Texas Senate Recordings:

An Inventory of Senate Recordings at the Texas State Archives, 1972-2006, undated

Agency History — Texas Senate

The Texas Senate is one arm of the legislature of the state of Texas (the other being the Texas House of Representatives), which the Texas Constitution (Article III, Section 1) vests with all legislative power of the state. The primary legislative power is enacting laws, and the most visible function of the legislature is to make public policy through drafting, considering, and passing bills and resolutions. By virtue of office, the lieutenant governor is president of the Senate, with the right to debate and vote on questions in committee of the whole and the right to cast the deciding vote when the chamber is equally divided. The senate elects one of its members president pro tempore to perform the duties of the lieutenant governor during his or her absence or disability, or when the office is vacant. The 1876 Constitution fixes the number of senators at 31, elected from senatorial districts according to state constitutional guidelines to serve overlapping four-year terms. A senator must be at least 26 years old, a qualified voter, and a resident of Texas for at least five years and of the district represented for at least one year immediately preceding election.

In addition to legislative powers, the legislature exercises other types of authority. Constituent powers include the ability to alter the state constitution and the members' authority to exercise powers of attorney in behalf of their constituents. Directory and supervisory powers allow the legislature to regulate the state's administrative machinery, made up of boards, commissions, and departments that conduct the affairs of state. The legislature establishes and funds these bodies and defines their functions. Executive powers of each house include selection of legislative officers, employees, and chairs and members of committees. Investigative powers are exercised through the formation of standing, special, interim, and joint committees to study an issue. Senate committees are usually charged with a particular purpose by the lieutenant governor, although this may also be accomplished by a resolution adopted by the senate. Each legislative house holds judicial powers over its members, including punishing or expelling members for cause.

The legislature meets in regular session on the second Tuesday in January of odd-numbered years and in special sessions when convened by the governor. The length of the regular session is limited to 140 days. Special sessions are limited to 30 days, but the number of special sessions that may be called is not limited. Only legislative matters submitted by the governor may be considered in special session. All legislative sessions, except for the senate's executive session, are open. Neither house may, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days or move to a place other than where the legislature is sitting. Two-thirds of each house constitutes a quorum, the number of members required to conduct business. If a quorum is not present, a smaller number may vote to adjourn and compel absent members to attend. The senate is required to keep and publish a journal of its proceedings and to record the vote on any question on which three members who are present demand an actual count of yeas and nays.

The senate functions through committees set up under its own rules. By custom, the president of the senate appoints standing, special, and conference committees, although the senate is free to designate its own method of selection. Under the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1961, the committee system was expanded, and provisions were made whereby standing, special, and general investigating committees created by each body could function whether or not the legislature was in session. The senate has 16 standing committees: Administration, Agriculture, Business and Commerce, Criminal Justice, Education, Finance, Health and Human Services, Higher Education, Intergovernmental Relations, Natural Resources and Economic Development, Nominations, Property Tax, State Affairs, Transportation, Veteran Affairs and Border Security, and Water and Rural Affairs.

(Sources include: Guide to Texas State Agencies, 11th edition (2001); Legislative Reference Library of Texas, accessed September 22, 2020; and the records themselves.)

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Agency History — Senate Staff Services

The Texas Senate began to systematically record committee hearings and floor debates during the 4th Called Session (C.S.) of the 62nd Legislature (1972) and continues to the present day. Recordings from the 62nd 4th C.S. (1972) to the 79th (2006) are available through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Selected recordings from the 76th Legislature (1999) to present are available through Senate Staff Services.

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Scope and Contents of the Records

The Texas Senate is one arm of the Legislature of the State of Texas (the other being the Texas House of Representatives), which the Texas Constitution (Article III, Section 1) vests with all legislative power of the state. The Texas Senate began to systematically record its committee hearings and floor debates during the 4th Called Session (C.S.) of the 62nd Legislature (1972). These digital copies of the original Senate audiotape recordings contain floor debate, press conferences, speeches, interviews, hearings, ceremonies, and joint meetings with House committees. They span the 62nd Legislature, 4th Called Session, through the 79th Legislature, Interim Term.

The Texas Senate Recordings are located in the Texas Digital Archive. The Texas Senate Recordings search page allows searching of these recordings by legislative session, date, committee name, recording number, and keyword.

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

None.

Restrictions on Use

Commercial use of legislatively produced audio or visual material is limited (Texas Government Code, Section 306.006).

Most records created by Texas state agencies are not copyrighted. State records also include materials received by, not created by, state agencies. Copyright remains with the creator. The researcher is responsible for complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17 U.S.C.).

Technical Requirements

None.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

(Identify the item), Texas Senate recordings. Archives and Information Services Division, Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Accession Information

Accession number: 2020/030

Most of these digital audio recordings were created by an outside vendor hired by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission in 2013 with grant funding provided by the Library Services and Technology Act, Institute of Museum and Library Services. The recordings are digital copies of the original audiocassette tape recordings that were transferred to the Texas Legislative Reference Library by the Archives and Information Services Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission on December 6, 2019.

Processing Information

Processed by Tiffany Criswell, November 2019

DACS compliance and other revisions to description and encoding by Tiffany Criswell, August 2020

Restrictions on use updated by Tiffany Criswell, September 2020

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Other Finding Aids

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Detailed Description of the Records

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