House & Senate Rules and Precedents

The following links provide access to the rules of the Texas House and Senate, Congressional precedents, and information about other important sources.

Rules of the Texas Legislature | Congressional Rules and Precedents | Manuals of Parliamentary Procedure

Rules of the Texas Legislature

Legislature	House Rules	Senate Rules	Joint Rules	Other
88th R.S. (2023)	Rule Text	Rule Text		Summary of Proposed Changes to the Housekeeping Resolution and the House Rules
87th R.S. (2021)	Rule Text	Temporary Rule Text		Synopsis of Proposed Changes to the House Rules of Procedure Synopsis of Proposed Changes to the Housekeeping Resolution Summary of Proposed Changes to the House Rules
86th R.S. (2019)	Rule Text	Rule Text		Synopsis of Proposed Rule Changes to the House Rules Proposed House Rule Changes
85th R.S. (2017)	Rule Text	Rule Text
84th R.S. (2015)	Rule Text	Rule Text		Proposed House Rule Changes
83rd R.S. (2013)	Rule Text	Rule Text		Proposed House Rule Changes
82nd R.S. (2011)	Rule Text	Rule Text		Synopsis of Proposed Rule Changes to the House Rules
81st R.S. (2009)	Rule Text	Rule Text		Synopsis of Proposed Rule Changes to the House Rules
80th R.S. (2007)	Rule Text	Rule Text		Proposed House Rule Changes
79th R.S. (2005)	Rule text Index	Rule text Appendix Index		Proposed House Rule Changes
78th R.S. (2003)	Rule text Index	Rule text Appendix Index		Proposed House Rule Changes Synopsis of Proposed Changes to the House Rules of Procedure, 78th Legislature Synopsis of Proposed Changes to the Housekeeping Resolution, 78th Legislature
77th R.S. (2001)	Rule text	Rule text Appendix Index		Synopsis of Proposed Rule Changes to the House Rules Proposed House Rule Changes
76th R.S. (1999)	Rule text	Rule text Appendix Index		Synopsis of Proposed Rule Changes to the House Rules Proposed House Rule Changes
75th R.S. (1997)	Rule text	Rule text Appendix Index		Synopsis of Proposed Rule Changes to the House Rules Proposed House Rule Changes
74th R.S. (1995)	Rule text	Rule text Appendix		Synopsis of Proposed Rule Changes to the House Rules Proposed House Rule Changes
73rd R.S. (1993)	Rule text	Rule text Appendix		Synopsis of Proposed Rule Changes to the House Rules Proposed House Rule Changes
72nd R.S. (1991)	Rule text	Rule text Appendix		Synopsis of Proposed Rule Changes to the House Rules Proposed House Rule Changes
71st 4th C.S. (1990)		Rule text
71st R.S. (1989)	Rule text	Rule text Appendix Disposition table		Synopsis of Proposed Rule Changes to the House Rules Proposed House Rule Changes
70th R.S.(1987)	Rule text	Rule text Appendix		Synopsis of Proposed Rule Changes to the House Rules Proposed House Rule Changes
69th R.S. (1985)	Rule text	Rule text		Synopsis of Proposed Rule Changes to the House Rules Proposed House Rule Changes
68th R.S. (1983)	Rule text	Rule text		Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual Synopsis of Proposed Rule Changes Proposed House Rule Changes
67th R.S. (1981)	Rule text	Rule text		Notes on revision of the House rules Synopsis of House Rules Proposed House Rule Changes
66th R.S. (1979)	Rule text	Rule text		Proposed House Rule Changes
65th R.S. (1977)	Rule text	Rule text
64th R.S. (1975)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text
63rd R.S. (1973)	Rule text	Rule text Appendix Index	Rule text
62nd 4th C.S. (1972)		Rule text	Rule text
62nd 3rd C.S. (1972)		Rule text
62nd R.S. (1971)	Rule text	Rule text Appendix Index	Rule text
61st R.S. (1969)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index
60th R.S. (1967)				Important Changes in Legislative Procedure
59th R.S. (1965)				Important Changes in Legislative Procedure
58th R.S. (1963)	Rule text Index	Rule text Appendix Index	Rule text Index	Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual
57th R.S. (1961)	Rule text Index	Rule text Appendix Index	Rule text Index	Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual
56th R.S. (1959)	Rule text Index	Rule text Appendix Index	Rule text Index	Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual
55th R.S. (1957)	Rule text Index	Rule text Appendix Index	Rule text Index	Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual
54th R.S. (1955)	Rule text Index	Rule text Appendix Index	Rule text Index	Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual
53rd R.S. (1953)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual
52nd R.S. (1951)	Rule text Index	Rule text Appendix Index	Rule text Index	Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual
51st R.S. (1949)	Rule text Index	Rule text Appendix Index	Rule text Index	Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual
50th R.S. (1947)	Rule text Index	Rule text Appendix Index	Rule text Index	Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual
49th R.S. (1945)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual
48th R.S. (1943)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual
47th R.S. (1941)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual
46th R.S. (1939)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual
45th R.S. (1937)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text	Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual
44th R.S. (1935)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index Supplement to Senate Rules	Rule text
43rd R.S. (1933)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text
42nd R.S. (1931)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text	Foreword to the Texas Legislative Manual Important Changes in Legislative Procedure
41st R.S. (1929)	Rule text Index Precedents Index to Precedents	Rule text Index	Rule text
40th R.S. (1927)	Rule text Index Precedents Index to Precedents	Rule text Index	Rule text
39th R.S. (1925)	Rule text Index Precedents Index to Precedents	Rule text Index	Rule text
38th R.S. (1923)	Rule text Index Precedents Index to Precedents	Rule text Index	Rule text
37th R.S. (1921)	Rule text Index Precedents Index to Precedents	Rule text Index	Rule text
36th R.S. (1919)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text
35th R.S.(1917)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text
34th R.S. (1915)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text
33rd R.S. (1913)	Rule text Index Annotations Index to Annotations	Rule text Index	Rule text Index
32nd R.S. (1911)	Rule text Index Precedents	Rule text Rule text Index	Rule text Index
31st R.S. (1909)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text Index
30th R.S. (1907)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text Index
29th R.S. (1905)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text Index
28th R.S. (1903)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text Index
27th R.S. (1901)	Rule text Index	Rule text Index	Rule text Index
26th R.S. (1899)	Rule text	Rule text	Rule text
25th R.S. (1897)	Rule text	Rule text	Rule text
24th R.S. (1895)	Rule text		Rule text
23rd R.S. (1893)	Rule text		Rule text
22nd R.S. (1891)	Rule text	Rule text	Rule Text
21st R.S. (1889)	Rule text		Rule text
20th R.S. (1887)	Rule text	Rule text	Rule text Rule text and amendments
19th R.S. (1885)	Rule text		Rule text
18th R.S. (1883)	Rule text Precedents	Rule text	Rule text
17th R.S. (1881)	Rule text		Rule text
16th R.S. (1879)	Rule text Precedents	Rule text	Rule text	Impeachment Rules of the Senate
15th R.S. (1876)	Rule text	Rule text	Rule Text
14th R.S. (1874)		Rule text
13th R.S. (1873)	Rule text	Rule text	Rule text
12th R.S. (1871)	Rule text Revised rule text		Rule text
12th 1st C.S. (1870)		Rule text	Rule text
11th R.S. (1866)	Rule text		Rule text
6th R.S. (1855)	Rule text		Rule text
2nd R.S. (1847)		Rule text	Rule text
1st R.S. (1846)	Rule text	Rule text	Rule text

