Relating to committing the criminal offense of endangering a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual by engaging in certain conduct involving a controlled substance listed in Penalty Group 1-B of the Texas Controlled Substances Act.

Broader drug-endangerment rules for vulnerable Texans

Texas expands drug-endangerment protections for children, older adults, and people with disabilities, broadening exposure to criminal liability. The law adds Penalty Group 1-B drugs alongside methamphetamine to rules that presume imminent danger. That presumption can be challenged; it does not automatically establish guilt. It covers making, possessing, or putting these drugs into anyone’s body in the protected person’s presence. It also covers making these drugs nearby or accessible when lab testing finds them in the protected person’s body. Another trigger is putting a Penalty Group 1 or 1-B drug into a human body without lawfully possessing it. The changes apply beginning September 1, 2025. Prior law governs offenses with any element occurring before that date.