Texas’ 2025 legislative session starts tomorrow, Jan. 14, and runs through June 2. Lawmakers will debate a bevy of issues and pass hundreds of bills that affect all Texans’ lives.
Here’s how it works, and what you can do to participate: The Texas Legislature includes the House of Representatives, which has 150 members and is known as the lower chamber.
The Senate has 31 members and is known as the upper chamber.
Each representative and senator represents a geographic district.
As a result of the 2024 elections, Republicans hold 88 of the 150 seats in the House and 20 of the 31 seats in the Senate. The House speaker, which presides over the House chamber, is one of the 150 representatives in that chamber and is elected by a majority of members. The lieutenant governor presides over the Senate and is elected by Texas voters every four years.
During odd-numbered years, the state Legislature gathers in January for 140 days to pass a two-year state budget and other laws, which is known as a regular legislative session.
Lawmakers have been filing bills since Nov. 12, 2024. In gen- eral, lawmakers can continue fil - ing bills during the first 60 calen dar days of the legislative session.
After that point, only bills related to local matters or emergency items and appropriations can be filed, unless four-fifths of law makers are present in a chamber vote to suspend the rule.
While thousands of bills are filed - more than 8,000 bills were filed in the last regular ses - sion - only around a thousand will pass.
Though most legislation dies and one party currently holds control, political experts say addressing issues is still possible in the Legislature. They encourage Texans to contact their lawmakers, testify at public hearings, join advocacy groups and raise awareness in their communities.
Some key dates for the upcoming session: Jan. 14 is the first day of the legislative session.
• March 14 is the 60th day and the deadline to file most bills.
• June 2 is sine die, or the last day of the legislative session.
• June 22 is the last day the governor can sign or veto bills.
• Sept. 1 is the earliest day most bills can go into effect, if they didn’t pass with more than two-thirds of support from each chamber.
