Overview

• Senate Bill 261, effective Sept. 1, bars manufacturing, possessing, distributing, offering for sale, or selling cell-cultured protein statewide through Sept. 7, 2027.
• UPSIDE Foods and Wildtype, represented by the Institute for Justice, filed a federal suit seeking a preliminary injunction, naming Attorney General Ken Paxton and state health agencies among the defendants.
• The law carries civil and criminal penalties, including fines up to $25,000 per day and potential jail time for violations.
• Texas becomes the seventh state with such restrictions, while a related Florida challenge is moving forward after a judge allowed key claims to proceed in April.
• Before the ban, only one Texas restaurant—Otoko in Austin—served cultivated seafood, as supporters led by Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and cattle-raisers groups framed the measure as protecting ranchers and consumer safety.