6 sweeping new Texas laws you need to know about starting today — from electronics repairs to new solar rules

Starting September 1, 2026, a new Texas Right to Repair law requires electronics manufacturers to supply device owners and independent repair technicians with the necessary parts, tools, and manuals at fair prices.

The mandate specifically targets newer consumer electronics—such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops—that carry a wholesale value of $50 or more.

However, the legislation includes significant exemptions and does not apply to gaming consoles, household appliances, medical instruments, or heavy machinery used in agriculture, industry, and aerospace.

In Texas, specific privately minted physical gold and silver bullion—often called specie—can now be used as legal tender, provided the pieces clearly display their weight and purity.

This labeling distinguishes the valid currency from unverified items like jewelry or collectibles, and the tender must be tangible rather than a paper certificate or digital token. While the state recognizes this bullion as valid payment, no business or individual is legally obligated to accept it.

Additionally, a voluntary electronic payment system backed by the Texas Bullion Depository could launch as early as May 1, 2027. This proposed network would enable individuals and merchants to conduct digital transactions tied directly to the value of physical gold and silver stored securely in the state’s facilities.

Senate Bill 568 transforms how Texas public schools fund special education, discarding the previous instructional-arrangement framework in favor of a service-based approach. Under the new rules, the Texas Education Agency allocates funding through a two-part system that categorizes students by service intensity and at least four specific support groups, directly linking state money to the actual assistance a child receives.

This structural change is expected to boost the statewide special-education budget by roughly $250 million during its initial rollout. While students’ rights, eligibility, and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) will remain completely unchanged for families, local school districts and charter networks will face new administrative duties, requiring them to track service-level data and align their budgets with the revised system.

Texas Senate Bill 785 is designed to reduce bureaucratic hurdles for new HUD-code manufactured homes by preventing local governments from imposing extra permits, fees, bonds, or insurance requirements on transportation and installation, provided the work is performed by licensed professionals.

While the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs continues its oversight role, standard local regulations—such as zoning laws, deed restrictions, and floodplain rules—remain fully intact. The legislation specifically targets redundant paperwork and duplicate costs for state-licensed installers.

For buyers, the preliminary process remains unchanged: they must still confirm their lot complies with local land-use laws, but once a permissible site and qualified installer are secured, the updated law significantly expedites the final stages of setting up the home.

House Bill 5424 updates the maximum yearly allowance that fire departments can provide to volunteer and auxiliary firefighters through compensation, benefits, or reimbursements.

Under the revised legislation, this total annual financial support cannot surpass 20 percent of the highest overall compensation given to a full-time firefighter by any local government within that same county.

While fire departments maintain the freedom to utilize strictly unpaid volunteers and can still determine their own specific stipends or benefits, this newly established ceiling is designed to grant them greater flexibility. Ultimately, the law allows departments to offer substantial, meaningful support to volunteers without inadvertently reclassifying their roles as full-time, paid employment.

A new Texas law mandates that businesses selling residential solar equipment, along with their sales affiliates, officially register with the state’s Department of Licensing and Regulation. The legislation also dictates that these retailers hold appropriate insurance and maintain strict oversight of their sales employees.

The primary goal of the mandate is to shield consumers from deceptive marketing, such as dishonest sales pitches or false claims of being partnered with government agencies or utility companies.

To ensure compliance, regulators are now empowered to issue fines, terminate agreements, and facilitate refunds, with the possibility of harsher penalties if the exploited consumer is a senior citizen aged 65 or older.