Senate Bill-14 prohibits “procedures and treatments” of children under the age of 18 for the purpose of gender transitioning, gender reassignment, or gender dysphoria, and it prohibits the use of “public money and/or financial assistance” for such acts of child gender mutilation.
Furthermore, there is an embedded provision in the law that criminalizes “abortions of a viable unborn child” during the “last trimester of a pregnancy”. Exceptions are afforded in extreme circumstances.
Senate Bill-900 regulates library materials sold to and/or made available to students in public school libraries.
House Bill-118l prohibits the publication or distribution of sexual material harmful to minors on internet websites. Infractions incur a civil penalty.
In Texas, a minor is a person under 18 years of age who has never been married and never been declared an adult by a court. A civil penalty may include: (1) a $10,000 per day the entity operates an internet website; (2) a $10,000 per instance when the entity retains identifying information of the minor; and/or (3) not more than $250,000 if one or more minors access sexual material.
Senate Bill-12 regulates sexually oriented performances in the presence of minors. It restricts such performances to be conducted on the premises of a commercial enterprise, on public property, or in the presence of an individual younger than 18 years of age. Infractions are subject to a civil penalty which may lead to a criminal offense.
On September 26, 2022, ABC News reported that “U.S. District Judge David Hittner of Houston blocked SB-12 —declaring it unconstitutional”. As of April 2024, there have been no further comments, and the bill remains as written.
Senate Bill-1527 makes it a criminal penalty for human trafficking, including the prosecution and punishment for child prostitution. as well as other sexual or assault offenses. Such offences are subject to a criminal penalty.
Senate Bill-1403 is an interstate compact for border security, including building a border wall and sharing state intelligence and resources.
Senate Bill-4 prohibits the illegal entry into or illegal presence in Texas by a person who is an alien, the enforcement of those prohibitions and certain related orders, including immunity from liability and indemnification for enforcement actions, and authorizing or requiring under certain circumstances the removal of persons who violate those prohibitions; creating criminal offenses.
Basically, the act authorizes or requires under certain circumstances the removal of persons who violate the law by entering our country through the Texas borders and “not going through the proper legal channels”. Non-compliance and/or return of any person or persons entering our country illegally will be charged and can face a criminal inditement.
The first item mentioned is a Texas peace officer can and cannot do. An officer may not arrest or detain a person for purposes of enforcing the law on the premises or grounds of a public or private primary or secondary school for education purposes, not for sleeping accommodations; a place of religious worship; a health care facility where the illegal is receiving medical treatment; and a SAFE-ready care facility where sexual assault victims receive treatment.
Next, an illegal has his/her day in court and appears before a magistrate, and if found that the person has entered the country illegally, the judge will produce a written order to illegal person to return to the foreign country from which they came – if the person is not a return a foreign national or has not committed another offense that is punishable as a Class A misdemeanor, a felony, or capital murder.
Before the issuance of the order, the arresting law enforcement agency collects all identifying information (e.g., fingerprints, photo, and other biometrics) and cross-references the collected information with local, state, federal databases, and federal lists to identify a person as a threat or potential risk to our national security. If an illegal alien returns or has been denied admission previously, they can be charged with a Class A misdemeanor. If they have been charged with a felony, they will be charged accordingly and removed from the country pursuant to the criminal proceedings.
Senate Bill-1017 authorizes a “political subdivision to regulate an energy source or engine.” A political subdivision is defined as a county, municipality, special district, school district, junior college district, or housing authority. An energy source is any fuel or power source used to power an engine such as a generator or internal combustion engine. In other words, fossil fuels and fossil fuel vehicles shall not be banned in the State of Texas.
Additionally, the bill does not limit the promotion of alternative fuel sources such as electricity, hydrogen, gas, or biofuels. So, while not banned, restricted, or prohibited, alternative fuels sources such as electric vehicles shall not be mandated in the State of Texas!
House Bill-1243 increased the penalty for voter fraud from a Class A Misdemeanor to a 2nd Degree Felony. On the other hand, if convicted of attempted voter fraud, a person can be charged with a State Felony with a term in prison. A 2nd Degree Felony is a serious crime in Texas. Convictions may result in 2 to 20 years in jail and possible fines up to $10,000. On the other hand, a State Jail Felony for attempted voter fraud is punishable by 180 days to 2 years in jail.