A: No, there is no state registration of firearms. Through Amendments to CCP 42A.352 and Government Code Section 411.1425, law enforcement agencies will now collect a DNA specimen from individuals merely arrested (as opposed to indicted) for: – murder;- capital murder;- kidnapping– aggravated kidnapping;- human smuggling;- continuous human smuggling;- human trafficking;- continuous human trafficking;- continuous sexual abuse of young child or children;- indecency with a child;- assault;- sexual assault;- aggravated assault;- aggravated sexual assault;- prohibited sexual conduct;- robbery;- aggravated robbery;- burglary;- theft;- promotion of prostitution; – aggravated promotion of prostitution;- compelling prostitution;- sexual performance by a child; or- possession or promotion of child pornography, House Bill 98 addresses concerns that “have been raised regarding the constitutionality” of the civil and criminal Revenge Porn statutes. Your donations make our reporting possible and keep it free for all to access. Aug. 6, 2019, 8:39 AM UTC / Updated Aug. 8, 2019, 11:12 PM UTC By Alex Johnson Ten new pro-gun laws will take effect in Texas in four weeks, less than a ⦠Deferred for a DWI is considered a conviction for enhancement purposes for any future DWI allegation. Pen. Probation departments mays allow reporting by videoconference. The measure ushers the disputes into a state-overseen arbitration process, keeping patients out of the fight. Texas Gun Laws made Simple. Another new law allows restaurants to apply for permits to let them deliver wine and beer. SB 535 allows individuals with a license to carry to bring their handgun to church or other place of worship if the church has not posted a 30.06 (concealed) / 30.07(open carry) notice. That will soon be a thing of the past. HB 2894 significantly expands the Medicaid Fraud statue and creates Healthcare Fraud as a state criminal cause of action. To read the full text of a bill, just enter the bill number HERE. The individual hotel should be contacted to inquire about it's concealed carry policy. by Matthew Watkins Here's a look at whatâs in store. No more Driver Responsibility Program: This new law, House Bill 2048, will eliminate this much-maligned program, which critics say traps low-income Texans in a cycle of debt. We didnât get everything we wanted out of the 2019 session but we will take what we can get. HB 121 (86th Leg. An incurable neurodegenerative disease The bill redefines low-THC cannabis as any part of the marijuana plant (or derivative or oil of the marijuana plant) that contains not more than .5 percent by weight of THC. Texas Law Welcome to the Texas Law section of FindLaw's State Law collection. Location of Texas in the United States . expand all collapse all. A: There is no waiting period for purchasing a firearm in the state of Texas. All rights reserved. This offense also covers contacting another person with seminal fluid, vaginal fluid, saliva, urine, or feces. New rules for female inmates: House Bill 650 makes a series of changes to state law that are designed to make state prisons more accommodating to female inmates. We are not lawyers. $3,000 as an additional fine for the first DWI in a 36-month period; $4,500 for a subsequent DWI in a 36-month period; and. Effective January 1, 2020. SB 1754 removes the intent element from taking (or attempting to take) a weapon from a peace officer. If you have questions about researching Texas laws, you can Ask a Librarian for help. See the Handguns at Hotels page for additional information. Fighting surprise medical bills: Senate Bill 1264 aims to prevent Texans from being hit with surprise medical bills when their health care provider and insurance company can't agree on a payment. Feel free to bring board games, musical instruments, your dungeon master, etc. 446 also amends Penal Code 46.05 to remove knuckles from the list of items that are illegal to possess, manufacture, transport, repair, or sell. (Probation for a first-time DWI with a BAC less than .15 currently does not require interlock as a condition.) ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord) 7. The bill also creates an automatic revocation or denial of professional licenses for a variety of medical professionals including dentists, dental hygienists, nurses, occupational therapists, optometrists, physical therapists, pharmacists, doctors, psychologists, social workers, and speech pathologists. Most of these new laws take effect on September 1, 2019. ⦠On September 1, 2019, a host of new Texas laws kicked in. The “dick pic” bill creates a Class C offense that is punishable by up to a $500 fine. Effective Immediately. New laws going into effect in Texas on Sept. 1 August 21, 2019 at 4:50 PM CDT - Updated August 21 at 4:50 PM LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - A number of big changes came out of Texasâ 86th Legislative session. Children under the age of 18 will be able to sell non ⦠Several new laws relating to firearms were passed in the 86th Texas Legislature (2019). Previous law allowed breastfeeding anywhere but didn't specify pumping. A judge must require an interlock device on any DWI that is deferred, even though the blood alcohol concentration is less than .15, unless after substance and alcohol evaluation the judge rules that the use of interlock is not necessary for the safety of the community. Here's a sample of several that will impact Texans' lives: The 2020-2021 budget: The state's two-year budget calls for spending roughly $250 billion on priorities including public school funding, teacher salaries and early childhood intervention programs. These are just some the laws youâll need to know about. A campaign of misinformation by CLEAT led to the demise of this bill despite two years of bipartisan effort. Altogether, more than 1,300 laws were enacted in this session, including a surprising number of environmentally related bills. HB 374 requires probation departments to adopt policies so that meetings with probationers are set after taking into consideration the probationer’s work schedule, treatment, and community service. (As it pertains to DWI, a first time DWI resulted in $3,000 in surcharges due to DPS; a subsequent DWI carried a surcharge of $4,500; a DWI with a BAC greater than .15 resulted in a $6,000 surcharge). No more stealing packages: Thieves who steal packages from peopleâs front porches will start facing stiffer penalties. A nondisclosed DWI can still be used for enhancement purposes. Hereâs a closer look at what Texans can expect: Prosecution Defense for Possessing a Handgun in a Prohibited Area If you have a pending DWI (that occurred/occurs before September 1, 2019) you will not have to pay a surcharge. A few have already become law! âSigned by the Governor, Effective Sept. 1, 2019. From loosening gun restrictions to making it easier to get HIV medications, Texas legislators passed 820 new laws this year that will take effect Sept. 1, 2019. That