You Need To Know The New Laws In Effect In Texas As Of Sept 1st

September 1st almost always brings new laws to Texas. Here's what you need to know about the 2024 additions including 1 limiting kids social media access.

Every year new laws go on the books and September 1st is usually the day they become official. 2024 was no different with several new laws kicking in.

In addition to child social media laws, mandatory state inspections are, (mostly), going away, survivors of dating violence get a new benefit and more.

House Bill 18, aka the "SCOPE" act deals with kids using social media. It limits access to social media platforms for minors and protects them from seeing certain content if they do logon. For now, sites also have to allow parents to monitor what their kids are doing.

House Bill 1710 requires a judge be notified if a defendant has been jailed 75 days.

Senate Bill 1841 gives survivors of dating violence access to help offered by family violence centers.

It also clearly defines dating violence as someone in a dating relationship who causes physical harm, makes someone fear for their safety, or suffers emotional abuse. - KHOU

Senate Bill 241 affects how insulin manufacturers make the availability of generic substitutions known.

House Bill 4510 changes rules on how public colleges report their financial info.

House Bill 3291 finally gets rid of yearly vehicle safety inspections. A plus for most of the state but some areas, including El Paso, will still require them. Read more here.

There are also new rules and regs for hunting mountain lions in the lone star state. An El Paso man recently found one on his roof.