AUSTIN, TEXAS -- The Texas Legislature had a busy year in its 82nd Legislature.
Governor Perry signed more than 1,400 bills into law affecting you and your family. Those laws and 27 other measures will take soon take effect. Some even take effect immediately.
Here are some of the new laws, according to the Fort Worth Star Telegram:
- Lottery tickets- When you buy the Veterans $2 scratch-off ticket, you can now be assured your money will help veterans.
- Noodling- Texans can now legally fish for catfish with their hands
- Fishing- Those 75-years and older can fish without a license.
- Drivers Education- Drivers Ed teachers now have to undergo background checks.
- Power outage priorities- Top priorities for maintaining power during power outages now includes nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospice centers as well as hospitals.
- Spanking in school- Parents can prevent school districts from paddling their kids.
- State Game- The official state game of Texas is now Dominoes.
- Hunting for hogs- Hunters can start shooting feral hogs from helicopters staring Sept. 1.
- Clean water- Signs will be placed at major highways to give drivers a toll-free number to report illegal dumping.
- Alcohol violence- Bars who've had their permits pulled or canceled because of violent acts on their premises will no longer have permits issued or renewed.
- Funeral protests- Funeral picketing is banned from three hours before and three hours after a service starts and ends.
- Speed limits- Night time speed limits will be done away with as well as a raise in speeds to 75 mph in remote areas.
- Dating safety- A 12-week dating violence program for teens starts after Sept. 1 tor first time offenders.
- Teens and sex- "Romeo and Juliet" law prevents a young defendant from having to reigister as a sex offender if he or she had sex with someone age 15 or older.
For more of these new laws, click here.
