State Rep. Cecil Bell filed the necessary paperwork Nov. 11 in Austin to seek re-election to his second term as representative for House District 3.

"It's humbling and an honor to serve the constituents of House District 3 and it will be my honor to continue to serve in the Texas Legislature and representing our communities in Montgomery and Waller counties," Bell said. "We did some of the things that we set out to do, we created a good deal of momentum with that, but there are ample challenges facing Texas that we need to address."

Over the past few months, Bell was prompted by many to run for Texas Agriculture Commissioner or for the state Senate District 4 seat in the next election, he said. However, after giving it some thought he decided there were still things he wanted to accomplish in his position as state representative. Bell also said the other positions might not allow him the time to run his business.

"I knew I wanted to run for House District 3," Bell said. "While it's an honor and humbling to be considered for those types of opportunities, at the end of the day, the weight of the work left to be done demands my commitment to doing this job to the best of my ability."

In the past legislative session, Bell authored and passed 16 bills into law. Some of the bills he authored and passed include one that offers liability protection to volunteers during times of disasters and one removing restrictive proficiency requirements for concealed handgun license holders.

"In the past if you took your proficiency test with a revolver, you could only carry a revolver, and if you took it with a semi-automatic, you could carry either," Bell said. "House Bill 3142 by Bell says if you can shoot straight, you can shoot and carry either one."

Bell is on the House Appropriations Committee, the House Economic and Small Business Development Committee and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Articles VI, VII and VIII of the Appropriations Bill.