or special hospital.” The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 1004 makes tampering with an electronic monitoring device a criminal offense. The bill’s text clarifies that an offense of this nature would be a third-degree felony. The law does not apply to a monitoring device that is removed by a health care provider. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 2479 requires jails to report any offender believed to have a mental illness or intellectual disability to the magistrate judge. Previously, only people facing a Class B misdemeanor or higher offenses had to be reported to the magistrate. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.

DEI

• HB 567, called the CROWN Act, bans race-based hair discrimination in workplaces, schools and housing. That includes braids, locks and twists. The CROWN Act, short for the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act, has been recently passed or implemented in 21 other states. For more information, click here. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.

Fentanyl

• HB 6 increases the penalties for those who manufacture or sell fentanyl to a person resulting in their death. The bill classifies fentanyl overdoses as “poisonings,” allowing murder charges for those accused of providing the fatal dose. Read more here. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 3144 designates October as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month in an effort to increase awareness of the dangers of fentanyl and potential overdoses. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.

Finance

• HB 1 is the General Appropriations Act for 2024-25, otherwise known as the state budget. It allocates $321.3 billion in total spending for the state’s budget for the two years. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 1290 makes it illegal for a nursing facility to confiscate or misappropriate federal stimulus checks made to a resident who is a recipient of Medicaid. A facility that violates the law can be penalized up to $25,000 for each violation. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.

Gender/LGBTQ+

• SB 12 makes it illegal for someone to hold a sexually oriented performance in front of a minor. A person who violates the law could face a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for each violation. The first version of the bill was designed to keep minors from attending drag shows, but the last version of the bill removed references to gender and drag performers. Read more here. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 14 bans procedures and treatments for gender transitioning, gender reassignment, or gender dysphoria for children. Public money and public assistance are also prohibited from being used to provide those treatments. Children, in this case, include individuals under 18 years old. This means Texas has joined at least 18 other states with similar laws, according to the Texas Tribune. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 15, called the Save Women’s Sports Act, places restrictions on transgender athletes in college sports. The law prohibits transgender athletes from participating in a sport that is opposite of the student’s biological sex, regardless of their sexual identity. The rule applies to intercollegiate sports between schools, and it will allow a woman to compete on a men’s team if no option for women is available. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.

Guns

• HB 3137 prevents any local government entity from requiring firearm owners to license their weapons. It also bans entities from imposing liability insurance on firearm owners. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 728 requires courts to report “mental health and intellectual disability information with respect to certain children for purposes of a federal firearm background check,” according to the bill’s text. Last year, an investigation by ProPublica and the Texas Tribune found that courts were not reporting juvenile records because of problems with “how the law was written and vague guidance from the state.” The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.

Health

• HB 25 allows Texas to import prescription drugs from Canada through a Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Program. An analysis of the bill states that the program will require the Health and Human Services Commission to design the program. Prescription drugs are often cheaper in Canada than in the United States, and those gathered through the program will be available at a low cost to consumers. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 242 rules that a person, manufacturer, distributor or nonprofit organization is not subject to civil or criminal liability arising from feminine hygiene distribution. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 916 requires health insurers to allow a three-month supply at once to a person who is prescribed a new, covered contraceptive drug and then a 12-month supply at once thereafter. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 1998 better regulates physicians. Under the law, physicians who knowingly make a false statement can be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. Also, physicians who have had their licenses revoked or suspended in another U.S. state or Canada cannot practice in Texas. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 29 prohibits state and local government entities from implementing certain COVID-19 preventative measures, like mandated face masks and COVID-19 vaccines. It also prohibits the closure of private businesses and schools due to COVID-19. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 222 gives state employees eight weeks, or 40 days, of parental paid leave. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 240 requires certain health facilities to establish a workplace violence prevention committee. The committee must include a nurse and security guard, plus a physician if there’s one on staff. The committee should establish a policy that protects healthcare providers and employees from violent behavior and threats. The bill was signed by Abbott and will take effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 379 eliminates the sales tax on several health-related and family care products, like diapers, menstrual supplies and breast milk pumping products. Items under the exemption also include wound care dressings, baby wipes, baby bottles and maternity clothing. The bill was signed by Abbott and will take effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 490 requires healthcare providers and hospitals to give patients an itemized bill of services and supplies during the patient’s visit. A healthcare provider cannot pursue debt collection against a patient unless the provider has provided the itemized bill. This is in an effort to help people understand the costs. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 812, known as the Sergio Lopez Food Allergy Awareness Act, requires restaurants to display a poster about food allergen awareness in an area viewable by employees. The poster must include information about the risk of an allergic reaction to a food allergen, symptoms of an allergic reaction, the major food allergens, the procedures for preventing an allergic reaction, and appropriate responses to help a person having an allergic reaction. Sergio Lopez died in 2014 after eating tacos that contained peanut butter from a McAllen restaurant, despite asking the eatery if the food was safe to eat. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.

