Terms of Service

• Senate, 62nd ⁽³⁾ Legislature
  1/12/1971 - 1/9/1973
  Democrat
  
• Senate, 61st & 60th ⁽²⁾ Legislatures
  1/10/1967 - 1/12/1971
  Democrat
  
• House, 59th ⁽¹⁾ Legislature
  1/12/1965 - 1/10/1967
  Democrat
  

(1) Sworn 1/3/1965. Oaths of Office .
(2) 60th Legislature - Drawing for Terms of Office, 1/11/1967, p. 19. Drew 4-year term. Senate Journal .
(3) 2-year term; entire Senate went up for reelection in 1972 due to redistricting. Texas Constitution Art. III, §3, Election and term of office of Senators .

Biographical Notes and Resources

Resolutions and Journal entries

• 80th Legislature, R.S., SR 370. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary .
• 62nd Legislature, R.S., SR 565. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary .
• 61st Legislature, R.S., SR 1067. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary .
• 85th Legislature, R.S., SR 330. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary .
• 86th Legislature, R.S., HR 1730. Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary .
• United States Army, Sergeant, World War II, "served as an infantryman in Manila and Tokyo with the Headquarters Squadron, Pacific Air Command." Resolutions - Congratulatory and Honorary .

Photographs

• Photograph. Joe J. Bernal, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Joe J. Bernal, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Joe J. Bernal, State Preservation Board
• Photograph. Joe J. Bernal, State Preservation Board

Other Resources

• Mentioned in TEJANO POLITICS. Listed among the Tejanos who served in the Texas House and Senate. Handbook of Texas Online .
• Mentioned in MEXICAN AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS article. Handbook of Texas Online .
• Photos and biographical information included in LRL collection, 796.35709764 SM 2016. Mexican American Baseball in South Texas 2016.
• Photo and biographical sketch. Senate Hispanic Research Council .
• Biographical sketch included in Tejano Struggle for Representation 2004.
• United States Army. Photo and salute. With Honor and Gratitude: A Special Thank You to Our Texas Senate Members Who Served Our Country 2017.

Committee Information

• 62nd R.S. - 1971
• Constitutional Amendments  
• County, District and Urban Affairs  
• Education  
• Federal Programs and Relations (Chair) 
• Human Resources  
• Intergovernmental Relations  
• Interstate Cooperation  
• Legislative, Congressional and Judicial Districts  
• Military and Veterans Affairs  
• Privileges and Elections (Vice Chair) 
• Public Health  
• Public Junior Colleges, Interim (Chair) 
• State Departments and Institutions  
• State Departments and Institutions Subcommittee on Construction of the Bauer House for the Chancellor at the University of Texas at Austin  
• Youth Affairs  
• 61st R.S. - 1969
• Claims (Chair) 
• Commerce and Industry  
• Education  
• Insurance  
• Interstate Cooperation  
• Jurisprudence  
• Nominations  
• Oil and Gas  
• Pipeline  
• Preschool Education Standards  
• State Departments and Institutions (Vice Chair) 
• Urban Affairs  
• Water and Conservation  
• 60th R.S. - 1967
• Education  
• Finance  
• Jurisprudence  
• Labor and Management Relations  
• Oil and Gas  
• Poverty in Texas (Chair) 
• Public Health (Vice Chair) 
• Slums and Slum Clearance  
• State Affairs  
• Vocational-Technical Education  
• Water and Conservation  
• 59th R.S. - 1965
• Congressional and Legislative Districts  
• Education  
• Liquor Regulation  
• Military and Veterans' Affairs  
• School Districts