Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced appointments to 16 Senate committees Jan. 17, three days into the session.
“With these committee appointments, the Texas Senate is hitting the ground running, ready to do the work the voters sent us to do,” Patrick said in a Jan. 17 statement.
Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, released assignments for 30 House committees and 12 subcommittees Feb. 13.
“We worked hard to balance seniority, expertise, and your interests and preferences while ensuring strong representation of the state's diverse regions and needs for each committee,” Burrows told House members Feb. 13. “There are no small roles in this House. I am confident that each of these assignments will position us for a productive and successful session, and appreciate the work each of you will do in these roles as you serve your districts and the state.”
The details
All committee chairmanships are held by Republicans this session, a break in tradition from recent years. During the 88th Legislature, one Democrat led a Senate committee and 8 Democrats led House committees, according to Texas Legislature Online.
Former Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, led the Senate Criminal Justice Committee until he was elected Houston mayor in 2023 and stepped down from his Senate seat. Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton, now chairs that committee.
House lawmakers adopted a set of rules Jan. 23 that state only members of the majority Republican party could chair standing committees and vice chairs could only be from the minority Democratic party.
“[The rules] hurt Democrats and reduce our power, but at least give us some ability to interact in the process and have our constituents’ needs met,” Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, who chairs the Texas House Democratic Caucus, said after the Jan. 23 vote.
By the numbers
Two women will chair standing House committees this session: Reps. Lacey Hull, R-Houston, and Angie Chen Button, R-Garland. Women make up about one-third of the 150-member House.
In the 31-member Senate, three of the chamber’s eight women lead committees.
Learn more about local lawmakers’ committee appointments below. Lawmakers are organized in alphabetical order by metropolitan area, with House lawmakers listed first.
Central Texas
Two Central Texas lawmakers will lead House committees this session, and two will lead Senate committees.
Rep. Diego Bernal, D-San Antonio: vice chair of House Public Education committee; member of House Ways & Means committee
- Member of Property Tax Appraisals subcommittee
- Vice chair of House Disease Prevention & Women’s and Children’s Health subcommittee
Rep. Sheryl Cole, D-Austin: vice chair of House Administration committee; member of House Culture, Recreation & Tourism and Intergovernmental Affairs committees
- Vice chair of House County and Regional Government subcommittee
- Chair of House Defense & Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee
- Vice chair of House Defense & Veterans’ Affairs committee
Rep. Josey Garcia, D-San Antonio: member of House Energy Resources, Natural Resources and Redistricting committees
Rep. Stan Gerdes, R-Smithville: member of House Calendars, Energy Resources and Licensing & Administrative Procedures committees
Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, D-San Antonio: member of House Appropriations, Redistricting and Ways & Means committees
Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin: member of House Appropriations and Insurance committees
Rep. Caroline Harris Davila, R-Round Rock: member of House Transportation and Trade, Workforce & Economic Development committees
- Vice chair of House Workforce subcommittee
Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin: vice chair of House Higher Education committee; member of House Appropriations committee
Rep. Carrie Isaac, R-Dripping Springs: member of House Elections and Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs committees
- Member of House Defense & Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee
- Member of House Family and Fiduciary Relationships subcommittee
- Member of House Defense & Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee
- Chair of House International Relations subcommittee; member of House Workforce subcommittee
Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin: vice chair of House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development committee; member of House Administration and Public Education committees
- Vice chair of House Academic and Career-Oriented Education subcommittee
Rep. Terry Wilson, R-Georgetown: chair of House Higher Education committee; member of House Elections and Redistricting committees
Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood: vice chair of House Intergovernmental Affairs committee; member of House Local & Consent Calendars and Natural Resources committees
- Member of House County and Regional Government subcommittee
Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin: member of Senate Administration, Border Security, Nominations and Veteran Affairs committees
Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio: member of Senate Local Government, Veteran Affairs and Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs committees
Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio: member of Senate Administration, Business & Commerce, Education and Veteran Affairs committees
Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown: chair of Senate Business & Commerce committee; member of Senate Economic Development, Finance and State Affairs committees
Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo: vice chair of Senate Natural Resources committee; member of Senate Business & Commerce, Finance and State Affairs committees
Houston metro
Six Houston-area lawmakers will lead House committees this session, and four will lead Senate committees.
