New state laws officially become Texas law on September 1, introducing stricter regulatory oversight for residential solar companies, providing consumers with the ability to have items repaired, and recognizing gold and silver bullion as legal tender.
Under Senate Bill 1036, companies selling solar panels and their sales personnel must formally register with the state beginning September 1. This regulation requires solar businesses to maintain liability insurance coverage and actively oversee their sales force. Key consumer protections under the bill are already in place, including a mandated five-day penalty-free cancellation window for buyers leasing or purchasing solar equipment, which also requires automatic termination of any linked financing. To prevent scams, the law prohibits deceptive marketing practices such as falsely claiming connections to local utilities or government bodies, ignoring "no soliciting" warnings, and permitting unauthorized installations. Regulatory agencies hold authority to issue fines, mandate contract cancellations and refunds, and apply harsher penalties in cases involving victims aged 65 and older.
Consumers facing difficulties with device repairs will find relief under House Bill 2963, which establishes new right-to-repair standards across the state, making Texas the ninth state to pass such consumer legislation. The law mandates that manufacturers of specific digital electronic equipment provide device owners and independent repair shops access to the same diagnostic manuals, replacement parts, and specialty tools provided to corporate-authorized technicians. The statute exempts several product categories, including home appliances, motor vehicles, agricultural equipment, video game consoles, medical devices, and industrial or aerospace technology. Manufacturers are not required to surrender trade secrets, reveal proprietary source code, or supply tools capable of compromising device security features.
With the implementation of House Bill 1056, Texas is widening its monetary policies by recognizing qualifying gold and silver bullion as official legal tender. While the law validates the precious metals as a form of money, it does not compel private citizens or commercial businesses to accept bullion as payment. To qualify, bullion must clearly display its exact weight and purity ratings and must omit any markings resembling federal government minting. Looking ahead to May 1, 2027, the state comptroller will have authorization to set up or approve electronic payment systems allowing vendors and account holders to complete transactions using currency backed by physical precious metals stored in the state vault.
Several other state measures will also take effect on September 1. Senate Bill 785 prohibits municipalities from enacting outright bans against manufactured homes. House Bill 5424 authorizes fire departments to compensate volunteer firefighters up to 20% of the annual pay earned by a full-time, salaried firefighter. Additionally, House Bill 1240 expands the list of jurisdictions that qualify for official designation as border counties under Texas law.
