Texas House of Representatives
| Texas House of Representatives | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Party control: | Republican |
| Session start: | No regular legislative session |
| Session end: | No regular legislative session |
| Term length: | 2 years |
| Term limits: | None |
| Redistricting: | Legislature-dominant |
| Salary: | $7,200/year + per diem |
| Members | |
| Total: | 150 |
| Democrats: | 64 |
| Republicans: | 85 |
| Other: | 0 |
| Vacancies: | 1 |
| Leadership | |
| Speaker: | Dade Phelan (R) |
| Elections | |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Next election: | November 5, 2024 |
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Texas State Legislature. Alongside the Texas State Senate, it forms the legislative branch of the Texas state government and works alongside the governor of Texas to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Texas House of Representatives include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.
The Texas House of Representatives meets in the state capitol building in Austin, Texas.
Texas enacted new legislative district boundaries in June 2023 for use in 2024 and until the 2030 census. These districts were the same as those enacted by the state in October 2021. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed HB 1000—establishing state House district boundaries—on June 12, 2023, and he allowed SB 375—establishing state Senate district boundaries—to become law without his signature on June 18, 2023.[1][2] The Texas Tribune's James Barragan wrote in January 2023 that Senate Legislative Redistricting Committee Chairperson Joan Huffman (R) said the state was re-doing the redistricting process "to ensure that Legislature had met its constitutional requirement to apportion districts in the first regular session after the publishing of the results of the federal census, which is done every 10 years. Because of the pandemic, census numbers were not released until after the end of the last regularly scheduled legislative session on May 31, 2021. Redistricted maps were passed in a subsequent special session that year."[3] Texas had originally enacted new state legislative districts on October 25, 2021. Click here for more information about redistricting after the 2020 census.
Texas has a Republican trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature. |
This page contains the following information on the Texas House of Representatives.
- Which party controls the chamber
- The chamber's current membership
- Partisan control of the chamber over time
- Elections in the chamber and how vacancies are filled
- A district map
- How redistricting works in the state
- Legislation currently under consideration
- Legislative session dates
- Legislative procedures, such as veto overrides and the state budget process
- A list of committees
Party control
Current partisan control
The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Texas House of Representatives as of January 2024:
| Party | As of January 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 64 | |
| Republican Party | 85 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 150 | |
Members
Leadership
The speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body.[4]
Leadership and members
- Speaker of the House: Dade Phelan (R)
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2023 | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $7,200/year | $221/day |
Swearing in dates
Texas legislators assume office at the beginning of the legislative session, which starts at noon on the second Tuesday in January in the year after the election.[5]
Membership qualifications
To be eligible to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, a candidate must be:[6]
- A U.S. citizen
- 21 years old before the general election
- A two-year resident of Texas before the general election
- A district resident for one year prior to the general election
Historical party control
Republicans won control of the Texas House of Representatives in 2002. In 2022, they won an 86-64 majority.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Texas House following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Texas House of Representatives election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 91 | 89 | 82 | 79 | 78 | 62 | 63 | 69 | 74 | 51 | 55 | 52 | 55 | 67 | 67 | 64 |
| Republicans | 58 | 61 | 68 | 71 | 72 | 88 | 87 | 81 | 76 | 99 | 95 | 98 | 95 | 83 | 83 | 86 |
Trifecta history
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, Texas was under the following types of trifecta control:
- Democratic trifecta: 1992-1994
- Republican trifecta: 2003-2023
- Divided government: 1995-2002
Texas Party Control: 1992-2024
Three years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Elections
Elections by year
Texas state representatives serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. Texas holds elections for its legislature in even years.
2024
Elections for the Texas House of Representatives will take place in 2024. The general election is on November 5, 2024. A primary is March 5, 2024, and a primary runoff is May 28, 2024. The filing deadline was December 11, 2023.
2022
Elections for the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for March 1, 2022, and a primary runoff was scheduled for May 24, 2022. The filing deadline was December 13, 2021.
In the 2022 elections, Republicans increased their majority from 83-65 with two vacancies to 86-64.
| Texas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 8, 2022 | After November 9, 2022 | |
| Democratic Party | 65 | 64 | |
| Republican Party | 83 | 86 | |
| Vacancy | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 150 | 150 | |
2020
Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for March 3, 2020, and a primary runoff was scheduled for July 14, 2020. The filing deadline was December 9, 2019.
