AUSTIN (KXAN) — A handful of state laws passed in 2023 go into effect on Monday, with more still to come in 2025.
Victims of dating violence will now be able to access family violence centers under Senate Bill 1841. Dating violence itself is newly defined with the law, and is noted as an act by someone in a dating relationship that causes physical harm, places someone in a situation where they fear for their safety and emotional abuse.
Also, those centers must now show the state that they are providing services “in a manner that recognizes and responds to the signs and symptoms of trauma in, and the risks of trauma to, a victim of family violence to better support the victim and promote the victim’s choice, trust, dignity, connection, and healing.” Those that don’t won’t be eligible for grants from the state.
The centers are also prohibited from requiring clients “participate in other services as a condition of receiving shelter.”
If you need to find a family violence shelter for yourself, please visit the Texas Health and Human Services website, call 800-799-7233 or text “START” to 88788.
Under House Bill 1710, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is required to provide, upon request by a judge, the date when a defendant will have served 75 days in its custody. This doesn’t apply to those convicted before Sept. 1, however.
This notice could be used by a judge during sentencing, as time served is granted to a convict as a credit against their sentenced time in prison.
Companies that make brand-name insulin will now need to explain to Texas if a “generic or biosimilar” version of their product isn’t available. This law, Senate Bill 241, also only applies to manufacturers that are part of the Medicaid vendor drug program formulary.
The notices will also need to tell the state if a generic is unavailable due to it:
- Paying a company that makes generic insulin to delay its production or marketing;
- Trying to extend its patent;
- Directly manipulating a patent; or
- Helping another entity to take one of the above actions.
House Bill 4510, changes how and when state agencies and public colleges report financial information to the state.
Laws starting in 2025
The last few laws passed in 2023 will become effective in 2025, including a hotly anticipated change to the state’s car registrations and inspections.
Until that law starts in 2025, Texas car owners are still required to get a state safety inspection in order to register or renew their car. Texas law does, and will continue to, require drivers to have their vehicle registered; drivers should not wait until 2025 to renew an expired registration.
House Bill 4504 is a lengthy change to the state’s Code of Criminal Procedure. The changes fix how the code references other laws, providing updates based on other laws. It goes into effect Jan. 1, 2025.
The last two 2023 laws will start later in 2025:
- House Bill 4611; fixes references to other laws within the state’s Health and Human Services code. It goes into effect April 1, 2025.
- House Bill 718; changes how dealerships can provide license plates. It goes into effect on July 1, 2025.