Texas 86th Legislative Session

Representative Dennis Bonnen (R-Angleton), the Texas House speaker-elect, announced that Sharon Carter and Hugh Brady will serve jointly as Parliamentarians for the House of Representatives in the 86th Legislative Session.

Sharon Carter has an extensive resume serving the state of Texas, including more than 15 years of parliamentary experience. Carter previously served as the Associate Commissioner for External Relations for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and as Parliamentarian and Chief Clerk for the Texas House of Representatives. Since 2005, she has worked outside of government as president of SC Strategies, a legislative strategy and research group.

Hugh Brady is the editor of Texas House Practice and Texas Senate Practice Series, which are widely considered the authoritative texts on the rules of the Texas Legislature. Brady also served as general counsel for the White House Office of Administration under President Barack Obama and currently serves as director of the Legislative Lawyering Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law.

We expect more announcement in the weeks ahead as the 86th Legislature approaches, and will keep you updated as Rep. Bonnen continues to build out his staff.

Important dates for those watching the Legislature

The 86th Legislative Session opens on Tuesday, January 9, 2019 and ends on Monday, May 27, 2019. Other dates of interest include:

Political Contributions. The last day to accept political contributions before the 2019 Regular Legislative session is December 8, 2018 – this weekend. Following the Legislative Session, officeholders may accept political contributions again beginning on June 17, 2019.

Bill Filing. As of today, 694 bills have been filed for the upcoming session. For more information on bills filed to date, see Texas Legislature Online. The last day to file bills is the 60th day of the legislative session on March 8, 2019.

Upcoming Committee Hearings. The Senate Committee on Business and Commerce will meet on December 10, 2019 at 9:00 AM. The Sunset Advisory Committee will meet at 9:00 AM on December 12 and December 13, 2018. The House of Representatives has not yet established committees.