As of Sept. 1, 2025, the sale of lab-grown meat has been banned in Texas for two years as part of Senate Bill 261. The law states that "a person may not manufacture, process, possess, distribute, offer for sale, or sell cell-cultured protein." Although its production and use were not widespread in the state, some believe its ban violates people's constitutional rights, impacting what consumers can and can't purchase. "The Texas ban on cultivated meat is a classic example of special interest legislation," Paul Sherman, senior attorney at The Institute of Justice, told The Dallas Morning News. "The law has nothing to do with public health and safety, and everything to do with protecting the powerful agriculture lobby from innovative out-of-state competition." Cattle ranchers were the most vocal supporters of the law, who saw the ban as a way to protect the industry.