By Bob Wieland | [email protected]

More than 700 new Texas laws have taken effect with even more changes on the horizon. September 1 was the effective date for 774 bill passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the governor.

House Bill (HB) 3 puts an armed guard on every school campus in Texas while HB 6 makes fentanyl dealers eligible for the death penalty if their drugs kill a customer. 

HB 3 requires each district’s board of trustees to determine the appropriate number of fulltime armed security officers per campus, with at least one per school. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) was tasked with monitoring compliance but given no enforcement authority. 

Senate Bill (SB) 15 extends a previous restriction on transgender athletes through high school, now banning trans college students from competing against athletes who have not changed sex.   

SB 14 prohibits doctors from treating transgender youth with puberty blockers and hormone therapy. 

Medical professionals would lose their license if they prescribed drugs to treat gender dysphoria and mental health issues.

An attempt to prevent children from seeing drag performances has been challenged in court. Advocates claim SB 12 violates the First Amendment guarantee of free speech.

HB 2127, the Regulatory Consistency Act, also wound up in court, with cities claiming it prevents them from governing their citizens. Businesses have supported the measure, known by opponents as the “death star bill.”

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