Texas constitution

Article 1: bill of rights

Section 1 - Texas is a free and independent State, subject only to...

Section 2 - All political power is inherent in the people, and all...

Section 3 - All free men, when they form a social compact, have...

Section 3a - Equality under the law shall not be denied or abridged...

Section 4 - No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification...

Section 5 - No person shall be disqualified to give evidence in any...

Section 6 - All men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship...

Section 7 - No money shall be appropriated, or drawn from the Treasury...

Section 8 - Every person shall be at liberty to speak, write or...

Section 9 - The people shall be secure in their persons, houses, papers...

Section 10 - In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall have a speedy...

Section 11 - All prisoners shall be bailable by sufficient sureties, unless for...

Section 11a - (2) "Sexual offense" means: (A) aggravated sexual assault; (B) sexual...

Section 11b - Any person who is accused in this state of a...

Section 11c - The legislature by general law may provide that any person...

Section 12 - The writ of habeas corpus is a writ of right,...

Section 13 - Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed,...

Section 14 - No person, for the same offense, shall be twice put...

Section 15 - The right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate. The...

Section 15a - No person shall be committed as a person of unsound...

Section 16 - No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, retroactive law,...

Section 17 - (d) When a person's property is taken under Subsection (a)...

Section 18 - No person shall ever be imprisoned for debt.

Section 19 - No citizen of this State shall be deprived of life,...

Section 20 - No citizen shall be outlawed. No person shall be transported...

Section 21 - No conviction shall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture of...

Section 22 - Treason against the State shall consist only in levying war...

Section 23 - Every citizen shall have the right to keep and bear...

Section 24 - The military shall at all times be subordinate to the...

Section 25 - No soldier shall in time of peace be quartered in...

Section 26 - Perpetuities and monopolies are contrary to the genius of a...

Section 27 - The citizens shall have the right, in a peaceable manner,...

Section 28 - No power of suspending laws in this State shall be...

Section 29 - To guard against transgressions of the high powers herein delegated,...

Section 30 - (e) The legislature may enact laws to provide that a...

Section 31 - (c) The legislature may provide by law that money in...

Section 32 - (b) This state or a political subdivision of this state...

Section 33 - (d) This section does not create a private right of...

Article 2: power of government

Section 1 - The powers of the Government of the State of Texas...

Article 3: legislative department

Section 1 - The Legislative power of this State shall be vested in...

Section 2 - The Senate shall consist of thirty-one members. The House of...

Section 3 - The Senators shall be chosen by the qualified voters for...

Section 4 - The Members of the House of Representatives shall be chosen...

Section 5 - (c) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), either House may determine its order...

Section 6 - No person shall be a Senator, unless he be a...

Section 7 - No person shall be a Representative, unless he be a...

Section 8 - Each House shall be the judge of the qualifications and...

Section 9 - (c) Each House shall choose its other officers.

Section 10 - Two-thirds of each House shall constitute a quorum to do...

Section 11 - Each House may determine the rules of its own proceedings,...

Section 12 - (d) Each house shall make each record vote required under...

Section 13 - (b) The legislature may provide by general law for the...

Section 14 - Senators and Representatives shall, except in cases of treason, felony,...

Section 15 - Each House may punish, by imprisonment, during its sessions, any...

Section 16 - The sessions of each House shall be open, except the...

Section 17 - Neither House shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn...

Section 18 - No Senator or Representative shall, during the term for which...

Section 19 - No judge of any court, Secretary of State, Attorney General,...

Section 20 - No person who at any time may have been a...

Section 21 - No member shall be questioned in any other place for...

Section 22 - A member who has a personal or private interest in...

Section 23 - If any Senator or Representative remove his residence from the...

Section 24 - (c) In addition to the per diem the Members of...

Section 24a - (f) At each general election for state and county officers...

Section 25 - The State shall be divided into Senatorial Districts of contiguous...

Section 26 - The members of the House of Representatives shall be apportioned...

Section 27 - Elections for Senators and Representatives shall be general throughout the...

Section 28 - The Legislature shall, at its first regular session after the...

Section 30 - No law shall be passed, except by bill, and no...

Section 31 - Bills may originate in either House, and, when passed by...

Section 32 - No bill shall have the force of a law, until...

Section 33 - All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House...

Section 34 - After a bill has been considered and defeated by either...

Section 35 - (c) A law, including a law enacted before the effective...

Section 36 - No law shall be revived or amended by reference to...

Section 37 - No bill shall be considered, unless it has been first...

Section 38 - The presiding officer of each House shall, in the presence...

Section 39 - No law passed by the Legislature, except the general appropriation...

