Most state laws take effect in September of odd-numbered years. Some laws go into effect immediately after passing or at some other date in the future.

See the resources below for more information:

• The Texas Legislature's General Reports page lists bills by effective date since 1989. On that page, select a legislative session from the dropdown menu then select a report.
• The Texas Legislative Reference Library maintains a list of the effective dates of bills passed since 2015.
• Subscribe to our library newsletter. After each regular session, we update our Library Spotlight blog with links to news articles discussing the new state laws.

Looking for session laws? The Secretary of State publishes the official version of the laws enacted by the legislature.

If you need help researching new state laws, use our Ask a Librarian service.