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Key Players

Governor’s Office of Budget, Planning, and Policy (GOBPP): The Budget, Planning, and Policy Division advises the Governor regarding state fiscal matters in support of his statutory role as Texas’ chief budget officer. The division also:

  • Prepares the Governor’s biennial budget recommendations to the Legislature;
  • Monitors state appropriations and operations;
  • Analyzes fiscal and economic issues; and
  • Performs other duties determined by the Governor.

House Appropriations Committee (HAChac): This committee has jurisdiction in the House over all appropriations, allocations, and diversions of money from the state treasury; and is responsible for drafting the House version of the budget.

House Research Organization (HRO): The House Research Organization is a nonpartisan source of impartial information on legislation and issues considered by the Texas House. The HRO is an independent administrative department of the Texas House of Representatives. It is governed by a broadly representative steering committee of 15 House members elected by the House membership to set policy for the organization, approve its budget, and ensure that its reports are objective.

During legislative sessions, the HRO publishes the Daily Floor Report, which includes analyses of all legislation, except local and consent bills scheduled for floor debate on the daily House calendar. Each bill analysis consists of a digest of the bill’s provisions, background, arguments for and against, and additional pertinent information.

Year-round, the House Research Organization produces research reports on a wide range of issues affecting state government. Focus reports provide a thorough examination of particular issues, such as tort reform or electric utility deregulation. Interim Newsreports provide a brief review of topics of current interest. State Finance Reports take an in-depth look at the state budget process. After each regular session, the HRO prepares a Major Issues report reviewing the significant legislation considered during the session, a summary of the state budget, a report on the governor’s vetoes, and an analysis of any proposed constitutional amendments submitted for voter approval.

Principal funding for the HRO comes from the House of Representatives, supplemented by subscription income from state agencies, the Capitol press corps, businesses, law firms, and others.

Legislative Budget Board (LBB): The Legislative Budget Board (LBB) is a permanent joint committee of the Texas Legislature that develops budget and policy recommendations for legislative appropriations for all agencies of state government, as well as completes fiscal analyses for proposed legislation. The LBB also conducts evaluations and reviews for the purpose of identifying and recommending changes that improve the efficiency and performance of state and local operations and finances. The board consists of the Lt. Governor, Speaker of the House, four members from the Texas House and four members from the Texas Senate.

The following is a summary of significant responsibilities assigned by statute to the LBB:

  • Adopt a constitutional spending limit (Section 316, Government Code; Article 8, Section 22, Texas Constitution);
  • Prepare a General Appropriations Bill draft (Section 322.008(a), Government Code);
  • Prepare a budget estimates document (Section 322.011(c), Government Code);
  • Guide, review, and finalize agency strategic plans (Section 2056, Government Code);
  • Prepare fiscal notes, impact statements (Section 314, Government Code); and
  • Take necessary budget execution actions (Section 317, Government Code).

Office of the Governor: Texas’ governor makes policy recommendations that lawmakers in both the state House and Senate may sponsor and introduce as bills. The governor also appoints the Secretary of State, as well as members of boards and commissions who oversee the heads of state agencies and departments.

The constitutional and statutory duties of the Governor include:

  • Signing or vetoing bills passed by the Legislature.
  • Serving as commander-in-chief of the state’s military forces.
  • Convening special sessions of the Legislature for specific purposes.
  • Delivering a report on the condition of the state to the Legislature at the beginning of each regular session.
  • Estimating of the amounts of money required to be raised by taxation.
  • Accounting for all public monies received and paid out by him and recommending a budget for the next two years.
  • Granting reprieves and commutations of punishment and pardons upon the recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Paroles and revoking conditional pardons.
  • Declaring special elections to fill vacancies in certain elected offices.
  • Appointing qualified Texans to state offices that carry out the laws and direct the policies of state government. Some of these offices are filled by appointment only. Others are ordinarily elected by the people, but the governor must occasionally appoint individuals to fill vacancies. The governor also appoints Texans to a wide range of advisory bodies and task forces that assist him with specific issues.

Senate Finance Committee (SFC): This committee has jurisdiction in the Senate over all appropriations, allocations, and diversions of money from the state treasury; and is responsible for drafting the Senate version of the budget.

Senate Research Center (SRC): The Senate Research Center provides research, analysis, and legislative assistance to the Texas Senate and Office of the Lieutenant Governor. During legislative sessions, SRC prepares analyses of all the bills that pass through the Senate.

State Auditor’s Office (SAO): The State Auditor’s Office (SAO) is the independent auditor for Texas state government. The SAO operates with oversight from the Legislative Audit Committee, a six-member permanent standing committee of the Texas Legislature, jointly chaired by the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The SAO is authorized, by Chapter 321, Texas Government Code, to perform audits, reviews, and investigations of any entity receiving state funds, including state agencies and higher education institutions. Audits are performed in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards, which include standards issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Types of audits the SAO performs include financial statement opinion audits, financial audits, compliance audits, economy and efficiency audits, effectiveness audits, and other special audits. The SAO may also perform reviews, which are less rigorous than audits and do not follow auditing standards, but provide a certain degree of assurance to decision makers. Investigations are performed whenever there is evidence of fraud or abuse of state resources.

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts: The Texas Comptroller is the state’s chief financial officer. The Comptroller manages the state’s treasury operations to monitor Texas’ fiscal health, guides legislative decision makers by estimating state revenues, and ensures state taxes are collected fairly and efficiently to fund vital programs and services for the people of Texas. The Comptroller also manages the state’s fiscal transparency initiatives.

Texas House of Representatives: There are 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives elected for two-year terms in even-numbered years.

The speaker of the House is the presiding officer, elected by a majority of House members. The speaker appoints chairs and members of all House committees, and refers all bills to a committee. All legislation raising revenue must originate in the House.

Texas Senate: There are 31 members of the Texas Senate.  Each senator serves a four-year term, with one-half of the Senate membership elected every two years.

As presiding officer of the Senate, the lieutenant governor is officially called the President of the Senate. The lieutenant governor is elected by a statewide popular vote to serve a four-year term of office. The lieutenant governor is not a member of the Senate, and votes only in case of a tie. The lieutenant governor appoints all chairs and members of Senate committees, and refers all bills to committee. The lieutenant governor also schedules most bills for consideration on the Senate floor.