In the 2020 elections, Republicans in the Texas House of Representatives maintained their 83-67 majority.
| Texas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 67 | 67 | |
| Republican Party | 83 | 83 | |
| Total | 150 | 150 | |
2018
Elections for the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2018. An open primary election took place on March 6, 2018.[7] A primary runoff election took place on May 22, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was December 11, 2017.[8]
In the 2018 elections, the Republican majority in the Texas House of Representatives was reduced from 93-55 to 83-67.
| Texas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 6, 2018 | After November 7, 2018 | |
| Democratic Party | 55 | 67 | |
| Republican Party | 93 | 83 | |
| Vacancy | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 150 | 150 | |
2016
Elections for the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 1, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 14, 2015.[9] All 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives were up for election in 2016.
Heading into the election, Republicans held a 99-50 majority with one vacancy. Republicans lost five seats in the election, giving them a 95-55 majority.
| Texas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 7, 2016 | After November 8, 2016 | |
| Democratic Party | 50 | 55 | |
| Republican Party | 99 | 95 | |
| Independent | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 150 | 150 | |
| Click [show] to see election information dating back to 2000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014Elections for all 150 seats in the Texas House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on March 4, 2014. Those candidates who did not receive 50 percent or more of the vote in their party primary on March 4 faced an additional May 27 primary runoff. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was December 9, 2013. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 94-55 majority with one vacancy. Republicans gained four seats in the election, giving them a 98-52 majority.
2012Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives took place in 2012. The primary election was held on May 29, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. A primary runoff election was scheduled for July 31, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was December 19, 2011. All 150 seats were up for election. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 100-48 majority with two vacancies. Republicans lost five seats in the election, giving them a 95-55 majority.
The following table details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election.
2010Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives took place in 2010. The primary election was held on March 2, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The runoff election was held on April 13, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was January 4, 2010. All 150 seats were up for election in 2010. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 76-73 majority with one vacancy. Republicans gained 22 seats in the election, giving them a 98-51 majority with one vacancy.
In 2010, the candidates for state House raised a total of $78,482,292 in campaign contributions. The top 10 donors were:[10]
2008Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on March 4, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. During the 2008 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $71,266,729. The top 10 contributors were:[11]
2006Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on March 7, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. During the 2006 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $65,368,501. The top 10 contributors were:[12]
2004Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on March 9, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. During the 2004 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $44,062,003. The top 10 contributors were:[13]
2002Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on March 12, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. During the 2002 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $37,274,594. The top 10 contributors were:[14]
2000Elections for the office of Texas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on March 14, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. During the 2000 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $20,074,748. The top 10 contributors were:[15]
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the Texas State Legislature, the governor must call a special election to fill the vacant seat.[16] A governor's proclamation to hold a special election must be delivered to county judges in the legislative district no later than 36 days before the scheduled election.[17]
The secretary of state can declare a candidate duly elected in a special election if there is no opposition.[18]
See sources: Texas Elec. Code § 203.001 et. seq.
District map
- See also: Texas state legislative districts
The state of Texas has 150 state House districts. Each district elects one representative.
Use the interactive map below to find your district.
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Texas
In Texas, both congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn by the Texas State Legislature. These lines are subject to veto by the governor.[19]
If the state legislature is unable to approve a state legislative redistricting plan, a backup commission must draw the lines (the backup commission is not involved in congressional redistricting). This backup commission, established in 1948, comprises the following members:[19]
- Lieutenant governor
- Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
- Attorney general
- State comptroller
- Commissioner of the General Land Office
The Texas Constitution requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and "that they preserve whole counties when population mandates permit."[19]
2020
Texas enacted new legislative district boundaries in June 2023 for use in 2024 and until the 2030 census. These districts were the same as those enacted by the state in October 2021. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed HB 1000—establishing state House district boundaries—on June 12, 2023, and he allowed SB 375—establishing state Senate district boundaries—to become law without his signature on June 18, 2023.[20][21] The Texas Tribune's James Barragan wrote in January 2023 that Senate Legislative Redistricting Committee Chairperson Joan Huffman (R) said the state was re-doing the redistricting process "to ensure that Legislature had met its constitutional requirement to apportion districts in the first regular session after the publishing of the results of the federal census, which is done every 10 years. Because of the pandemic, census numbers were not released until after the end of the last regularly scheduled legislative session on May 31, 2021. Redistricted maps were passed in a subsequent special session that year."[22] Texas had originally enacted new state legislative districts on October 25, 2021.
District map before and after 2020 redistricting
Below is the state House map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.
Texas State House Districts
until January 9, 2023
Click a district to compare boundaries.
Texas State House Districts
starting January 10, 2023
Click a district to compare boundaries.