Section 40 - When the Legislature shall be convened in special session, there...

Section 41 - In all elections by the Senate and House of Representatives,...

Section 43 - (b) In this section, "revision" includes a revision of the...

Section 44 - The Legislature shall provide by law for the compensation of...

Section 45 - The power to change the venue in civil and criminal...

Section 46 - (d) A fee to which this section applies may take...

Section 47 - (e) The Legislature by general law may authorize the State...

Section 48e - Laws may be enacted to provide for the establishment and...

Section 48f - The legislature, by law, may provide for the creation, operation,...

Section 49 - (g) State debt that is created or issued as provided...

Section 49a - (b) Except in the case of emergency and imperative public...

Section 49b - (w) The Veterans' Land Board may provide for, issue, and...

Section 49c - (i) All Texas Water Development Bonds shall after approval by...

Section 49d - (d) The Legislature shall provide terms and conditions for the...

Section 49d-1 - (b) The Texas Water Development Fund shall be used for...

Section 49d-2 - The Texas Water Development Board may issue Texas Water Development...

Section 49d-3 - (b) Money deposited in a special fund created under this...

Section 49d-4 - (g) Unless authorized to continue by a two-thirds vote of...

Section 49d-5 - For the purpose of any program established or authorized by...

Section 49d-6 - The legislature may require review and approval of the issuance...

Section 49d-7 - (b) The legislature may provide by law for subsidized loans...

Section 49d-8 - (h) The Texas Water Development Fund II, including any account...

§ 49d-9 - (c) A limitation on the percentage of state participation in...

Section 49d-10 - (b) Section 49-d-8(e) of this article applies to the bonds...

Section 49e - (g) All bonds issued hereunder shall after approval by the...

Section 49f - (g) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) of this section, the proceeds of...

(text of section as added by acts 1987, 70th leg., r.S., h.J.R. 2.) - (p)

Section 49h - (1) new statewide law enforcement facilities and for major repair...

Section 49i - (d) Bonds authorized under this section constitute a general obligation...

Section 49j - (1) the bonds or agreements are backed by insurance or...

Section 49k - (j) The collection and deposit of the amounts required by...

Section 49l - (d) The bonds and notes authorized under this section constitute...

Section 49m - (b) Notes issued or a loan obtained under this section...

(text of section as added by acts 2003, 78th leg., r.S., h.J.R. No. 28.) - (c) Any dedication or appropriation of revenue to the credit...

(text of section as added by acts 2003, 78th leg., r.S., s.J.R. No. 55.) - (e) Bonds and notes authorized under this section are a...

Section 49o - (i) The collection and deposit of the amounts required by...

Section 49p - (d) Bonds issued under this section, after approval by the...

Article 4: executive department

Section 1 - The Executive Department of the State shall consist of a...

Section 2 - All the above officers of the Executive Department (except Secretary...

Section 3 - The returns of every election for said executive officers, until...

Section 3a - If, at the time the Legislature shall canvass the election...

Section 4 - The Governor elected at the general election in 1974, and...

Section 5 - The Governor shall, at stated times, receive as compensation for...

Section 6 - During the time he holds the office of Governor, he...

Section 7 - He shall be Commander-in-Chief of the military forces of the...

Section 8 - (b) The Governor shall convene the Legislature in special session...

Section 9 - The Governor shall, at the commencement of each session of...

Section 10 - He shall cause the laws to be faithfully executed and...

Section 11 - (b) In all criminal cases, except treason and impeachment, the...

Section 11a - The Courts of the State of Texas having original jurisdiction...

Section 11b - (b) The legislature by law may authorize the appointment of...

Section 12 - (j)

Section 13 - During the session of the Legislature the Governor shall reside...

Section 14 - Every bill which shall have passed both houses of the...

Section 15 - Every order, resolution or vote to which the concurrence of...

Section 16 - (d) If the Governor refuses to serve or becomes permanently...

Section 17 - (c) The President pro tempore of the Senate shall, during...

Section 18 - The Lieutenant Governor or President pro tempore of the Senate...

Section 19 - There shall be a Seal of the State which shall...

Section 20 - All commissions shall be in the name and by the...

Section 21 - There shall be a Secretary of State, who shall be...

Section 22 - The Attorney General shall represent the State in all suits...

Section 23 - The Comptroller of Public Accounts, the Commissioner of the General...

Section 24 - An account shall be kept by the officers of the...

Section 25 - The Legislature shall pass efficient laws facilitating the investigation of...

Section 26 - (b) The terms of office of Notaries Public shall be...

Article 5: judicial department

Section 1 - The Legislature may establish such other courts as it may...

