In Texas, the House Rules (Rule 8, Section 7) and the Senate Rules (Rule 7.04(a)) allow legislators to prefile bills "beginning the first Monday after the general election preceding the next regular legislative session."
Prefiling for the 89th Texas Legislature began on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. A total of 1,511 bills and resolutions were filed in the House and Senate on November 12, a record number for the first day of the prefiling period.
Below are statistics comparing all bills and resolutions filed during the prefiling period for the 71st Legislature (1989) to the 89th Legislature (2025).
For a general overview of bill prefiling, see our previous blog post, Bill Prefiling FAQs.
Tuesday, January 14, 2025, is the first day of the 89th Texas Legislature.
Friday, March 14, 2025, is the deadline for the unrestricted filing of bills and joint resolutions other than local bills, emergency appropriations, and emergency matters submitted by the governor.