Rep. Alma Allen, D-Houston: member of House Corrections and Public Education committees
Rep. Jeff Barry, R-Pearland: member of House Appropriations, Local & Consent Calendars and Natural Resources committees
Rep. Cecil Bell Jr., R-Magnolia: Chair of House Intergovernmental Affairs committee; member of House Natural Resources committee
Rep. Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood: Chair of House Appropriations committee; member of House General Investigating committee
Rep. Charles Cunningham, R-Humble: member of House Local & Consent Calendars, Public Education and Public Health committees
- Member of House Disease Prevention & Women’s and Children’s Health subcommittee
Rep. Harold Dutton Jr., D-Houston: member of House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence and Public Education committees
- Chair of House Family and Fiduciary Relationships subcommittee; member of House Academic and Career-Oriented Education subcommittee
Rep. Sam Harless, R-Spring: chair of House Corrections committee; member of House Administration and Licensing & Administrative Procedures committees
Rep. Ana Hernandez, D-Houston: vice chair of House State Affairs committee; member of House Calendars and Licensing & Administrative Procedures committees
- Member of House Telecommunications & Broadband subcommittee
- Member of House Telecommunications & Broadband subcommittee
- Member of House Disease Prevention & Women’s and Children’s Health subcommittee
- Vice chair of House Juvenile Justice subcommittee
Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe: chair of House Culture, Recreation & Tourism committee; member of House State Affairs committee
- Vice chair of House Telecommunications & Broadband subcommittee
Rep. Penny Morales Shaw, D-Houston: member of House Environmental Regulation committees
Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress: member of House Appropriations, Environmental Regulation and Redistricting committees
Rep. Dennis Paul, R-Houston: member of House Insurance and Transportation committees
- Vice chair of House Transportation Funding subcommittee
Member of House Transportation Funding subcommittee
Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City: member of House Administration, Energy Resources and Environmental Regulation committees
Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston: vice chair of House Redistricting committee; member of House Energy Resources and Intergovernmental Affairs committees
Rep. Mike Schofield, R-Katy: member of House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence and Public Health committees
Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons, D-Houston: member of House Appropriations and Public Health committees
Rep. Valoree Swanson, R-Spring: member of House Elections and Human Services committees
Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston: vice chair of House Licensing & Administrative Procedures committee; member of House State Affairs committee
Rep. Steve Toth, R-Conroe: member of House Elections and Environmental Regulation committees
Rep. Hubert Vo, D-Houston: vice chair of House Insurance committee; member of House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services committee
Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston: member of House Appropriations and Licensing & Administrative Procedures committees
Rep. Charlene Ward Johnson, D-Houston: member of House Culture, Recreation & Tourism and Higher Education committees
Rep Gene Wu, D-Houston: vice chair of House Criminal Jurisprudence committee; member of House Appropriations and Redistricting committees
- Member of House Juvenile Justice subcommittee
Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston: chair of Senate Local Government committee; member of Senate Education, Finance, State Affairs and Transportation committees
Sen. Molly Cook, D-Houston: member of Senate Administration, Health & Human Services and Local Government committees
Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe: chair of Senate Education committee; member of Senate Business & Commerce, Finance and Jurisprudence committees
Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston: chair of Senate Finance committee; member of Senate Criminal Justice committee
Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham: chair of Senate Health and Human Services committee; member of Senate Administration, Business & Commerce, Finance and Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs committees
Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston: vice chair of Senate Local Government committee; member of Senate Administration, Business & Commerce, Education, Jurisprudence and State Affairs committees
Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston: member of Senate Criminal Justice, Health & Human Services, Nominations and Transportation committees
Dallas-Fort Worth metro
Six DFW-area lawmakers will lead House committees this session, and two will lead Senate committees.
Rep. Rafael Anchía, D-Dallas: member of House Environmental Regulations and State Affairs committees
- Chair of House Telecommunications and Broadband subcommittee
Rep. Ben Bumgarner, R-Flower Mound: member of House Environmental Regulation and Pensions, Investments & Financial Services committees
Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Garland: chair of House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development committee; member of House Administration and Ways & Means committees
- Member of House Property Tax Appraisals subcommittee
- Member of House Property Tax Appraisals subcommittee
Rep. Aicha Davis, D-Dallas: member of House Higher Education and Human Services committees
Rep. Yvonne Davis, D-Dallas: member of House Land & Resource Management and State Affairs committees
Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth: chair of House Administration committee; member of House General Investigating, Licensing & Administrative Procedures and State Affairs committees
Rep. Jessica González, D-Dallas: member of House Insurance, Local & Consent Calendars and Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence committees
- Member of House Family and Fiduciary Relationships subcommittee
Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano: chair of House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence committee; member of House Calendars and Public Education committees
Rep. Mitch Little, R-Lewisville: member of House Criminal Jurisprudence and Transportation committees
Rep. John McQueeney, R-Fort Worth: member of House Licensing & Administrative Procedures and State Affairs committees
- Member of House Telecommunications & Broadband subcommittee
Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco: chair of House Local & Consent Calendars committee; member of House Licensing & Administrative Procedures and Transportation committees
- Member of House Transportation Funding subcommittee
Rep. Keresa Richardson, R-McKinney: member of House Human Services and Trade, Workforce & Economic Development committees
- Member of House International Relations subcommittee
Rep. Ramon Romero Jr., D-Fort Worth: member of House Calendars, Licensing & Administrative Procedures and Natural Resources committees
Rep. Toni Rose, D-Dallas: vice chair of House Calendars committee; member of House Appropriations and Human Services committees
Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth: member of House Corrections and Human Services committees
Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano: chair of House Elections committee; member of House Higher Education committee
Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood: chair of Senate Administration committee; member of Senate Finance, Health & Human Services, State Affairs and Veteran Affairs committees
Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills: chair of Senate Veteran Affairs committee; vice chair of Senate Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs committee; member of Senate Health & Human Services and Natural Resources committees
Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas: vice chair of Senate Jurisprudence committee; member of Senate Business & Commerce, Economic Development, Transportation and Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs committees
Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound: vice chair of Senate Criminal Justice and Veteran Affairs committees; member of Senate Education, Natural Resources and State Affairs committees
Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney: vice chair of Senate State Affairs committee; member of Senate Education, Finance, Local Government and Nominations committees
Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas: vice chair of Senate Transportation committee; member of Senate Education, Finance and Local Government Committees
