New Texas Laws You Should Know About That Go Into Effect Friday

Every year in September, new laws go into effect in the state of Texas. Some of them seem relatively insignificant, and some of them truly are for the betterment of the state and its residents.

And yes, there are always some laws that people vehemently disagree with.

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A lot of times, the way the laws are written, the residents of the state can't decipher what exactly the law means. All these legalese terms and the way it's written can make it tough to understand just what certain ones mean.

Well as these laws are set to go in effect on Friday, I wanted to break down what a few of them mean for us in layman's terms so you know what some of the ones that can affect us on a daily basis mean.

HB 4164

If your animal is not a trained service animal and you present them as one, you could face a misdemeanor charge. The fine would be no more than $1000 and up to 30 hours of community service. This has been implemented as many people have masked their pets as a service animal when they aren't.

HB 28

The charge for aggravated assault will be upgraded from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony if the assaulter uses a deadly weapon causing a brain or spinal injury that results in the victim becoming paralyzed or vegetative. Previously it would remain a second-degree charge as there was no differentiation.

HB 63

This one is going to be one of the more hotly contested ones. Anonymous reports of child abuse will no longer be allowed. Previously, you could report to the state if you felt there was child abuse happening within a home. As this law goes into effect, a case won't be initiated until you've provided your name, address, and phone number. The fear here is that the reports of child abuse will go down due to a fear of someone finding out and retaliating.

HB 6

This one is in regard to fentanyl. As we face a serious crisis in the state and country with the drug, the penalties will greatly increase here in Texas. Anyone who manufactures and sells fentanyl to someone and it results in death will be facing stiffer charges and penalties. Fentanyl overdoses are classified as "poisonings".

HB 3137

This new law prevents the Texas government from requiring owners of firearms to license their weapons. It also states that liability insurance does NOT need to be carried by firearms owners. I feel like this one could make solving crimes a little bit tougher.