Seven new Texas laws took effect Tuesday, Sept. 1, reshaping rules on device repair, solar panel sales, school funding and manufactured housing for Katy and Fulshear residents.
The measures, passed during the 89th Texas Legislature, were first detailed by The Katy News. Here is what each means locally.
Right to repair electronics
House Bill 2963 requires manufacturers of consumer electronics with a wholesale price of at least $50 to provide parts, tools and documentation to independent repair shops and device owners. The law covers products first sold in Texas on or after Sept. 1, and manufacturers have up to one year to make repair materials available. Video-game consoles, medical devices, farm equipment and major home appliances are excluded. The Texas attorney general enforces the law; individual consumers cannot sue under it.
Solar sales now require registration
Senate Bill 1036 now requires residential solar retailers and salespeople to register with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) before selling or leasing solar panels. Buyers can cancel a solar contract without penalty within five business days of signing, a protection that took effect Sept. 1, 2025. TDLR said it will temporarily suspend enforcement of two rules on contract disclosures and consumer educational materials until Nov. 1 while the registration requirement takes hold.
Under the law, homeowners can verify a solar salesperson's TDLR registration number before signing a contract.
Special-education funding shifts
Senate Bill 568 moves Texas from a placement-based special-education funding model to one tied to the intensity of services a student receives. The change affects how districts such as Katy ISD and Lamar Consolidated ISD receive state dollars for special-education students. The law also removes a cap on dyslexia-allotment funds that can go to private providers and adds new state reporting requirements.
Neither district has publicly detailed how it will implement the change for the 2026–2027 school year.
Teacher pay incentives expand
Delayed provisions of House Bill 2 increase payments under the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), the state's $750 million merit-pay program. More than 65,000 teachers in 809 districts received bonuses in 2025–2026, according to Education Week. Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath said at a June 11 briefing that the program rewards effective teachers "with pathways to stay where they're needed most." The amount a local teacher receives depends on designation status and how each district implements the allotment.
Manufactured-home zoning changes
Senate Bill 785 bars cities from requiring a special-use permit for a new HUD-code manufactured home when no such permit is required for other homes in the same zoning classification. Cities must allow manufactured homes by right in at least one residential zone. The Texas Manufactured Housing Association estimates nearly 400 cities statewide will need to update their codes, Realtor.com reported. Deed restrictions, development standards and utility requirements still apply.
Fulshear, which is actively zoning new residential areas, has not announced how it plans to comply. The city held a separate special meeting Sept. 1 to consider its FY2027 budget and a proposed tax rate of $0.1931 per $100 valuation, according to the meeting agenda.
Also taking effect
House Bill 1056 recognizes gold and silver as legal tender in Texas, though no person or business can be required to accept them. House Bill 5424 raises the cap on volunteer firefighter compensation to 20% of the highest full-time fire-protection pay in the same county.
Residents can track each bill's full text through the Texas Legislative Reference Library.
