WPBN: A number of new laws will go into force in Texas on January 1, 2025, as the new year draws near.
The elimination of non-commercial vehicle safety inspections and the addition of new privacy safeguards that facilitate customers’ ability to refuse data gathering are two of the most significant improvements.
A closer look at how Texans will be impacted by these laws is provided below:
HB 3297: Non-commercial vehicle inspections are discontinued
Vehicle safety inspections as they currently exist will no longer exist.
The Texas Department of Public Safety has announced that non-commercial automobiles will no longer require an inspection prior to registration as of January 1, 2025.
Rather, when registering their vehicles, drivers of all non-commercial vehicles will be required to pay a $7.50 inspection program replacement cost.
A $16.75 initial inspection program replacement cost will be needed for two years for newly purchased automobiles in Texas, whether they are of the current or prior model year and have never been registered in Texas or another state.
“Please note the inspection program replacement fee is not an increase in the cost of your vehicle registration,” according to a news release from DPS. “As its name suggests, this fee simply replaces the revenue source for state programs and operations—like the construction and expansion of state highways—once supported by vehicle safety inspections.”
All non-commercial vehicles will no longer be subject to safety inspections, although Texans whose cars are registered in specific counties will still have to submit to emissions testing. Depending on the car and county, these tests have different prices.
Electric-only cars and other vehicles that are currently free from emissions inspections will continue to be so.
Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson counties are among the main cities that mandate emissions testing.
In 2026, Bexar County will be added to the list. Click here for additional details.
HB 4: Refuse to have your personal information collected
With the exception of Section 541.055(e), Business & Commerce Code, which takes effect on January 1, 2025, the law pertaining to the gathering and use of customers’ personal data went into force on July 1, 2024.
According to that clause, a consumer can designate another individual or piece of technology, like browser settings, device settings, or links on websites, to opt out of processing personal data on their behalf. This implies that customers might choose not to provide their personal information by contacting companies directly.
Businesses may decline requests if they are unclear, the consumer’s residency cannot be confirmed, the request cannot be processed, or similar requests are not handled under the same laws in another state.
However, they must comply with requests if they can confirm the consumer’s identity and the agent’s authority.
To learn more, click this link.
SB 2: Relief from property taxes (88th Legislature, 2nd Called Session)
In 2023, at a second special legislative session, this comprehensive property tax reduction law was approved.
Except for Sections 3.05, 3.08, and 3.15(b), which go into effect on January 1, 2025, and Sections 4.02, 4.05, 4.08, 4.10, and 4.12, which go into effect on January 1, 2027, the rest of the law is now in force.
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Below is a summary of the provisions that will take effect on New Year’s Day 2025:
Section 3.05: Section 48.2542 of the Education Code will be changed as of January 1, 2025, to guarantee that school districts receive additional state assistance to make up for property tax income lost as a result of lower tax increase limitations for homeowners who are old or disabled.
Section 3.08: Effective January 1, 2025, the Education Code’s Section 48.2556(a) shall be modified to mandate that the Texas Education Agency publish the highest compressed rate for each school district for the most recent and previous fiscal year.
Section 3.15(b): This eliminates tax breaks that have already run their course.
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HB 1535: Fiscal year-end for the San Antonio River Authority
In accordance with the Sunset Advisory Commission’s recommendations, this statute pertains to the San Antonio River Authority. The statute changed the board members’ terms of office and updated the San Antonio River Authority’s operations, governance, and functions.
With the exception of a clause pertaining to the fiscal year dates, the law went into effect in May 2023. The district’s fiscal year ends on September 30 of every year as of January 1, 2025.
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HB 3474: Texas’s new judicial district
Passed in 2023, this statute addressed a number of issues pertaining to Texas’ judicial system. With the exception of Sections 1.009 and 1.016, several parts of the law have already gone into effect:
Denton County will be served by the 477th Judicial District, which is created by Section 1.009. On January 1, 2025, the district will formally be established and put into service.
The effective date of Section 1.016 is October 1, 2025. This creates Kendall County’s 498th Judicial District.
Simplifying criminal procedure (HB 4504)
A continuous endeavor to streamline legal regulations includes House Bill 4504. It modifies the Code of Criminal Procedure in minor, technical ways without altering the laws’ content.
The roles of police officers, their interactions with the public, the venue for trial, the relocation of cases, the regulations for specific local courts, and the expungement of criminal records are all included in these amendments.
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