Sources include the Texas Legislative Manual, the House and Senate Journals, and rule documents published by the House or the Senate. For information on rule amendments during the course of a legislative session, see the House and Senate Journals.

Historical Rules of the Congress of the Republic of Texas

Standing rules for conducting business in the House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas. 1838.
Standing rules for conducting business in the House of Representatives of the Republic of Texas. 1843.

Congressional Rules and Precedents

Congressional Precedents and Rules are available online through the U.S. Government Printing Office's GPO Access web site.

House of Representatives

House Rules and Manual: Includes the rules of the United States House of Representatives, the United States Constitution, and selected provisions from Thomas Jefferson's Manual of Parliamentary Practice.
House Practice: The House Practice: A Guide to the Rules, Precedents and Procedures of the House is a guide to the rules and precedents governing the operation of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Hinds' Precedents: Compilation of the precedents of the United States House of Representatives, from the First Congress through 1907. Compiled by Asher C. Hinds, Clerk at the Speaker's Table of the U.S. House of Representatives and published in 1907.
Cannon's Precedents: Compilation of the precedents of the United States House of Representatives, from the 1908 through 1935. Compiled by Clarence Cannon, Clerk at the Speaker's Table of the U.S. House of Representatives and published in 1936.
Deschler's Precedents: Compilation of the precedents of the United States House of Representatives, from the 1936 through 1986. The first nine volumes were prepared by House Parliamentarian Lewis Deschler. Later volumes were compiled by Parliamentarian Emeritus William Holmes Brown and are called Deschler-Brown Precedents.

Senate

Senate Manual: Contains the Senate rules and related material, as well as copies of historical U.S. documents.
Riddick's Senate Procedure: Guide to practices and precedents of the U.S. Senate.

Manuals of Parliamentary Procedure

Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure: Manual of parliamentary procedure originally authored by Paul Mason, former Secretary of the California Senate. It is now produced by the National Conference of State Legislatures in cooperation with the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries. Mason's Manual is designed specifically to address the needs and concerns of state legislative bodies.
Robert's Rules of Order: Handbook of parliamentary procedure intended for civic organizations. First published by Henry Martyn Robert in 1876 as Pocket Manual of Rules of Order for Deliberative Assemblies. The fourth edition, published in 1915, is available online. Currently in its tenth edition, Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised is available in the library.