On June 20, 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed SB 261 into law banning the “manufacture, processing, possession, distribution, offer for sale, and sale of cell-cultured protein” starting on September 1, 2025. The law will be in force until September 1, 2027, where the state legislature will then assess whether to cease or continue the ban. The law defines cell-cultured protein as “a food product derived from harvesting animal cells and artificially replicating those cells in a growth medium to produce tissue.” Violations of the ban are punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $4,000, or both. Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 12.21. In support of SB 261, the Texas House of Representatives cited concerns over cell-cultured protein posing “safety risks for consumers, as its creation process involves direct interaction with microplastics that can cause disruptions in the human cell membrane.” Opponents of the law argue that it conflicts with federal oversight. As we reported previously, lab-grown meat was first approved for sale in the United States in 2023. Both FDA and USDA share regulatory jurisdiction over the industry as detailed in a 2019 memorandum of understanding between the agencies. The FDA oversees the cell collection and growth process, while USDA is responsible for the labeling and inspection of the final product. Texas now joins Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Nebraska in enacting lab-grown meat laws this year, while Alabama and Florida did so last year. In March 2025, the Oklahoma House approved a similar bill, but it did not pass through the Senate.