2010
Texas received its local census data on February 17, 2011. The state grew 20.6%, with Hispanics making up at least 2/3 of that growth. The growth rate in the largest cities was as follows: Houston grew by 7.5 percent, San Antonio grew by 16.0 percent, Dallas grew by 0.8 percent, Austin grew by 20.4 percent, and Fort Worth grew by 38.6 percent. Harris County grew by 20%, which suggested suburban growth.[23]
The Texas State Senate released a proposed map of its 31 districts on May 11, 2011. The Senate and House plans were passed by the Texas Legislature on May 21, 2011, and were signed by Gov. Rick Perry (R) on June 17, 2011. Attorney General Greg Abbott submitted Texas' redistricting maps to a panel of three federal judges in Washington DC on July 19, 2011, as required under the Voting Rights Act. The DC federal court rejected Texas' senate and house maps on November 8, 2011, denying the state's request for preclearance summary judgment.[24] The Texas House of Representatives approved new district maps during a June 2013 special session. The maps passed the Texas State Senate and were signed into law by Gov. Perry on June 26, 2013.[25][26]
Sessions
Legislation
The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Texas House of Representatives has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the House to the Senate and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.
Dates of legislative sessions in Texas by year
2024
- See also: Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions
In 2024, the legislature will not hold a regular session.
2023
In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 10, 2023, and adjourn on May 29, 2023.
| Click [show] for past years' session dates. | ||
|---|---|---|
2022
In 2022, the legislature did not hold a regular session. 2021In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 12, 2021, and adjourn on May 31, 2021. 2020
In 2020, the legislature did not hold a regular session. 2019In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 8, 2019, through May 27, 2019. 2018
In 2018, the legislature did not hold a regular session. 2017
In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 10, 2017, through May 29, 2017. A special session was held from July 18 to August 15.
2016
In 2016, the legislature did not hold a regular session. 2015
In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 13 through June 1. Major issues in 2015Major issues during the 2015 legislative session included transportation funding, especially funding of the Texas Department of Transportation. A bill meant to help alleviate funding issues within the agency died in the last legislative session, leaving the issue to the 2015 legislative session. Officials from the agency told lawmakers they needed an additional $4 billion a year to maintain the state's current traffic levels.[34] 2014
In 2014, the legislature did not hold a regular session. 2013
In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 8 to May 27. Thirty minutes after the regular session ended, Governor Rick Perry (R) called legislators back for a special session starting that evening.[35] Major issues in 2013Along with the necessity of creating a new budget, some of the biggest issues included Medicaid and school funding, a water shortage, and reforming the school finance system.[36] Wallace Hall impeachment
After he was appointed in 2011, University of Texas Regent Wallace Hall began looking into what he believed to be clout scandals within the University of Texas system. Hall investigated the university's forgivable-loans program and admissions policies and preferential treatment to politically-connected individuals.[37] Hall, as an individual citizen, filed FOIA requests with the university system after his inquiries via his role as a Regent were rebuffed.[38] According to his accusers, Hall filed requests of more than 800,000 pages, which some Texas administrators called an unnecessary burden.[39][40] However, a letter from university chancellor Francisco Cigarroa in February 2014 said that Hall likely requested fewer than 100,000 pages.[41][42] In addition, Cigarroa wrote: "During testimony before the Select Committee, some early witnesses implied that the U.T. System has not protected the privacy rights of students, staff, and patients. This is simply not true."[43] An effort was begun in June 2013 by members of the Texas State House to try and impeach Hall from his position as Regent. Some legislators justified the impeachment on the grounds that Hall did not disclose several lawsuits that he was involved in when he originally completed his Regent background check. Hall updated Governor Rick Perry's (R) office in April 2013 with the full list.[44][45] The lack of lawsuit disclosure by Hall was not unique -- more than 9,000 lawsuits were not disclosed by other appointed Texas officials.[46][47] Perry's spokesperson said the investigations sent a "chilling message" to gubernatorial appointees.[48] He added that the investigation was "extraordinary political theater."[49] Texas state legislators had never previously tried to remove an appointed official. Only two elected officials in the history of Texas have ever been successfully impeached.[50] Texas State House Speaker Joe Straus (R) authorized the Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations to investigate the possibility of drafting articles of impeachment.[51] The committee censured Hall but did not impeach him. 2012
In 2012, the legislature did not hold a regular session. 2011 (82nd Legislature)
Regular sessionIn 2011, the legislature was in session from January 11 through May 30.[52]Major themes throughout the session were fixing a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall, state and congressional redistricting, and immigration reform. While redistricting maps were passed for the Texas House of Representatives, the Texas State Senate, and the State Board of Education, the legislature failed to pass a congressional map within the regular session. Special sessionThe 82nd Legislative Session officially ended Monday, May 30, 2011. Due to a lack of progress on key legislative items, Governor Rick Perry (R) called a special session which began first thing Tuesday, May 31, 2011. Of primary concern in the special session was passing supporting legislation needed to balance the budget. Even though a budget bill passed both the House and Senate during the regular session, a last-minute filibuster by Democratic Senator Wendy Davis halted the passing of an essential school finance bill that was required to balance the budget. The Texas Constitution requires a balanced budget, so a special session was called. Balancing the budget was not the only item on the special session agenda. Medicaid reform, immigration, and congressional redistricting were amongst the issues to be addressed.[53] 2010
In 2010, the legislature did not hold a regular session.[54] 2009In 2009, the legislature met in session from January 13 through June 1.[55] |
About legislative sessions in Texas
The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[56] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.