Infrastructure/Utilities

• HB 1500 deals with how electric companies can make money in the Texas market, by allowing gas-fueled power plants more revenue. Under the law, the Public Commission of Texas must also improve the effectiveness of communications with the public, market participants and other relevant audiences; and allow for public comment at meetings. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.

Miscellaneous

• HB 19 creates a new business court to hear business-to-business lawsuits involving a “qualified transaction” of at least $10 million. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 30 makes it easier for people to obtain public records in Texas. According to the Texas Tribune, it is aimed at increasing transparency by closing the so-called “dead suspects loophole.” The loophole allowed government agencies to withhold or heavily redact documents related to people who were never convicted. The bill was filed without Abbott’s signature and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 915 establishes a 24-hour toll-free workplace violence hotline to give law enforcement the chance to respond or build a case against situations of workplace violence or harassment. An analysis of the bill cites the murder of Veronica Sanchez by a coworker who was harassing her. Authors of the bill note that the coworker’s behavior was not “deemed serious enough to involve law enforcement.” Employees can file reports anonymously. The bill was filed without Abbott’s signature and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 2016 prevents a person from getting a massage therapy license if they have been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, entered a plea of nolo contendere for, or received deferred adjudication for a sexual assault offense. This bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 2127, or the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act, returns sovereign regulatory powers to Texas. The Texas Tribune reported that the state government will seize control of regulations from local governments in areas like labor, agriculture, natural resources and finance. The City of San Antonio has joined a lawsuit against the State of Texas over the law, dubbed the “Death Star Bill.” This bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 2384 increases judicial training and transparency, such as adding requirements when applying for judicial office. This bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 3447 created the Texas Space Commission and the Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium to “strengthen this state ‘s proven leadership in civil, commercial, and military aerospace activity,” according to the bill. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 3579 gives the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation authority to issue an emergency order to halt operations at a massage establishment if there is enough probable cause to believe human trafficking is taking place there. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 667 establishes a state historical marker program that honors African Americans who served in the Texas Legislature between 1870 and 1875 during the 12th, 13th and 14th Legislative sessions, the bill’s text says. The markers will be placed as close to the respective lawmaker’s graves as possible. If placement near the graves is not possible, then an alternate place would be decided within the counties represented by the former member. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 1045 establishes the 15th Court of Appeals to handle business-to-business lawsuits ruled on by the new business court created by HB 19. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.

Schools

• HB 3 is a sweeping school safety bill that was passed in response to the Uvalde school shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers. It requires at least one armed security officer to be present at each campus during school hours. It also requires certain school employees to have mental health training to deal with students who experience mental health or substance use issues. In general, the state has more authority in implementing school safety guidelines, like making sure facilities are secure and requiring regular reviews. For example, the Texas School Safety Center will review facility standards at least once every five years. It will also establish a school safety and security office at the Texas Education Agency. Read more here. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 114 amends the state’s education code requiring a student who is caught with tobacco or marijuana on school property or at a school-sanctioned activity to be sent to a disciplinary alternative education program. The amended code states the conditions under which a student may be either removed from class and placed in a disciplinary alternative education program, or expelled from a school for the possession, use, or delivery of marihuana or e-cigarettes on or near a public school property or at certain school events. Read more here. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 900, or the Restricting Explicit and Adult-Designed Educational Resources Act, bans “sexually explicit material” from public school libraries. That includes material like a written description, illustration, image, video or audio file that’s not related to the curriculum. The Texas Tribune reported that book vendors will have to rate books based on their references or descriptions of sexual material. Books listed as “sexually explicit” will be removed from shelves. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 1595 creates the Texas University Fund, about $3 billion in endowment funds for Texas State University, Texas Tech University, the University of Houston and the University of North Texas. Those schools will be eligible to receive distributions each fiscal year. The bill was signed by Abbott and will go into effect on Sept. 1, 2023, but only if HJR 3 is approved by voters in November.
• HB 1605 allocates nearly $800 million to create instructional material for teachers, according to the Texas Tribune. This is an effort to save teachers time with planning and preparing lesson plans, however, they will not be required to use all of the material. Districts will also be required to provide parents or guardians with instructional material so they can instruct their children. The bill was signed by Abbott and took effect immediately in June, but Sections 48-50 take effect on Sept. 1, 2023. Sections 48-50 deal with amending the education code and funding.
• SB 18 started as the Senate’s attempt to ban tenure for professors. The House proposed significant changes to SB 18 that kept faculty tenure but also allowed for more guidelines and regular performance reviews. Under the amended bill, each governing board of an institution of higher education shall adopt policies and procedures regarding tenure, including how they grant and evaluate it. In a surprise move, senators accepted the counterproposal and the bill was sent to the governor’s desk. Read more here. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 763 allows school districts to hire a school chaplain to perform the duties of a school counselor. Funding for chaplains would come from funds to promote school safety. Opponents of the bill worry it blurs the line between church and state while fearing that young children might be exposed to unwelcome evangelism. Authors for the bill asserted that schools will choose whether or not they would allow the chaplains to work on school grounds, as reported by the Texas Tribune. Furthermore, schools would choose the rules and regulations that the chaplain(s) would follow. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 798 removes the requirement for prospective school counselors to have prior experience as a teacher during the hiring process. At the moment, most school districts hold the requirement that counselors have teaching experience. In an analysis of the bill, authors believe the previous requirements “created an unnecessary barrier” in hiring. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.