Section 1(a) - (14) The Legislature may promulgate laws in furtherance of this...

Section 2 - (c) Said Justices shall be elected (three of them each...

Section 3 - (b) The Supreme Court shall also have power, upon affidavit...

Section 3(b) - The Legislature shall have the power to provide by law,...

Section 3(C) - (b) The supreme court and the court of criminal appeals...

Section 4 - (b) For the purpose of hearing cases, the Court of...

Section 5 - (c) Subject to such regulations as may be prescribed by...

Section 5(a) - The Supreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals, and each Court...

Section 5(b) - The Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals may...

Section 6 - (c) All constitutional and statutory references to the Courts of...

Section 7 - (e)The Legislature shall also provide for the holding of District...

Section 7(a) - (i) The legislature, the Judicial Districts Board, or the Legislative...

Section 8 - The District Court shall have appellate jurisdiction and general supervisory...

Section 9 - There shall be a Clerk for the District Court of...

Section 10 - In the trial of all causes in the District Courts,...

Section 11 - And the District Judges may exchange districts, or hold courts...

Section 12 - (b) An indictment is a written instrument presented to a...

Section 13 - Grand and petit juries in the District Courts shall be...

Section 14 - (b) The legislature shall enact laws to exclude from serving...

Section 15 - There shall be established in each county in this State...

Section 16 - When the judge of the County Court is disqualified in...

Section 17 - The County Court shall hold terms as provided by law....

Section 18 - (h) The commissioners court of a county may declare the...

Section 19 - Justice of the peace courts shall have original jurisdiction in...

Section 20 - There shall be elected for each county, by the qualified...

Section 21 - A County Attorney, for counties in which there is not...

Section 23 - There shall be elected by the qualified voters of each...

Section 24 - County Judges, county attorneys, clerks of the District and County...

Section 26 - The State is entitled to appeal in criminal cases, as...

Section 28 - (b) A vacancy in the office of County Judge or...

Section 29 - The County Court shall hold at least four terms for...

Section 30 - The Judges of all Courts of county-wide jurisdiction heretofore or...

Section 31 - (d) Notwithstanding Section 1, Article II, of this constitution and...

Article 6: suffrage

Section 1 - (b) The legislature shall enact laws to exclude from the...

Section 2 - (c) The privilege of free suffrage shall be protected by...

Section 2a - (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution, the Legislature...

Section 3 - All qualified voters of the State, as herein described, who...

Section 3a - When an election is held by any county, or any...

Section 4 - In all elections by the people, the vote shall be...

Section 5 - Voters shall, in all cases, except treason, felony or breach...

Article 7: education

Section 1 - A general diffusion of knowledge being essential to the preservation...

Section 2 - All funds, lands and other property heretofore set apart and...

Section 2a - (f) This section is self-executing.

Section 2b - (d)

Section 2c - (c) This section is self-executing.

Section 3 - (e) The Legislature shall be authorized to pass laws for...

Section 3b - No tax for the maintenance of public free schools voted...

Section 4 - The lands herein set apart to the Permanent School fund,...

Section 4b - (b) A law enacted under this section must provide that...

Section 5 - (h) Expired.

Section 6 - All lands heretofore, or hereafter granted to the several counties...

Section 6a - All agriculture or grazing school land mentioned in Section 6...

Section 6b - Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 6, Article VII, Constitution of...

Section 8 - The Legislature shall provide by law for a State Board...

Section 10 - The legislature shall as soon as practicable establish, organize and...

Section 11 - In order to enable the Legislature to perform the duties...

Section 11a - This amendment shall be self-enacting, and shall become effective upon...

Section 11b - Notwithstanding any other provision of this constitution, in managing the...

Section 12 - The land herein set apart to the University fund shall...

Section 13 - The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, established by an...

Section 14 - Prairie View A&M University in Waller County is an institution...

Section 15 - In addition to the lands heretofore granted to the University...

Section 16 - All land mentioned in Sections 11, 12, and 15 of...

Section 16a - The Legislature shall fix by law the terms of all...

Section 17 - (l) This section is self-enacting upon the issuance of the...

Section 18 - (j) This section is self-enacting on the issuance of the...

Section 19 - (e) To the extent this section conflicts with any other...

Section 20 - (h) An eligible state university may use distributions from the...

Article 8: taxation and revenue

Section 1 - (j-1) Expired.

Section 1-a - The several counties of the State are authorized to levy...

Section 1-b - (p) The legislature by general law may provide that a...

Section 1-b-1 - Repealed November 2, 1999.

Section 1-C - Repealed November 2, 1999.

Section 1-D - (g) The valuation and assessment of any minerals or subsurface...

