search archive
Explore the Texas Digital Archive

Texas Legislature

Texas Legislature

The records of the Texas Legislature fall within three broad categories: House of Representatives, Senate, and Joint Committees. Records of the House of Representatives and the Senate apply specifically to those sides of the Legislature, while Joint Committees applies to both sides.

Click on the logo for category for more information about that part of the Legislature and records held in the Texas Digital Archive.

Seal of the Texas_House_of_RepresentativesHouse of Representatives

The Texas House of Representatives is one arm of the Legislature of the State of Texas (the other being the Texas Senate), which the Texas Constitution (Article III, Section 1) vests with all legislative power of the state. The primary legislative power is enacting laws, and the most visible function of the legislature is to make public policy through drafting, considering, and passing bills and resolutions. Biennially, the House of Representatives elects a speaker from its membership to serve as its presiding officer. The House of Representatives consists of 150 representatives elected in even-numbered years for two-year terms. A representative must be at least 21 years old, a qualified voter, and a resident of Texas for at least two years and of the district represented for at least one year immediately preceding election.

Seal of the Texas SenateSenate

The Texas Senate is one arm of the Legislature of the State of Texas (the other being the Texas House of Representatives), which the Texas Constitution (Article III, Section 1) vests with all legislative power of the state. The primary legislative power is enacting laws, and the most visible function of the legislature is to make public policy through drafting, considering and passing bills and resolutions. By virtue of office, the lieutenant governor is president of the senate, with the right to debate and vote on questions in committee of the whole and the right to cast the deciding vote when the chamber is equally divided. The senate elects one of its members president pro tempore to perform the duties of the lieutenant governor during his or her absence or disability, or when the office is vacant. The 1876 Constitution fixes the number of senators at 31, elected from senatorial districts according to state constitutional guidelines to serve overlapping four-year terms. A senator must be at least 26 years old, a qualified voter, and a resident of Texas for at least five years and of the district represented for at least one year immediately preceding election.

Texas Legislative Council

Legislative Council

The Texas Legislative Council was established by legislative act in 1949 and was activated in 1950. The mission of the council is to provide professional, nonpartisan service and support to the Texas Legislature and the legislative agencies. The council serves as a source of impartial research and information. It employs professional, administrative, and technical staff to assist legislators in drafting and analyzing proposed legislation and in obtaining information on specific legislative problems and on matters affecting the general welfare of the state. Council staff also handle the printing, processing, and distribution of legislative documents and provide computer support to the legislature and all of the other legislative agencies.

Seal of the Texas SenateSeal of the Texas House of Representatives

Texas Legislature, Joint Committees

A Joint Committee is composed of members from each chamber of the legislature appointed by the respective presiding officers. Joint committees are normally created by a special proclamation issued by the speaker and lieutenant governor for the purpose of studying a particular issue or group of issues when the legislature is not in session. Joint committees are rarely, if ever, created during a session, and house and senate rules do not permit bills and resolutions to be referred to a joint committee.

Powered by Preservica
Texas State Library and Archives Commission | 1201 Brazos St., Austin TX 78701 | 512-463-5455 | ref@tsl.texas.gov | P.O. Box 12927, Austin TX 78711-2927