means any surcharge you presently owe – because of a DWI or otherwise – will be zeroed out on September 1, 2019. Negligently disposing of a card skimmer is a Class B misdemeanor but disposing of a card skimmer knowing a criminal investigation is under way commits a third degree felony. The license permits the concealed or open carrying of a handgun. September 1 is fast approaching and that means there are a whole lot of new laws that will go into effect in Texas. HB 3490 expands the definition of harassment to include posting repeated messages on the internet, including on social media platforms. The bill will ban the shackling of pregnant women, require a trauma screening of each incoming female inmate and require the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to study the effects of visitation policies on women and their children. It was published with a bill analysis that includes an author/sponsor statement of intent. It’ll be two years before the legislature meets again and has another go at decriminalization of marijuana and approving medical marijuana for PTSD patients. HB 2625 creates an offense under Penal Code 32.315 for obtaining, possessing, transferring or using a counterfeit credit or debit card with the intent to harm or defraud another person. Last updated: August 29, 2019. Aug. 29, 201912 AM Central. Senate Bill 2136 makes a massive change to the type of evidence that can be introduced in the guilt-innocence portion of a case where the defendant and victim are related. As we enter 2019, there are some laws that will change. Autism8. House Bill 101 creates a Spoofed Calls statute under Penal Code 33A.051 that makes it illegal to spoof a phone number when the call is made with the intent to defraud, harass, or cause harm. Other notable legislative defeats include: Dead – House Bill 2754 would have limited the instances when a police officer could arrest for a fine only or ticketable offense. Effective September 1, 2019, pursuant to Government Code 420.035, every investigation (charged or uncharged) into any sexual assault or other sex offense is required to be entered into the national database of the Violent Criminal Apprehension Program established and maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The latest round of new statutes adds to the list of almost 1,300 state laws that had already taken effect in 2019 â the legacy of the 86th session of the Texas Legislature, which ended in May. It also requires licenses be denied for anyone placed on deferred adjudication or convicted of a felony offense involving the use or threat of force (think about collateral consequence warnings for individuals contemplating pleas for aggravated assault, for instance). In order for the fines to be waived, the court must find that the client was indigent. SB 346 increases the court costs for felonies from $133 to $185. Seller's disclosure for houses in a floodplain: Senate Bill 339 expands the rules for selling property to require disclosures when a home is in a 500-year floodplain, a flood pool, or in or near a reservoir. SB 550 would have allowed offenses that have been set aside through Judicial Clemency under 42A.701 to non-disclosed after a waiting period. AUSTIN, Texas â On Sunday, Sept. 1, hundreds of new laws go into effect that will impact a variety of things from lemonade stands and the legal ⦠Without legislation to address this issue, individuals on death row must have their cases work through the court system again if they raise an issue of intellectual disability – delaying executions and increasing costs. As we head into 2019, a fresh set of laws are on the way ranging on everything from human trafficking to campaign finance. Relating to the enforcement of certain federal laws regulating firearms, firearm accessories, and firearm ammunition within the State of Texas; creating a criminal offense. House Bill 1325 legalizes hemp production, removes hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, and legalize CBD products that contain .3 percent or less THC. An attempt to stop telemarketers: Starting Sunday, telemarketers will be banned from calling Texans using fake numbers that show up on the recipient's caller ID. Just wait for this one to be found unconstitutional. Teachers coined the slogan âDonât Pass, Donât Play,â but now, doctors will be ⦠HB 234 â Lemonade stands. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019, except Section 16 takes effect immediately. © Varghese Summersett PLLC 2004 - 2021. Q: How long is the waiting period to buy a Handgun / Shotgun / Rifle in Texas? Prosecutors may not seek the death penalty for child victims between 10 and 15, so anyone convicted only under this subsection shall receive life without parole. HB 902 makes assaulting a woman whom the accused knows is pregnant a third- degree felony, instead of a Class A misdemeanor. These changes reflect consolidation of some costs and repeal of others such as a repeal of the fees for the services of county and district clerks. Here are some that start in September, including smoking, weapons, craft beer. A person commits Indecent Assault if without the other person’s consent and with the intent to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person, they touch the breast, butt, or genitals of another person; touch another person with their butt, breast, or genitals. SB 535 Bill Analysis SB 535 is a Texas law that became effective 9/1/2019. Seizures 4. Defunding abortion providers: This measure, Senate Bill 22, will prohibit state and local governments from partnering with agencies that perform abortions, even if they contract for services not related to the procedure. The state constitution establishes the structure and purpose of the Texas government. These surcharges were added on to court fines and criminal penalties for Texas drivers who were convicted of offenses ranging from driving without a valid license to driving while intoxicated. Signed â Effective September 1, 2019. The reality is there is very little practical effect to this bill other than a shortened period before the person can apply for a nondisclosure – assuming there was not an accident involving another person. House Bill 2758 also prohibits deferred adjudication for Trafficking or Continuous Trafficking. Generally, stealing mail from fewer than 10 addresses will be a Class A misdemeanor; 10 to 29 addresses is a state jail felony; and anything over that is a third-degree felony. By amending Code of Criminal Procedure Article 42A.056, HB 2758 also prohibits juries from probation individuals found guilty of indecency is the child was under 14 at the time of the offense. (Quote from bill analysis.). Learn more about “Molly Jane’s Law.”, On the surface this bill requires rape kits to be analyzed within 90 days of submission to a public accredited crime lab, but leaves open a huge loophole – that the kits only have to be tested in 90 days “if sufficient personnel and resources are available.”.