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2024 Texas legislative session
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| 2024 Texas legislative session |
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| General information |
| Scheduled session start: Jan. 1, 2024 Scheduled session end: Dec. 31, 2024 |
| Leadership |
| Senate President Dan Patrick (R) House Speaker |
| Elections |
| Next Election: November 5, 2024 Last Election: November 8, 2022 |
| Previous legislative sessions |
| 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
| Other 2024 legislative sessions |
In 2024, the Texas State Legislature was scheduled to convene on January 1, 2024, and adjourn on December 31, 2024.
The legislators serving in this session took office following the 2022 elections. Republicans won a 19-12 majority in the Senate and an 86-64 majority in the House. The party also controlled the governorship, creating a Republican state government trifecta. At the start of the 2024 session, Texas was one of 21 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.
Leadership in 2024
Texas State Senate
- Senate president: Dan Patrick (R)
Texas House of Representatives
- Speaker of the House: Dade Phelan (R)
Partisan control in 2024
- See also: State government trifectas
Texas was one of 23 Republican state government trifectas at the start of the 2024 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.
Texas was also one of 21 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.
The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Texas State Legislature in the 2024 legislative session.
Texas State Senate
| Party | As of January 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 11 | |
| Republican Party | 19 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 31 | |
Texas House of Representatives
| Party | As of January 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 64 | |
| Republican Party | 85 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 150 | |
Standing legislative committees
A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.
At the beginning of the 2024 legislative session, there were 50 standing committees in Texas' state government, including 16 state Senate committees, and 34 state House committees.
Senate committees
- Administration Committee
- Business & Commerce Committee
- Committee of the Whole Senate
- Criminal Justice Committee
- Education Committee
- Finance Committee
- Health & Human Services Committee
- Jurisprudence Committee
- Local Government Committee
- Natural Resources and Economic Development Committee
- Nominations Committee
- Senate Higher Education Committee
- Senate State Affairs Committee
- Senate Transportation Committee
- Veteran Affairs & Border Security Committee
- Water, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs Committee
House 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
Legislation
Enacted legislsation
The list below shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2024 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation met these criteria in 2024. This information is provided by BillTrack50.
Election administration legislation
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job. Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments, translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language, and, because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan.
The table below lists 2024 election-related legislation in Texas. The following information is included for each bill:
- Bill number
- Official name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, simply click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.
Legislatively referred 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 by 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.
Historical partisan control
The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of Texas.
Texas Party Control: 1992-2025
Three years of Democratic trifectas • Twenty-three 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 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 | 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 | R |
Historical Senate control
Between 1992 and 2022, partisan control of the Texas State Senate shifted in favor of the Republican Party. As a result of the 1992 elections, Democrats held an 18-13 majority. Republicans flipped the chamber in 1996 and, by 2022, expanded their majority to 19-12. The table below shows the partisan history of the Texas State Senate 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 State Senate election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 18 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 |
| Republicans | 13 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 |
The movement from an 18-13 Democratic majority in 1992 to a 19-12 Republican majority in 2022 was gradual. Half of the elections between 1992 and 2018 saw no change to the partisan balance of the state Senate. In years where there was a shift in balance, those shifts were minimal. Republicans made their largest gains—three seats—in the 2002 elections. The only years Democrats made gains were 2008, 2018, and 2020 picking up one seat in each year.
Historical House control
Between 1992 and 2022, partisan control of the Texas House of Representatives shifted in favor of the Republican Party. As a result of the 1992 elections, Democrats held a 91-58 majority. Republicans flipped the chamber in 2002 and, by 2022, expanded their majority to 86-64. The table below shows the partisan history of the Texas House of Representatives 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 |
Republicans gained control of the state House in 2002 after gaining 16 seats. The partisan balance of the chamber moved 14 seats in favor of Republicans in the four elections leading up to the 2002 elections. Between 2002 and 2008, Democrats were able to take back 12 seats. After 2008, the chamber was nearly split at a 76-74 Republican majority. Republicans' largest gains would occur as a result of the 2010 elections, when they picked up 23 seats.
See also
| Elections | Texas State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
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External links
Footnotes
