Overview
The Texas Legislative Council is a legislative agency that provides legal services to state legislators and to the Texas Legislature as a whole.
Established in 1949 under Texas Government Code Chapter 323, the council operates as one of five legislative branch agencies, alongside the Legislative Budget Board, State Auditor’s Office, Legislative Reference Library, and Sunset Advisory Commission.
Advisory Functions
The Legislative Council employs staff attorneys who assist legislators in researching and drafting proposed legislation. This work is generally confidential and subject to attorney-client privilege. The bill-drafting process is exempt from the usual requirements of Texas public information law.
In addition to bill drafting, attorneys for the Legislative Council help lawmakers prepare other legislative documents, including resolutions, floor amendments, committee amendments, bill substitutes, conference committee reports, and legal memoranda.
During the legislative process, the council provides legal analyses and side-by-side comparisons of different versions of bills to help lawmakers assess the impact of proposed legislation.
IT and Information Services
The Legislative Council also provides information technology support to the Legislature, including internal calendaring, bill tracking tools, and management of the legislative intranet. It offers printing and document production services for use by both chambers.
Public-facing publications produced by the council include the Texas Legislative Handbook, Guide to Texas Legislative Information, and post-census district population reports. These resources are available online at tlc.texas.gov.
Role in Redistricting
During redistricting, the Legislative Council supplies data, mapping, and digital services to create demographic profiles and boundary maps for legislative, congressional, and judicial districts. It also supports court-ordered redistricting efforts and provides online access to redistricting maps and datasets for public use.
Governing Body
The Legislative Council describes itself as a nonpartisan agency that serves as a source of impartial research and information. However, it remains under the control of the Texas Legislature and its leadership.
The governing body of the council consists of the lieutenant governor (leader of the Senate), the speaker of the House of Representatives, six senators appointed by the lieutenant governor, the chairman of the House Administration Committee, and five other members of the House appointed by the speaker.
Except for the lieutenant governor and the speaker, members serve terms that end with the convening of the next regular legislative session. During a regular session, the lieutenant governor and the speaker jointly act as the council’s governing body.
