Texas Model Senate

About the Texas Senate

There are 31 Senate Districts, each with about 940,000 people. 

The Texas Model Senate is made up of mostly college students, nonprofit professionals or educators.  

Part of the Texas Model General Assembly

The Model Texas Senate, along with the Model Texas House of Representatives, compose the model legislative branch of the model state government. Combined, the two bodies form the Texas Model Legislature.

Sessions

Third Monday after the first Tuesday in June, the Texas Model General Legislature convenes.

Membership & Rules

The Senate consists of 31 members elected from 31 districts, which are apportioned on a one-person, one-vote basis. Each Senate district (based on Academy for Public Service Districts) has an average population of 940,000, according to the 2020 census.  Parliamentary procedure is guided by the Senate Rules.

A Senate Member must be at least 26 years old to serve, a resident of Texas for five years, and a resident of his or her district for one year. Members of the Senate serve four-year terms. In the Academy for Public Service, each House member must be at least 15 years old. Each Senate member must be at least 18 years old. 

The Texas Lieutenant Governor presides over the body, however, the President Pro-Tempore presides over the Senate in the absences of the Lieutenant Governor. and is elected every two years by the membership.  In Texas, the Lieutenant Governor is a voting member of the Senate. The president takes the chair every day the Senate is in session and preserves order and decorum, allowing all sides of an issue the opportunity to speak or act on legislation. The president announces how many votes are needed to pass a bill, as required by the state Constitution, certifying all measures passed, assigning committee leadership, and naming members to select committees.  The President Pro-Tempore is also in charge of overseeing all Senate management functions during sessions and during the interim between sessions.

The President Pro-Tempore also appoints a leadership team, which includes the Secretary of the Senate who manages day to day affairs of the Senate. The President Pro-Tempore may also appoint senators from each of the Senate's four caucus districts to serve as Assistant Pro Tempore who assist in leadership duties.

Voting

The actual Senate utilizes a role call voting system. To vote, the Secretary of the Senate calls the name of each senator.  Once the votes have been made and recorded, the votes are displayed on a large electronic board at the front of the Senate Chamber and are counted at the Senate President's desk. Names in green signals a "yes" vote, names in red signals a "no" vote, names in yellow  signals a "present vote". Names in white signals "not voting".

An official record of the tabulations is placed into journals, which become the permanent record of Senate proceedings. In the Academy for Public Service, the Model Secretary of State maintains the journals.