Section 1-D-1 - (b) If a property owner qualifies his land for designation...

Section 1-e - No State ad valorem taxes shall be levied upon any...

Section 1-f - (2) authorizing political subdivisions to grant exemptions or other relief...

Section 1-g - (2) use proceeds from the bonds or notes to finance...

Section 1-h - Section 26.03, Tax Code, is validated as of January 1,...

Section 1-j - (d) The governing body of a political subdivision, in the...

Section 1-k - The legislature by general law may exempt from ad valorem...

Section 1-L - (c) This section does not authorize the exemption from ad...

Section 1-M - The legislature by general law may authorize a taxing unit...

Section 1-n - (e) (Added Nov. 6, 2001; expired Jan. 1, 2003.)

Section 1-o - (B) January 1 of the first tax year in which...

Section 2 - (e) The Legislature by general law may provide that a...

Section 3 - Taxes shall be levied and collected by general laws and...

Section 4 - The power to tax corporations and corporate property shall not...

Section 5 - Repealed November 2, 1999.

Section 6 - No money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in...

Section 7 - The Legislature shall not have power to borrow, or in...

Section 7-a - Subject to legislative appropriation, allocation and direction, all net revenues...

Section 7-b - All revenues received from the federal government as reimbursement for...

Section 8 - All property of railroad companies shall be assessed, and the...

Section 9 - (f) This Section shall not be construed as a limitation...

Section 10 - The Legislature shall have no power to release the inhabitants...

Section 11 - All property, whether owned by persons or corporations shall be...

Section 12 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 13 - (e) The former owner of real property not covered by...

Section 14 - (c) An assessor-collector of taxes shall hold office for four...

Section 15 - The annual assessment made upon landed property shall be a...

Section 16 - Repealed November 6, 2001.

Section 16-a - Repealed November 6, 2001.

Section 17 - The specification of the objects and subjects of taxation shall...

Section 18 - (d) The Legislature shall prescribe by general law the methods,...

Section 19 - Farm products, livestock, and poultry in the hands of the...

Section 19-a - Implements of husbandry that are used in the production of...

Section 20 - No property of any kind in this State shall ever...

Section 21 - (c) The legislature by general law shall require that, subject...

Section 22 - (c) In no case shall appropriations exceed revenues as provided...

Section 23 - (b) Administrative and judicial enforcement of uniform standards and procedures...

Article 9: counties

Section 1 - (2) No part of any existing county shall be detached...

Section 1-a - Should the Legislature enact legislation in anticipation of the adoption...

Section 2 - The Legislature shall pass laws regulating the manner of removing...

Section 3 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 4 - The Legislature may by law authorize the creation of county-wide...

Section 5 - (f) Notwithstanding the provisions of Article IX of this constitution,...

Section 6 - Repealed November 2, 1999.

Section 7 - Repealed on November 5, 2013.

Section 8 - (c) Should the Legislature enact enabling laws in anticipation of...

Section 9 - (3) satisfying the debts and bond obligations, if any, of...

Section 9a - The legislature by law may determine the health care services...

Section 9b - The legislature by general or special law may provide for...

Section 11 - (c) If such tax is authorized, no political subdivision or...

Section 12 - (h) An additional county or counties may be added to...

Section 13 - Notwithstanding any other section of this article, the Legislature in...

Section 14 - Each county in the State may provide, in such manner...

Article 10: railroads

Section 1 - Repealed august 5, 1969.

Section 2 - Railroads heretofore constructed or which may hereafter be constructed in...

Sections 3-9 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Article 11: municipal corporations

Section 1 - The construction of jails, court-houses and bridges and the laying...

Section 3 - No county, city, or other municipal corporation shall hereafter become...

Section 4 - Cities and towns having a population of five thousand or...

Section 5 - (b) To increase efficiency and effectiveness to the greatest extent...

Section 6 - Repealed November 2, 1999.

Section 7 - (b) To increase efficiency and effectiveness to the greatest extent...

Section 8 - The counties and cities on the Gulf Coast being subject...

Section 9 - The property of counties, cities and towns, owned and held...

Section 10 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 11 - (c) Any vacancy or vacancies occurring on such governing body...

Section 12 - The legislature by general law may authorize a city or...

Section 13 - (b) This section applies to laws enacted by the 70th...

Article 12: private corporations

Section 1 - No private corporation shall be created except by general laws.

Section 2 - General laws shall be enacted providing for the creation of...

Section 3 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 4 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 5 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 6 - Repealed November 2, 1993.

Section 7 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Article 13: spanish and mexican land titles -

Article 14: public lands and land office

Section 1 - There shall be one General Land Office in the State,...

