AUSTIN — Texas schoolteachers will face fingerprinting, strip club patrons will see higher door fees and victims of domestic violence will be offered more protections under new Texas laws that take effect New Year's Day.
1) One new law will require school districts to fingerprint all public school teachers, administrators and most other employees as part of an in-depth national criminal background check.
2) Another law will require the 150 or so strip clubs across Texas to fork over to the state a $5-per-customer tax, part of which will fund programs for rape victims.
3) The new laws should affect a number of Texans, including those seeking, as well as those providing, certain short-term cash advances, along with tenants and landlords locked in disputes over late rent.
4) One new law will require pension funds for retired teachers and retired state employees to divest from companies doing business in Sudan, where hundreds of thousands have been killed in what the United States labels genocide.
5) One of the laws drawing widespread attention allows judges to deny bail to people who violate protective orders or who are charged as repeat domestic violence offenders, whether it's a misdemeanor or a felony.
6) Another new law requires those offering "refund anticipation" loans to register with the state and to clearly disclose to would-be clients their annual percentage rates, which can reach the triple digits.
