86th Texas Legislative Session Begins Tomorrow

Lawmakers will convene in Austin Jan. 8 for the 86th Texas Legislature and during the course of the 140-day session, legislators will tackle several issues.

Before the session begins, the Texas Constitution requires the Comptroller of Public Accounts to provide an estimate of the revenue that the state of Texas expects to receive through the next two-year budget period.

The Biennial Revenue Estimate (BRE) forms the basis of Texas’ budget by setting out a limit on revenue available for general-purpose spending. Comptroller Glenn Hegar will discuss the BRE for the 2020-21 biennium at 10 a.m. on Jan. 7 in the Capitol Extension Auditorium.

One of the first items of business for the Texas House of Representatives will be to elect a successor to Speaker Joe Strauss. Strauss served five terms in that leadership role but did not seek re-election to the House in November.

Some important dates to be aware of during the session include Jan. 15, when the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) general appropriations bill is delivered to the governor and the 86th Legislature.

March 8 is the deadline for the unrestricted filing of bills and joint resolutions other than local bills, emergency appropriations and emergency matters submitted by the governor.

The last day of the 86th Legislature is May 27. Other important dates to note during and following the session can be found here.

This story was originally published by Strategic Partnerships, Inc.