A Simple Guide To New Texas Laws 2025
- Overhauled education testing replaces STAAR with shorter assessments.
- Private lawsuits allowed over abortion-inducing medication distribution.
- Transgender bathroom access restricted in public buildings and schools.
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What Texas Laws Took Effect in December 2025
December 2025 brings a number of high-profile new state laws. Below are the biggest ones Texans are talking about — what they do, who they affect, and links to official texts and reporting for more detail.
Fast overview
Several new laws from the 89th Legislature (regular + special sessions) took effect in early December 2025. Many are narrow and administrative, but a few are broad and will change daily life or policy debates across the state — including education testing rules, limits around abortion medication distribution, a high-profile restroom/sex-segregation law for public facilities, expanded access to ivermectin, and penalties related to lawmakers leaving the state during a session. For a complete master list of bills and their effective dates, see the Texas Legislature’s official page. [Texas Legislative Reference Library]
HB 8 — Overhauling state testing (STAAR → three shorter assessments)
What it does: HB 8 replaces the single, high-stakes STAAR exam structure with an instructionally supportive assessment program that uses shorter “beginning-of-year,” “middle-of-year,” and “end-of-year” assessments (a phased rollout; the full Student Success Tool starts for the 2027–28 school year, with some changes implementing sooner).
Who it affects: Public school students and districts (especially grades 3–8 and certain high school end-of-course tests), teachers, and families who use test results to track progress. The Texas Education Agency has posted guidance and FAQs on the transition. [Texas Education Agency]
Read more: Texas Education Agency overview of HB 8; Texas Tribune coverage of the testing changes. [Texas Education Agency]
HB 7 — Private civil suits related to abortion-inducing drugs
What it does: House Bill 7 creates a private right of action allowing certain private citizens to sue manufacturers, distributors or others involved in providing abortion-inducing medication to or for Texans. The law includes monetary awards/penalties for successful suits and exempts the person taking the medication from suit. This law took effect in early December 2025. [The Texas Tribune]
Who it affects: Telehealth providers, out-of-state pharmacies or services that ship medication into Texas, advocacy organizations, and organizations that assist Texans with access to medication abortion. Legal challenges and national attention are expected to continue. [The Texas Tribune]
Read more: Texas Tribune deep dive on HB 7; full bill text via legislative records. [The Texas Tribune]
SB 8 — “Texas Women’s Privacy Act” (bathroom/sex-segregation rules)
What it does: Senate Bill 8 (branded in coverage as the “bathroom bill” or Texas Women’s Privacy Act) requires the designation/use of certain multi-occupancy facilities in public buildings and public schools by sex assigned at birth, authorizes civil penalties, and includes enforcement mechanisms. The law imposes fines on public institutions for noncompliance and contains limited exceptions (for certain staff, medical care, and emergencies). It was enacted in 2025 and became effective in early December 2025. [The Texas Tribune]
Who it affects: Transgender and gender-diverse Texans, public schools, public universities, local government buildings, and administrators tasked with compliance/enforcement. Legal and civil-rights groups have signaled immediate challenges and scrutiny. [WFAA]
Read more: Texas Tribune explainer and the bill text. [The Texas Tribune]
HB 25 — Ivermectin dispensing without a prescription
What it does: House Bill 25 authorizes pharmacists to dispense ivermectin without a prescription in accordance with Texas State Board of Pharmacy protocols and includes liability protections for pharmacists who act in a “reasonably prudent” manner. The statute creating Chapter 446 (Ivermectin) in the Health & Safety Code is dated and effective in December 2025. [LegiScan]
Who it affects: Pharmacies, pharmacists, rural communities with limited primary-care access, and public-health stakeholders (medical groups expressed concern about safety and misuse). [The Texas Tribune]
Read more: Texas Tribune coverage and the bill text (LegiScan / Texas statutes). [The Texas Tribune]
HB 18 — New restrictions / penalties tied to lawmakers who leave the state during session
What it does: HB 18 places new restrictions on political fundraising and campaign expenditures for legislators who leave Texas during a session for the purpose of impeding their chamber (commonly known as a quorum-break). The law limits receiving daily campaign contributions above specified per-diem amounts, bans related travel/food/lodging expenditures, and authorizes certain civil penalties. This measure was passed in the special session and became effective in December 2025. [The Texas Tribune]
Who it affects: Any legislator who departs Texas during a session to deny quorum, plus supporting political committees or caucuses — and political/legal observers tracking enforcement and constitutional questions. [The Texas Tribune]
Read more: Texas Tribune reporting and the official bill PDF. [The Texas Tribune]
Redistricting and other notable measures
The December batch also includes provisions tied to Republican redistricting efforts (maps and filing rules under legal challenge), and dozens of narrower items across tax, criminal justice, public safety, and administrative law. Many local-impact laws (judicial district creations, municipal rules, technical code changes) also have December effective dates. For the full set (dozens of bills effective in December and a larger tranche effective Jan. 1, 2026), check the legislature’s effective-dates list. [Texas Legislative Reference Library]/
Where to read every bill (official)
• Texas Legislature — Bills Effective (89th Legislature): official master list with every enrolled bill and its effective date. Use this to look up any bill number or read a bill’s official text. [Texas Legislative Reference Library]
• News roundups & explainers: The Texas Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Chron, and local TV outlets published accessible explainers that highlight the most consequential laws that the public is talking about. See the links in the sources list below for those writeups. [The Texas Tribune]
How this affects everyday Texans — quick takeaways
- Parents: Expect changes to how testing looks in schools; stay in touch with your campus for TEA guidance. [Texas Education Agency]
- Transgender Texans & allied organizations: the SB 8 changes will affect access to multi-occupancy public restrooms and facilities in public buildings — check local school/university policies and legal resources. [The Texas Tribune]
- Anyone relying on mail/telehealth reproductive care: HB 7 introduces private civil enforcement aimed at distribution of medication abortion — legal challenges and service changes are likely. [The Texas Tribune]
- Pharmacy customers & pharmacists: ivermectin will be available without a prescription under new protocols; ask pharmacists about protocols and instructions. [Texas Statutes]
