State Rep. Jetton: 600+ New Texas Laws Go Into Effect Sept. 1st - Are You Ready?


"The people of Fort Bend County made their legislative priorities clear."

By Rep. Jacey Jetton


Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – More than 600 new laws go into effect in Texas on Sept. 1st as a result of the bills passed in the 87th Legislative Session. Representative Jacey Jetton (R-Sugar Land) authored or sponsored ten of these bills that passed in the regular session, including one Constitutional amendment.

“After spending months talking to constituents, they made their legislative priorities clear,” Jetton said.

“The people of Fort Bend County consistently asked for lower property taxes, for the legislature to restore confidence in our elections, and to ensure our law enforcement officers have access to needed resources.”

​​​​​​​Jetton also authored bills that would expand access to healthcare, combat human trafficking, and support transparency in government at all levels. These bills addressed topics Jetton also cited as high priorities to his House District.

One such bill was HJR 165, a constitutional amendment that required a two-thirds majority to pass. Jetton’s amendment made it all the way through the House, with unanimous support, in just 11 days before also passing with the needed super majority in the Senate. HJR 165 will require judicial candidates to adhere to the same regulations in campaigning as incumbent judges. All Texans will have the opportunity to vote on this amendment in November.

Most of Jetton’s legislation will go into effect on September 1st, joining hundreds of other bills passed by the Texas Legislature and ultimately signed by Governor Abbott into law. (See below for a full list of Jetton’s legislation.)

The Texas House and Senate are currently in the Second Special Session of the year, after failing to pass any bills in the First Special Session due to a lack of quorum when some House members fled the state. In the Second Special Session, the legislature is tackling issues like election integrity, increased funding to secure the border, funding for retired teachers and kids in foster care.

Legislation Authored or Sponsored by Jetton:
  • HB 1938: Established a grant program to assist law enforcement agencies cover the costs of body cameras
  • HB 1128: Further secures election by codifying exactly which people are permitted in polling locations or locations where ballots are counted to prevent voter and poll worker intimidation
  • HB 4080: Created autism awareness specialty license plates with funds providing support to families with loved ones living with autism spectrum disorder
  • HJR 165: Constitutional Amendment requiring judicial candidates to adhere the same standards as incumbent judges while campaigning (on November 2021 ballot)
  • HB 4344: Requires judicial complaints to be evaluated in a reasonable amount of time by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct (effective September 2022)
  • HB 1154: Requires special purpose districts to post contact, taxing, and other relevant information on a website to increase transparency and facilitate easier communication with taxing entities
  • HB 2951: Removes ambiguity and provides clear guidance on vacancies on LID boards that are appointed and elected (effective in June 2021)
  • HB 4588: Creates the Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 251 in the Richmond ETJ (effective in June 2021)
  • SB 598 (Kolkhorst): Requires paper ballot backups and an audit for election systems to ensure the tabulated results match the votes cast with increased confidence
  • SB 348 (Kolkhorst): Ensures parental access to public school virtual instruction and instructional materials for virtual and remote learning
Legislation Joint Authored or Joint Sponsored by Jetton:
  • HB 72 (Reynolds): Granted counties the authority to enact rules certain park rules
  • HB 458 (Shaheen): Established new authority to withhold income for child support collection
  • HB 797 (Howard): Permitted home care and hospice healthcare providers to administer the COVID-19 vaccine (effective in May 2021)
  • HB 929 (Sherman, Sr.): Updated law enforcement policies and procedures relating to body cameras
  • HB 1322 (Shaheen): Requires State Agencies to adopt plain-language summaries of rules they implement (effective September 2023)
  • HB 2080 (Leman): Reduced the burden on taxpayers filing a suit in protest of their taxes
  • SB 315 (Huffman): Combats human trafficking by restricting the age of persons employed in a sexually oriented business (effective May 2021)
  • SB 1387 (Creighton): Requires voting systems to be manufactured, stored, and held in the United States (effective June 2021)
State Representative Jacey Jetton by is licensed under
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