The Texas Legislature convenes every two years at the Capitol in Austin. This year, the 85th Regular Session of the Legislature begins on January 10th, 2017. The Regular Session lasts for 140 days and ends on May 29th, 2017. The library often receives questions from Texans about the Legislature, pending bills and resolutions, and related issues, so we've put together a list of resources below that might be helpful.

• Who Represents Me? — if you don't know who your state representative or state senator is, use this tool to find his or her contact information
• Texas Legislature Online — the Legislature's website lets you see a list of bills that have been filed, the status of bills, links you to the House and Senate committees' websites, video broadcasts of committee hearings, and calendars for the House, Senate, and committees
• Texas Legislative Council — the Legislative Council's website offers many publications that can help you understand the legislative process such as the House and Senate rules; we also link to some of their publications through our catalog such as the Guide to Texas Legislative Information, Reading Statutes and Bills, and the Council's Legislative Drafting Manual

It can be difficult to understand certain aspects of the legislative process, so if you have questions, don't hesitate to Ask a Librarian!