New laws will take effect this week, addressing privacy in bathrooms, actions against abortion pill providers, and Texas’ redistricting maps.
More than 800 laws from Texas’ 89th legislative session already took effect on September 1, according to the Texas Tribune. But soon, dozens of other laws will take effect on December 4.
Privacy In Bathrooms – Senate Bill 8 will ensure that public agencies designate “multiple-occupancy private spaces,” such as bathrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms, for single-sex use.
The law distinguishes between the two biological sexes to keep men out of women’s private spaces in government facilities, as The Dallas Express previously reported. It requires officials to label each “multiple-occupancy” private space as male or female and to keep people of the opposite sex from entering.
This applies to counties, cities, special purpose districts, school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and junior college districts – but not a “state agency,” a term that also includes an “institution of higher education.”
The measure will also require the Texas Department of Criminal Correction to house inmates according to their biological sex. Male prisoners who identify as “transgender” have repeatedly sexually assaulted female inmates across the country. Also, women’s domestic violence shelters will be required to provide services only to females, unless they have a son aged 17 or younger.
The law allows citizens to submit complaints to the attorney general’s office. If public bodies break the law, they could face civil fines of up to $125,000.
Penalties Against Abortion Pill Providers – House Bill 7 will enable individuals or political subdivisions to bring whistleblower lawsuits – or “qui tam action” – against anyone who provides abortion pills in Texas.
“A person may not: manufacture or distribute an abortion-inducing drug in this state; mail, transport, deliver, prescribe, or provide an abortion-inducing drug in any manner to or from any person or location in this state,” the bill reads.
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a Texas “trigger law” went into effect in August 2022, banning most elective abortions across the state, as The Dallas Express reported. In December 2024, Attorney General Ken Paxton sued a New York doctor for providing abortion drugs to a Texas resident, allegedly violating state laws to protect unborn babies.
The law features exceptions, including for women seeking abortions, individuals acting under valid federal law, transportation services, and delivery companies. It does not allow anyone who impregnated a woman through sexual assault to bring an action, and prevents the pregnant woman’s name from disclosure in court records.
The Redistricting Map – House Bill 4 will codify Texas’ new redistricting map, projected to bolster Republicans’ advantage with five more seats.
After legal challenges, a federal court ruled against the map in November, according to the Texas Tribune. Now, the Supreme Court has temporarily restored the map while justices consider their final decisions.
In response to Texas’ new map, California voters also approved a map adding five more Democratic seats. The Department of Justice sued California soon after, claiming racial motives.
STAAR, Quorum Breaking, Ivermectin, Trafficking
House Bill 8 will replace the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) with three shorter tests throughout the year, according to the Texas Tribune. Students will begin taking the new tests in the coming school year.
House Bill 18 will create stricter penalties for legislators who break quorum to stall bills, including fines, loss of seniority and positions, and limits on fundraising. They may not accept large contributions for their absence, and cannot make “political expenditures” for their accommodations. The bill brings a $5,000 civil fine.
House Bill 25 will allow pharmacists to dispense Ivermectin over the counter, without a prescription. As The Dallas Express reported, the drug is often prescribed to treat parasitic infections, and many reported promising results in treating COVID-19. The state House voted in August to make the drug more widely available, and Texas now joins Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, and Tennessee in these efforts.
Senate Bill 11 will protect victims of human trafficking or forced prostitution from prosecution for crimes under “force, fraud, or coercion.”