Texas Becomes Ninth State To Pass Right To Repair Law

Texas will have some new laws on the books beginning September 1st.

New Texas Laws Take Effect September 1, Transforming Consumer Rights, Energy Sales, and Currency

New statutes approved during the 2025 legislative session will officially become Texas law on September 1. The upcoming measures introduce stricter regulatory oversight for residential solar companies, provide consumers with the ability to have items repaired, and recognize gold and silver bullion as legal tender.

State Mandates New Registration for Solar Companies and Sales Representatives

Under Senate Bill 1036, companies that sell solar panels and their sales personnel must formally register with the state starting September 1. The regulation requires solar businesses to maintain liability insurance coverage and actively oversee their sales force.

Consumer Protection During Solar Transactions

Several key consumer protections enacted 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 the automatic termination of any linked financing. In an effort to prevent scams, the law prohibits deceptive marketing practices, such as falsely claiming a connection to local utilities or government bodies, ignoring posted "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.

Texas Expands Consumer Right to Repair

If you are tired of being forced to buy new items because there is no way for you to have them repaired, you will love this new law. House Bill 2963 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.

Products Exempted from the New Law

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.

Gold and Silver Recognized as Legal Tender

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 form of money, it does not compel private citizens or commercial businesses to accept bullion as payment.

How Gold and Silver Transactions Will Work

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.

Additional Legislative Changes Across Texas

Several other state measures will also take effect on September 1:

Manufactured Housing Regulations (Senate Bill 785): Municipalities are prohibited from enacting outright bans against manufactured homes.

Volunteer Firefighter Compensation (House Bill 5424): Fire departments receive authorization to compensate volunteer firefighters up to 20% of the annual pay earned by a full-time, salaried firefighter.

Border County Classifications (House Bill 1240): The state is expanding the list of jurisdictions that qualify for official designation as border counties under Texas law.