Article III of the Texas Constitution establishes when the Texas State Legislature, of which the House of Representatives is a part, is to be in session. Section 5 of Article III states that the Legislature shall meet every two years at times to be established by law. Section 5 goes on to say that the Legislature can also be convened by the governor of Texas.
Legislative roles and procedures
Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, and procedures for filling membership vacancies.
Veto overrides
- See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures
State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Texas are listed below.
How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members present in both chambers.
| Two-thirds of members present in both chambers must vote to override a veto. If all members are in attendance, this is 100 of the 150 members in the Texas House of Representatives and 21 of the 31 members in the Texas State Senate. Texas is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto. |
Authority: Article 4, Section 14 of the Texas Constitution.
| "Every bill which shall have passed both houses of the Legislature shall be presented to the Governor for his approval. If he approve he shall sign it; but if he disapprove it, he shall return it, with his objections, to the House in which it originated, which House shall enter the objections at large upon its journal, and proceed to reconsider it. If after such reconsideration, two-thirds of the members present agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, with the objections, to the other House, by which likewise it shall be reconsidered; and, if approved by two-thirds of the members of that House, it shall become a law; but in such cases the votes of both Houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the members voting for and against the bill shall be entered on the journal of each House respectively." |
Role in state budget
- See also: Texas state budget and finances
Texas on 
|
The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[57]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies beginning in June.
- Agencies submit their budget requests to the governor between July and September.
- Public hearings are held between July and October.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature by the date of the State of the State address.
- The legislature typically adopts a budget in May. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The fiscal year begins in September.
Texas is one of 43 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[57]
The legislature is constitutionally required to adopt a balanced budget. The governor must sign a balanced budget into law.[57]
Committees
Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.
- Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
- Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
- Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.
Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Texas House of Representatives has 34 standing committees:
- Agriculture and Livestock Committee
- Appropriations Committee
- Business & Industry Committee
- Calendars Committee
- Corrections Committee
- County Affairs Committee
- Criminal Jurisprudence Committee
- Culture, Recreation, & Tourism Committee
- Defense & Veterans' Affairs Committee
- Elections Committee
- Energy Resources Committee
- Environmental Regulation Committee
- General Investigating Committee
- Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee
- House Administration Committee
- House Higher Education Committee
- House State Affairs Committee
- House Transportation Committee
- Human Services Committee
- Insurance Committee
- International Relations & Economic Development Committee
- Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee
- Juvenile Justice & Family Issues Committee
- Land & Resource Management Committee
- Licensing & Administrative Procedures Committee
- Local & Consent Calendars Committee
- Natural Resources Committee
- Pensions, Investments and Financial Services Committee
- Public Education Committee
- Public Health Committee
- Redistricting Committee
- Resolutions Calendars Committee
- Urban Affairs Committee
- Ways & Means Committee
Constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods in which the Texas Constitution can be amended:
The Texas Constitution provides one mechanism for amending the state's constitution—legislatively referred constitutional amendments. Texas requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.
Legislature
According to Article 17, the state Legislature can refer constitutional amendments to the ballot for voters to decide. A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session for the Texas State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 100 votes in the Texas House of Representatives and 21 votes in the Texas State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
2025 measures:
- See also: 2025 ballot measures
Certified:
- The following measures were certified for the ballot.
No measures to list
2024 measures:
Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2024 ballot by the legislature.
- See also: Texas 2024 ballot measures
Certified:
- The following measures were certified for the ballot.
