Every law in Texas starts as an idea.

That idea may come from a legislator, constituent, state agency, advocacy organization, business, local government, or stakeholder group seeking to address a problem or improve public policy. Turning that idea into legislation, however, requires a formal process. Understanding how a bill is developed and filed provides valuable insight into how policy begins its journey through the Texas Legislature.

WHERE DO BILLS COME FROM?

Bills are often the result of:

Legislators frequently meet with stakeholders during the interim to discuss policy ideas and identify potential legislative solutions.

DRAFTING THE BILL

Only members of the Texas House or Senate can formally file legislation. Once a legislator decides to move forward with a proposal, they work with the Texas Legislative Council, a nonpartisan legislative drafting agency, to prepare bill language.

The drafting process includes:

Many bills undergo multiple revisions before being filed.

PRE-FILING AND FILING

In Texas, legislators may begin pre-filing bills before the legislative session officially begins.

Pre-filing allows lawmakers to:

Once session begins, thousands of bills are filed over a relatively short period of time.

During a typical legislative session, more than 7,000 bills may be introduced, but only a fraction ultimately become law.

MORE THAN ONE AUTHOR

Many bills have:

Securing support from multiple legislators often helps demonstrate broader interest in an issue and can increase momentum for legislation.

oped and filed helps stakeholders engage more effectively in the policymaking process.

Successful legislation often begins long before a bill number is assigned. Building relationships, educating lawmakers, and developing solutions during the interim frequently lays the groundwork for success once session begins.

WHY TIMING MATTERS

The legislative process moves quickly once session begins.

Bills filed early often have a greater opportunity to:

Waiting until late in the session can make it difficult for legislation to meet critical deadlines. This is why many stakeholders spend months preparing legislation before lawmakers ever gavel into session.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Understanding how legislation is developed and filed helps stakeholders engage more effectively in the policymaking process.

Successful legislation often begins long before a bill number is assigned. Building relationships, educating lawmakers, and developing solutions during the interim frequently lays the groundwork for success once session begins.

Most legislation never reaches the House or Senate floor. Now let us explore the committee process and why committees are often considered the most important stop in the legislative journey.

Once a bill is filed, its fate is largely determined by a group of legislators that many Texans never hear about: legislative committees.

While floor debates often receive the most public attention, committees are where the majority of legislative work takes place. In fact, most bills never make it beyond this stage of the process.

Understanding committees is essential to understanding how the Texas Legislature works.

WHAT IS A COMMITTEE?

Committees are smaller groups of legislators assigned to focus on specific policy areas.

Examples include:

Committees allow legislators to develop expertise and conduct detailed reviews of legislation before it reaches the full chamber.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A BILL IS FILED?

After a bill is filed, it is referred to a committee by the Speaker of the House or the Lieutenant Governor, depending on the chamber in which it was introduced.

The committee then decides whether to:

A bill that never receives a hearing often has little chance of advancing.

WHY COMMITTEE CHAIRS MATTER

Committee Chairs are among the most influential members of the Legislature.

Chairs help determine:

Because of this authority, many advocates spend significant time educating committee members and chairs about issues before and during session.

PUBLIC TESTIMONY

Committee hearings provide an opportunity for Texans to participate directly in the legislative process.

Individuals may:

Committee testimony often provides lawmakers with valuable information about how legislation may affect communities, businesses, schools, healthcare providers, and taxpayers.

COMMITTEE ACTION

After hearing testimony and debating a proposal, a committee may:

Vote the bill favorably and advance it

• Amend the bill
• Leave the bill pending for future consideration
• Take no action

Many bills are left pending and never move forward.

This reality is why committees are often described as the place where legislation "lives or dies."

WHY COMMITTEES MATTER

Committees serve as the Legislature's primary fact-finding and policy-review mechanism.

They provide lawmakers with an opportunity to:

• Study legislation in detail
• Hear from stakeholders
• Evaluate fiscal impacts
• Identify unintended consequences

For advocates and organizations, committee engagement is often the most important part of the legislative process.

