Texas government
Texas Legislature
Follow the Texas Legislature, understand how the House and Senate work, and move quickly between the current session, past sessions, lawmakers, elections, and major policy coverage.
How the Texas Legislature works
The Texas Legislature is the state’s lawmaking branch. Its 150-member House and 31-member Senate must pass the same bill text before legislation can go to the governor. Regular sessions begin in January of odd-numbered years and may last no more than 140 days; only the governor may call a special session.
- Texas House members
- 150
- Texas senators
- 31
- Maximum regular session
- 140 days
How a Texas bill becomes law
- A House member or senator files a bill.
- The presiding officer refers it to a committee for public consideration.
- The originating chamber debates and votes on the measure.
- The second chamber repeats the committee and floor process.
- Both chambers approve identical text and send it to the governor.
Frequently asked questions
How many Texas legislators are there?
Texas has 181 legislators: 150 representatives and 31 senators.
Who calls a special session?
Only the governor can call a special session and determine its subjects.
Where are official bill actions published?
Texas Legislature Online is the authoritative source for bill text, actions, votes and committee records.
Texas House of Representatives
The 150-member chamber where state representatives introduce, debate, and vote on legislation.
Explore →Texas Senate
The 31-member chamber that considers legislation, confirmations, and statewide policy priorities.
Explore →Current legislative session
See the active session hub, key dates, session status, and links to current legislative coverage.
Explore →Past legislative sessions
Browse prior regular and special sessions and connect historical legislation to current debates.
Explore →