The 87th Texas Legislative Session begins Tuesday, January 12th . The Texas House of Representatives swearing-in ceremony will be held on the House floor at noon on January 12th. To view the ceremony, please visit the Texas House of Representatives Live Broadcasts. In preparation for the 87th Legislative Session, the State Preservation Board will begin to allow the public to access the Capitol on January 4th. To create a safe environment for all visitors on the grounds, the State Preservation Board will establish health precautions and limited hours to allow for building cleaning. The House and Senate will manage access to their offices and assemblies once convened and rules are adopted. The capitol will be open Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm, and will be closed Saturday and Sunday for cleaning. Some health precaution that will be taken are:
• The public may only enter at the north door of the Capitol.
• COVID-19 testing is highly recommended and is accessible at the north plaza.
• A mask is always required when visitors are inside the building.
• There will be public visitor capacity limits and social distancing will be required in all public areas.
• No public tours, groups, or sponsored event space will be available.
This week, I would also like to mention that some bills have been pre-filed for this session, which began in November of 2020. The final date to file bills this session will be Friday, March 12, 2021. Then, the last day of the 87th regular session will be Monday, May 31, 2021.
If you would like to follow the Texas House and learn more information on news, committees, or other aspects of the legislative body, you can access its website Texas House of Representatives. The site features live streaming from the House floor, committee hearings as well as access to several other resources. You can also follow the Texas Senate at The Texas Senate, and The Texas Governor’s official website can be found at Office of the Texas Governor|Greg Abbott.
As a reminder, the 87th Texas Legislative session is beginning. As always, I want to hear your ideas and suggestions. Your ideas and information are important forms of feedback and I hope that you will not hesitate to contact my office.
If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this week’s article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. Please always feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or issues regarding a Texas state agency, or if you would like to contact my office regarding constituent services. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter currently represents Part of Nueces County. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.texas.gov or at 512-463-0672.