Successful advocacy is about more than securing votes on the House or Senate floor.

Understanding committee jurisdiction, building relationships with committee members, and providing timely information can significantly influence whether legislation advances through the process.

In many cases, the committee process determines the future of a bill long before it reaches a final vote.

Sign up to support advocacy efforts and share your voice.

Learn what issues matter most to Texas school counselors.

You can find more information about House Public Education and Senate Education Committees here:

House Public Education: https://house.texas.gov/committees/committee/400#jurisdiction

Senate Education:
https://senate.texas.gov/cmte.php?c=530

Here’s why they matter.

We are starting a new series about the Texas Legislature giving our members a consistent education series around all things involving the Texas Legislature, Texas Legislative Process, and much more.

Between legislative sessions, Texas doesn’t hit pause,it gets to work. The Lieutenant Governor of Texas and the Speaker of the Texas House issue interim charges to legislative committees, setting the agenda for what lawmakers study, question, and prepare for the next session.

Think of interim charges as the blueprint for what’s next. They direct committees to:

Over the interim, committees dive deep, holding hearings, gathering data, and taking input from experts and stakeholders across the state.

Then comes the payoff: committees release formal reports outlining key findings, recommendations, and often proposed legislation that will shape the next session.

And this is where your voice matters.

Interim charges open the door for advocacy organizations, professionals, and the public to weigh in through testimony, written comments, or electronic submissions. It’s a critical window to influence policy before bills are even filed.

That’s where LSSSCA steps in.

As the voice for Texas school counselors, LSSSCA is actively reviewing the interim charges identified by our advocacy team at Eric Wright & Associates. We’re pinpointing where to engage, where to lead, and how to ensure school counselors and the students they serve are part of the conversation.

Stay tuned. We’ll be sharing priority areas and opportunities to get involved. Keep an eye on our Advocacy page for updates.

THE BUDGET WRITERS

House Appropriations and Senate Finance – the budget writers for the Legislature.

House Appropriations is led by Chairman Greg Bonnen (R-Galveston) and Vice Chair, Mary Gonzalez (D-El Paso).

Chair Rep. Greg Bonnen (R-Galveston)

Vice Chair Rep. Mary Gonzalez (D-El Paso)

Senate Finance is chaired by Chair Joan Huffman (R-Houston) and Vice Chair Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (D-McAllen).

Chair Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston)

Vice Chair Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (D-McAllen)

During a legislative session, these budget writing committees break up into subcommittees/workgroups to take a deeper dive into each area of the state budget. For LSSSCA, Article III, Education is our priority subcommittee and workgroup.

You can find more information on House Appropriations and Senate Finance here:

House Appropriations – https://house.texas.gov/committees/committee/030

Senate Finance - https://senate.texas.gov/cmte.php?c=540

ALL THINGS EDUCATION

House Public Education and Senate Education are the primary committees with oversight over education policy, finance issues, school curriculum, school districts, Texas Education Agency, and State Board of Education.

House Public Education Committee is Chaired by Brad Buckley (R-Bell) and Vice Chair Diego Bernal (D-Bexar).

Chair Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Bell)

Vice Chair Rep. Diego Bernal (D-Bexar)

Senate Education Committee is Chaired by Donna Campbell (R-Bulverde) and Vice Chair Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston).

Chair Sen. Donna Campbell (R-Bulverde)

Vice Chair Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston)

You can find more information about House Public Education and Senate Education Committees here:

House Public Education: https://house.texas.gov/committees/committee/400#jurisdiction

Senate Education: https://senate.texas.gov/cmte.php?c=530

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As school counselors, our voices matter—and staying informed is one of the most powerful ways we can advocate for our profession and the students we serve. Through Elevate & Advocate, LSSSCA is committed to helping members better understand the legislative decisions shaping education across Texas while creating opportunities for meaningful engagement and advocacy. Together, we can stay informed, stay involved, and continue elevating the impact of school counseling across our state.

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