Multiple pieces of legislation passed by Texas lawmakers this year are set to take effect on January 1, 2026.
These include measures that regulate artificial intelligence and mandate local law enforcement agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
One measure, Senate Bill 2420, would require mobile app stores to verify users’ ages with a “commercially reasonable” method when a new account is created or for in-app purchases. All accounts created by a minor will require parental approval.
However, a federal judge has blocked Texas from enforcing the law while a challenge to its constitutionality works its way through the courts.
Another measure, Senate Bill 8 by State Sen. Charles Schwertner (R–Georgetown), requires county sheriffs who operate a jail to enter into an agreement with ICE under the Immigration and Nationality Act or similar programs.
This 287(g) agreement allows local sheriff’s departments to work with federal authorities to enforce immigration law.
The Texas comptroller will manage a grant program to give support to participating sheriffs for expenses incurred that are not covered by the federal government.
Sheriff’s departments are required to comply with the law by December 1, 2026, and costs incurred from September 30, 2025, to January 1, 2026, will be retroactively reimbursed.
Another new law will regulate artificial intelligence.
House Bill 149 is Texas’ “Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act,” a statewide framework that both restricts certain harmful AI uses and creates pro‑innovation structures like a regulatory sandbox and advisory council.
Authored by State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (R–Southlake), it establishes responsible standards for development and usage, and provides enforcement mechanisms with civil penalties. The law places guardrails around manipulative, discriminatory, or rights‑infringing AI that will be enforced by the attorney general.
However, questions over enforcement of this law remain as President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this month explicitly aimed at preempting or chilling “onerous” state AI rules. Trump instructed the Department of Justice to form an AI Litigation Task Force to challenge state AI laws and asked the Commerce Department to single out state regimes as inconsistent with a “minimally burdensome” national policy.
Another law, Senate Bill 1502 by State Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R–Houston), mandates that if voters decline to approve a school district tax rate increase above the voter‑approval rate, school boards cannot use a disaster provision as a back door to levy the higher rate anyway.
The list of new laws taking effect January 1 can be found here.
