HOUSTON — This Labor Day weekend, before you party on a boat, make a beer run or head to church, make sure you’re aware of the new state laws that take effect on Sunday.
Starting Sunday, thanks to SB476, dogs will be allowed on all restaurant patios.
Because of HB1545, craft breweries will be able to sell you beer to go. So why not raise a glass to Texas?
SB1232 allows allows beer and wine to be delivered with your take-out order. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission confirms the alcohol must be in the original manufacturer’s sealed container and it must be delivered with a food order.
So while you can’t get a tequila-based margarita with those fajitas, you can get a cerveza. Remember, the person receiving the delivery must be at least 21 years old.
But do not drink and drive. Even more fines come with a DWI conviction. $3,000 will be tacked on to everything else you must pay for your first DWI, according to HB2048. Or you have to pay an extra $6,000 if your BAC is .15 or higher.
Starting Sunday, HB2789 makes it a crime to send an unsolicited sext message. Texas is one of the first states to take a stand against unwanted sexually explicit material, which about 40 percent of women report receiving without consent. We’re talking texts, emails and messages on dating apps and social media.
Sending the unsolicited content is a Class C misdemeanor, which comes with a $500 fine.
If you’re taking the party out on the water, know that starting Sunday, people operating boats under 26 feet in length will have to wear a kill switch lanyard. That way, if the operator falls from the controls, the kill switch will be triggered and the engine will shut off.
The law was named after Kali Gorzell. The San Antonio teen died in the water off Port Aransas in 2012. You don’t have to retrofit your boat with a kill switch, but you can’t remove the one that came with your boat, either.
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