Seems like the new driving laws in Texas cause quite a bit of hysteria. And this is simply because people read the news instead of turning to the official source - the Department of Public Safety in Texas. People who write those news should also pay more attention to the official sources, instead of just copy-pasting the news from each other.
Once again - even though some of the driving laws do some into effect on September 01, 2009, the number of required driving hours will not be changed until May 01, 2010. The TEA did not develop the guidelines for the extra 20 hours of driving that are mentioned in the law, that is why they are postponing this until next year. All you kids who are currently taking a Texas drivers education course - you have nothing to worry about and your certificate of completion will be valid no matter which course you took - drivers ed at school or one of the Texas parent taught drivers education classes.
In case the company you are taking the drivers education class with did not manage to incorporate this into the course yet, you should simply note that from now on, every passenger who’s in the vehicle must be buckled up, no matter the age, location of the driver or level of experience of the driver. You got into the car - put your sit belt on. Adult drivers license holders should also watch out for the school zones - some of them may forbid the cell-phone usage, but they are required to post a special sign about it, so as long as you keep your eyes open, you should be fine.