For Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, his first time assigning senators to each of the 14 Senate committees was a bit like the NFL draft and involved charting assignments on a whiteboard.

The 84th Legislature will have the large undertaking of considering which of several thousand bills to approve. To assist with that process each chamber utilizes committees tasked with considering legislation on specific issues.

"That's where everything happens," Patrick said.

The 31 senators typically sit on four to five committees, which mostly have between seven and 11 members. Patrick has sole discretion for making committee assignments in the Senate and released his assignments Jan. 23. He used his knowledge of being a senator to provide insight into determining assignments and also asked each senator his or her preferences.

"You try to put people on committees where they have interest and passion," Patrick said.

The Senate has 14 committees with one subcommittee on border security, which is a decrease from 18 committees during the 83rd Legislature. Once he assigns bills to committees, Patrick said he lets chairmen and chairwomen lead. This session he appointed the first woman, Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, to chair the finance committee. Patrick also reduced the number of Democrats serving as chairmen and chairwomen from six to two.

Patrick said he considered a senator's experience and subject knowledge in making appointments for committee chair.

"The chairman has all the power," he said. "They decide which bills to hear. They decide which bills are voted out. They decide who the invited expert witnesses are. A chairman has to be decisive."

In the House of Representatives, seniority plays a significant role in determining some of the committee placements. Members who have served the longest get first pick, and House Speaker Rep. Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, appoints the remainder of the assignments. This is Straus' fourth time to make committee assignments as speaker.

The House has 38 committees and two select or special committees Straus created for this session. Each of the 150 House members sit on at least one committee with most serving on two or three committees. Committees typically have between seven to 11 members. House committees are each assigned different subject matters to determine which bills it considers. In making the committee assignments, Straus said he considers the demographic and geographic makeup of the House to ensure balance.

"It's impossible to make it exactly balanced and to make it exactly perfect, but we do our best to please the members and put them in positions where we think they can be effective," Straus said.

This session brought the challenge of appointing new chairmen and chairwomen to committees because many members either did not run for re-election or ran for other offices, Straus said. This allowed him to effect change in leadership.

"It's good not to be too stagnant and a good signal to the public that we have versatile members, and they can handle a wide variety of challenges," Straus said.



House committees

Below is a selection of six of the 38 House committees, topics they discuss and top issues this session. For more information or to watch live feeds of meetings visit www.house.state.tx.us.

  • Appropriations: approves the budget. Top issues: Employee retirement system, border security, transportation and education.



  • Meetings: Frequently in Room E1.030

  • Economic & Small Business Development: workforce training, commerce and economy. Top issues: economic development incentive programs. Meetings: Thursdays at 8 a.m. in Room E2.010

  • Higher Education: colleges and universities in the state. Top issues: funding capital projects and addressing the medical profession shortage.



  • Meetings: Wednesdays at 8 a.m. in Room E2.014

  • Public Education: public school system, the State Board of Education and Texas Education Agency.



  • Meetings: Tuesdays at 2 p.m. in Room E2.036

  • Public Health: the practice of medicine and dentistry, prevention and treatment of mental illness and the overall protection of public health.



  • Meetings: Tuesdays at 8 a.m. in Room E2.012

  • Transportation: roads, bridges, ports, the Texas Department of Transportation and Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Top issues: funding the state's growing transportation needs.



  • Meetings: Thursdays at 8 a.m. in Room E2.012


Senate committees

Below is a selection of six of the 14 Senate committees, topics they discuss and top issues this session. For more information or to watch live feeds of meetings visit www.senate.state.tx.us.

  • Business and Commerce: insurance, banking, real estate, construction and licensing. Top issues: Payday loans and windstorm insurance. Meetings: Tuesdays at 9 a.m. in Room E1.012

  • Education: Primary and secondary education. Top issues: Early childhood education, school finance and school choice.



  • Meetings: Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. in Room E1.028

  • Finance: Approves the budget and addresses tax revenue bills. Meetings: Frequently in Room E1.036

  • Health & Human Services: Agencies and policies related to health and human services, such as Child Protective Services. Top issues: improve response to infectious diseases and mental health. Meetings: Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. in Senate Chamber

  • Higher Education: gaps in higher education, impact of technology on instruction, alignment between high school and freshman-level college.



  • Meetings: Wednesdays at 8 a.m. in Room E1.012

  • Transportation: roads, public transit, railroads, ports, the Texas Department of Transportation and Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Top issues: use of motor vehicle sales tax for state highways



  • Meetings: Wednesdays at 8 a.m. in Room E1.016