No measures to list
See also
| Elections | Texas State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Texas Legislature Online, "Bill: HB 1000," accessed June 21, 2023
- ↑ Texas Legislature Online, "Bill: SB 375," accessed June 21, 2023
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Texas Senate votes to take up redistricting again," January 11, 2023
- ↑ Texas House of Representatives, "Speaker of the House," accessed February 16, 2021
- ↑ Texas Government Code, "Title 3., Subtitle A., Sec. 301.001," accessed November 23, 2016
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Qualifications for All Public Offices," accessed February 7, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Systems," accessed May 29, 2017
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2018 Election Dates," accessed September 11, 2017
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "Important 2016 Election Dates," accessed December 14, 2015
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Texas House 2010 Campaign Contributions," accessed August 2, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Texas 2008 Candidates," accessed August 2, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Texas 2006 Candidates," accessed August 2, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Texas 2004 Candidates," accessed August 2, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Texas 2002 Candidates," accessed August 2, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Texas 2000 Candidates," accessed August 2, 2013
- ↑ Texas Legislature, "Election Code," accessed February 16, 2021 (Statute 3.003 (3))
- ↑ Texas Legislature, "Election Code," accessed February 16, 2021 (Statute 3.003 (3)(b)-(c))
- ↑ Texas Legislature, "Election Code," accessed February 16, 2021 (Statute 2.055)
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 All About Redistricting, "Texas," accessed May 7, 2015
- ↑ Texas Legislature Online, "Bill: HB 1000," accessed June 21, 2023
- ↑ Texas Legislature Online, "Bill: SB 375," accessed June 21, 2023
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Texas Senate votes to take up redistricting again," January 11, 2023
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Texas' 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting," February 17, 2011
- ↑ Foxnews.com, "Texas Redistricting May Give Democrats Greater Chance of Winning Seats in State Legislature," November 17, 2011
- ↑ The Associated Press, "Texas House approves redistricting maps," June 20, 2013
- ↑ The Austin American-Statesman, "House gives final approval to redistricting maps," June 21, 2013
- ↑ texas.gov, "Proclamation by the Governor of the State of Texas," July 10, 2017
- ↑ texas.gov, "Supplemental Call," July 10, 2017
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Texas Senate moves to fast-track special session agenda," July 18, 2017
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Senate gives OK to must-pass "sunset" legislation in midnight vote," July 19, 2017
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Texas House approves sending first two special session bills to governor," August 10, 2017
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Tears and shouting on Texas House floor as Freedom Caucus delays bills to death," May 11, 2017
- ↑ Texas Freedom Caucus, "Abbott Must Call a Special Session," May 31, 2017
- ↑ Aman Batheja, Texas Tribune, "Transportation Funding Likely to Be Big Issue in 2015" accessed January 29, 2015
- ↑ kten.com, "Texas Lawmakers To Tackle Redistricting In Special Session," May 29, 2013
- ↑ Star-Telegram, "As lawmakers return to Austin this week, a heap of work awaits," January 6, 2013
- ↑ American Spectator, "Transparency for Thee," October 25, 2013
- ↑ Daily Texas Online, "Facing impeachment, Regent Wallace Hall defends actions in debate with Sen. Kirk Watson," September 28, 2013
- ↑ Daily Texas Online, "Former UT System vice chancellor alleges Regent Wallace Hall’s ‘clear intent to get rid of Bill Powers’," October 24, 2013
- ↑ Dallas Morning News, "UT regent sought 800,000 documents, official says in impeachment hearing," October 22, 2013
- ↑ Watchdog, "‘Witch hunt’ fallout: Speaker calls for narrower public records law," February 5, 2014
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "UT System Responds to Transparency Committee Directives," February 3, 2014
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Cigarroa letter to the Committee on Transparency in State Agency Operations," February 1, 2014
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "UT Regent Wallace Hall Updates Lawsuit Disclosures," April 30, 2013
- ↑ Real Clear Policy, "The Campaign Against Wallace Hall," August 15, 2013
- ↑ Watchdog.org, "Case against UT regent Wallace Hall is a sham — here’s proof," September 6, 2013
- ↑ News-Journal, "University of Texas regent not worried by impeachment inquiry," September 9, 2013
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Transparency Committee to Mull Impeachment of UT Regent," June 25, 2013
- ↑ Texas Tribune, "Perry Blasts Impeachment Probe of Wallace Hall," October 30, 2013
- ↑ Texas Public Radio, "UT Regent Wallace Hall Will Testify In Impeachment Hearing," November 13, 2013
- ↑ Texas State House Committees, "Transparency in State Agency Operations Committee Members," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed June 6, 2014(Archived)
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "The Official Agenda for a New Session," May 30, 2011
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 session dates for Texas legislature," December 8, 2010
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2009 Legislative Sessions Calendar," March 11, 2010
- ↑ Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
- ↑ 57.0 57.1 57.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
| |||||||||||
 |
State of Texas Austin (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2024 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