Texas State Parks

• HB 4018 allows the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to engage in the carbon offsets market and sell nature-based carbon credits. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023

Transportation

• HB 1277 makes it legal for people to walk on a roadway if there’s no sidewalk available. Under existing law, a pedestrian could only walk on the left side of the roadway or the shoulder facing oncoming traffic. A pedestrian can now walk on the road facing oncoming traffic if a sidewalk or shoulder is not provided, obstructed or unsafe. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 1885 gives the Texas Transportation Commission, which oversees the Texas Department of Transportation, the authority to establish temporary speed limits in certain situations, like during inclement weather, construction or congestion. Temporary speed limits must be based on an engineering and traffic investigation. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 2190 updates the language used to describe transportation-related incidents. An analysis of the bill describes concerns from highway safety advocates about the terminology for describing a traffic “accident.” According to the analysis, the advocates more firmly believe “collision” or “crash” to be an accurate description of the seriousness of the incident. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 2170 requires toll entities to immediately notify customers with electronic tags if a payment was declined or rejected. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 2313 implements digital training materials for human trafficking and prevention for drivers working with a rideshare company. According to an analysis of the bill, law enforcement officials have evidence of traffickers using rideshare apps to transport victims, making the drivers unwilling aides. The training would come on an annual basis, be bilingual and be approved by the attorney general. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 3558 clarifies where a driver needs to stop at an intersection with a stop sign. When approaching an intersection with no clearly marked stop line, the driver must stop before entering the crosswalk. If there is a clearly visible stop line, then the driver must stop at the line. The Houston Chronicle reported that the law gives clarification for drivers, as there are different instructions from various Texas codes, and will hold them responsible for crashes. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 505 imposes a fee of $400 for the registration of a new electric vehicle, while registration renewal will cost $200. The bill aims to include EVs as part of the existing gasoline/diesel fuel tax, which is used for road improvements. Electric motorcycles, mopeds and autocycles will not be affected. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 1002 encourages competitive private investment, ownership and operation of public electric vehicle charging stations, including equipment that allows for fast charging. An electric utility cannot provide electric vehicle charging service directly to a customer unless it is through affiliated, but separate, entities. Read more here. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.

Voting

• HB 246 requires the Secretary of State to establish a pilot program that requires a county to video record all areas containing voted ballots and ballot-counting activity. The Secretary of State must select six counties to take part in the pilot program, including two counties each from three different population brackets. The Secretary of State must submit a report to the legislature about the program by Jan. 1, 2025. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 357 requires voters to provide their name, date of birth, last four digits of their social security number and their state ID to access the online tracking tool. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 1217 extends the time for early voting in rural and urban communities on weekends and weekdays. According to the Texas Tribune, “large counties in the state already offered these extended hours, but now counties with populations of 55,000 or less must comply.” While this access allows more people to ensure they are able to cast their votes, it does require more poll workers to be present. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• HB 1243 increases the penalty for illegal voting to a second-degree felony. However, if the person is found to be convicted of illegal voting with intent, then it is a state jail felony. Formerly, an attempt at illegal voting was classified as a Class A misdemeanor. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 1070 allows the state of Texas to discontinue the use of the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), an interstate voter registration crosscheck program. The program is bipartisan in nature. In an analysis of the bill, authors claim “the costs associated with the project have outweighed the benefits.” The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
• SB 1599 requires election officials to notify voters if their mail-in ballot needs a correction. The bill was signed by Abbott and takes effect on Sept. 1, 2023.