Sections 2-8 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Article 15: impeachment

Section 1 - The power of impeachment shall be vested in the House...

Section 2 - Impeachment of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Commissioner of...

Section 3 - When the Senate is sitting as a Court of Impeachment,...

Section 4 - Judgment in cases of impeachment shall extend only to removal...

Section 5 - All officers against whom articles of impeachment may be preferred...

Section 6 - Any judge of the District Courts of the State who...

Section 7 - The Legislature shall provide by law for the trial and...

Section 8 - The Judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and...

Section 9 - (b) If the legislature is not in session when the...

Article 16: general provisions

Section 1 - (c) Members of the Legislature, the Secretary of State, and...

Section 2 - Laws shall be made to exclude from office persons who...

Section 3 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 4 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 5 - Every person shall be disqualified from holding any office of...

Section 6 - This subsection does not prohibit state agencies authorized to render...

Section 7 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 8 - Redesignated as Sec. 14, Art. IX, Nov. 6, 2001.

Section 9 - Absence on business of the State, or of the United...

Section 10 - The Legislature shall provide for deductions from the salaries of...

Section 11 - The Legislature shall have authority to define interest and fix...

Section 12 - No member of Congress, nor person holding or exercising any...

Section 13 - For an office for which this constitution requires an election,...

Section 13a - For an office of a political subdivision for which this...

Section 14 - All civil officers shall reside within the State; and all...

Section 15 - All property, both real and personal, of a spouse owned...

Section 16 - (f) A bank may not be considered a branch or...

Section 17 - (b) Following the expiration of a term of an appointive...

Section 18 - Repealed.

Section 19 - Repealed November 6, 2001.

Section 20 - (d) The legislature may enact laws and direct the Alcoholic...

Section 21 - All stationery, printing, fuel used in the legislature and departments...

Section 22 - Repealed November 6, 2001.

Section 23 - The Legislature may pass laws for the regulation of live...

Section 24 - The Legislature shall make provision for laying out and working...

Section 25 - That all drawbacks and rebatement of insurance, freight, transportation, carriage,...

Section 26 - Every person, corporation, or company, that may commit a homicide,...

Section 27 - In all elections to fill vacancies of office in this...

Section 28 - (2) spousal maintenance.

Section 29 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 30 - (d) The Legislature by general or special law may provide...

Section 30a - The Legislature may provide by law that the Board of...

Section 30b - Wherever by virtue of Statute or charter provisions appointive offices...

Section 31 - The Legislature may pass laws prescribing the qualifications of practitioners...

Section 32 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 33 - The accounting officers in this State shall neither draw nor...

Section 34 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 35 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 36 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 37 - Mechanics, artisans and material men, of every class, shall have...

Section 38 - Repealed Aug. 5, 1969.

Section 39 - The Legislature may, from time to time, make appropriations for...

Section 40 - (d) No member of the Legislature of this State may...

Section 41 - Any person who shall, directly or indirectly, offer, give, or...

Section 42 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 43 - Repealed November 6, 2001.

Section 44 - (c) The Commissioners Court of a county may call an...

Section 45 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 46 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 47 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 48 - All laws and parts of laws now in force in...

Section 49 - The Legislature shall have power, and it shall be its...

Section 50 - (3) the lender or holder may not unilaterally amend the...

Section 51 - The homestead, not in a town or city, shall consist...

Section 52 - On the death of the husband or wife, or both,...

Section 53 - Repealed November 2, 1999.

Section 54 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 55 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 56 - Repealed November 6, 2001.

Section 57 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 58 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 59 - (f) A conservation and reclamation district created under this section...

Section 60 - Repealed August 5, 1969.

Section 61 - (e) All Notaries Public, county surveyors and public weighers shall...

Section 62 - Repealed April 22, 1975.

Section 63 - Repealed April 22, 1975.

Section 64 - The elective district, county, and precinct offices which have heretofore...

Section 65 - (b) If any of the officers named herein shall announce...

Section 65a - Repealed November 6, 2001.

Section 66 - (3) the exemption is the only issue relating to the...

Section 67 - (g) If the legislature provides for a fire fighters' pension...

Section 68 - The legislature may provide for the advancement of food and...

Section 69 - The legislature may require, by rider in the General Appropriations...

Section 70 - Added November 8, 1988; expired September 1, 2008.

Section 71 - (d) Bonds authorized under this section constitute a general obligation...

Section 72 - (h) In this section, "armed forces of the United States"...

Section 73 - The state may contribute money, property, and other resources for...

Article 17: mode of amending the constitution of this state

Section 1 - (c) The election shall be held in accordance with procedures...