Tex. Const. art. III, § 3 · Article 3. LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT
ELECTION AND TERM OF OFFICE OF SENATORS.
Text — Current through the amendments approved by voters in November 2025
The Senators shall be chosen by the qualified voters for the term of four years; but a new Senate shall be chosen after every apportionment, and the Senators elected after each apportionment shall be divided by lot into two classes. The seats of the Senators of the first class shall be vacated at the expiration of the first two years, and those of the second class at the expiration of four years, so that one half of the Senators shall be chosen biennially thereafter. Senators shall take office following their election, on the day set by law for the convening of the Regular Session of the Legislature, and shall serve thereafter for the full term of years to which elected.
Notes and commentary — not constitutional text
History
(Feb. 15, 1876. Amended Nov. 8, 1966, and Nov. 2, 1999.) (TEMPORARY TRANSITION PROVISIONS for Sec. 3: See Appendix, Note 1.)
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the amendments approved by voters in November 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CN/htm/CN.3.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 7c8e13b505fbf2807aaad3cd4ac13b32f88641a256ddd268619360bc56aa3ad0
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.