New Texas laws for 2026

When the calendar flips to 2026, Texans will wake up to a sweeping set of new laws that touch nearly every corner of civic life — from housing and taxation to technology and immigration enforcement. Most of the slate of more than 30 laws takes hold on Jan. 1, reshaping the rules for individuals, families and businesses state-wide.

Chief among the changes is a law expanding property-tax exemptions for small and mid-sized businesses. Under House Bill 9, businesses will be allowed to exempt up to $125,000 in inventory from local property taxes — a sharp rise over previous limits — aiming to ease financial burdens on employers. At the same time, housing and property owners face stricter eviction rules under Senate Bill 38, designed to accelerate the eviction of squatters. Proponents call it a necessary tool to protect property rights; critics warn it could further weaken tenants’ legal protections.

In the digital realm, lawmakers are moving to assert control. Senate Bill 2420 would force app stores to verify user age and require parental consent before minors access apps — a measure cast as protecting children online. But the law was blocked in federal court just days ago, raising questions about its future and the balance between safety and freespeech rights. Meanwhile, House Bill 149 establishes broad statewide regulation of artificial intelligence, banning discriminatory or harmful AI, restricting deep-fake content, and setting up a regulatory council to oversee emerging technologies.

And perhaps most contentious: Senate Bill 8 requires most county jails to participate in a federal immigration-enforcement program, bringing local law enforcement into the sensitive and charged realm of immigration policing — a move that opponents say risks eroding trust in immigrant communities.

Altogether, the 2026 statutes form a patchwork of reforms that reflect a state wrestling with rapid demographic, technological and economic change. Whether these laws strengthen or fragment communities may depend less on legislative intent than on how rigorously they are enforced — and how boldly Texans decide to push back.