LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE LIBRARY

Tex. GOV'T Code ch. 324
in effect

Tex. GOV'T Code § 324.001. DEFINITIONS.

In this chapter: (1) "Library" means the Legislative Reference Library. (2) "Board" means the Legislative Library Board. (3) "Director" means the director of the library. (4) "Legislative entity" means a member of the legislature, the lieutenant governor, an officer of the house or senate, or a legislative committee, department, or office, but does not include a legislative agency created by Subtitle C, Title 3. (5) "Legislative record" means a record, including a state record or archival state record, created by a legislative entity. The term includes records described by Section 324.008 (b). (6) "State record" and "archival state record" have the meanings assigned by Section 441.180 .

Tex. GOV'T Code § 324.004. LEGISLATIVE LIBRARY BOARD.

(a) The board controls and administers the library. (b) The board consists of: (1) the lieutenant governor; (2) the speaker of the house of representatives; (3) the chairman of the house appropriations committee; (4) two members of the senate appointed by the lieutenant governor; and (5) one other member of the house appointed by the speaker. (c) Members of the board serve without compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in attending meetings and performing official functions. (d) Actual and necessary expenses are paid from funds appropriated to the board.

Tex. GOV'T Code § 324.005. DIRECTOR.

(a) The board shall appoint a director to serve at the pleasure of the board. (b) The board shall set the salary of the director.

Tex. GOV'T Code § 324.006. PERSONNEL.

(a) The director, with the approval of the board, may employ professional and clerical personnel. (b) The board shall set the salaries of the personnel employed by the director.

Tex. GOV'T Code § 324.007. DUTIES.

(a) The library shall be maintained for the use and information of members of the legislature, heads of state departments, and citizens of this state. (b) The library shall contain, as may best be made available for legislative use, the following items: (1) checklists and catalogues of current legislation in this and other states; (2) catalogues of bills and resolutions presented in either house of the legislature; (3) checklists of public documents in each state; (4) checklists of all reports issued by each department, agency, board, or commission of this state; (5) digests of public laws of this and other states; (6) legislative records; and (7) other items designated by the board or the director. (c) The director and library employees shall provide any assistance requested by a member of the legislature in researching, analyzing, evaluating, and preparing bills and resolutions. (d) The board shall adopt rules necessary to ensure the library's efficient operation.

Tex. GOV'T Code § 324.008. DEPOSIT AND MANAGEMENT OF DOCUMENTS.

(a) The library is a depository library as defined by Section 441.101 and shall receive state documents and publications from other states distributed by the Texas State Library. (b) Each printed daily legislative journal, bill, resolution, or other legislative document shall be delivered daily to the library. (c) At the close of each legislative session, each daily legislative journal, bill, or resolution possessed by the senate or house sergeant at arms shall be delivered to the library to be managed as a legislative record under Section 324.0085 . (d) The governing body of a state agency, as defined by Sections 2151.002 (1) and (3), shall deliver to the library and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission immediately after transcription a certified copy of the minutes of any meeting of the governing body. Any changes or corrections to the minutes shall also be delivered to the library and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1312 (S.B. 59 ), Sec. 25, eff. September 1, 2013. Text of section as added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1250 (H.B. 4181 ), Sec. 28 For text of section as added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 533 (H.B. 1962 ), Sec. 1, see other Sec. 324.0085.

Tex. GOV'T Code § 324.009. GIFTS AND GRANTS.

(a) The board may accept gifts, grants, and donations from any organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code for the purpose of funding any activity under this chapter. (b) All gifts, grants, and donations must be accepted in an open meeting by a majority of the voting members of the board and reported in the public record of the board with the name of the donor and purpose of the gift, grant, or donation. Added by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 617, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.

Tex. GOV'T Code § 324.010. COPY COSTS; FORMAT.

The library has exclusive authority to determine the charge for copies or reproduction of records in the custody of the library. The library may reproduce records in a format such as CD-ROM, another computer-readable format, or any other format determined by the library and provide records in that format for a charge determined by the library. Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 428, Sec. 6, eff. Aug. 30, 1993.

Tex. GOV'T Code § 324.0085. LEGISLATIVE RECORDS.

(a) The library is the depository for any record created or received by the office of a member of the legislature or the lieutenant governor during that official's term of office. (b) The legislative entity that transferred records to the library retains ownership and legal custody of those records, including records placed in a depository outside the library. The legislative entity may retrieve the records for the legislature's use. The director and library employees shall assist the legislative entity with retrieval of the records and shall return the records to the library following the legislature's use. (c) The director shall protect privileged or confidential legislative records held by the library from public disclosure at the direction of the legislative entity that transferred the records to the library. (d) The director shall receive requests under Chapter 552 for legislative records held by the library and respond as directed by the officer for public information of the legislative entity that transferred the records to the library. The director shall notify the appropriate officer for public information as soon as practicable after receiving a request described by this subsection. Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 533 (H.B. 1962 ), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019.

Tex. GOV'T Code § 324.0086. PLACEMENT IN OTHER DEPOSITORY.

(a) A member of the legislature may apply to the board to place records that were created or received by the member's office during the member's term in a depository other than the library. (b) The board shall: (1) create a list of preapproved depositories in which members of the legislature may place records of their legislative offices; and (2) by rule adopt policies and procedures to approve additional depositories. (c) The director is responsible for the preservation of records described by Subsection (a) placed in a depository other than the library. Ownership and legal custody of the records remain with the legislature as provided by Section 324.0085 . The records may not be intermingled with other holdings of the institution that serves as a depository. Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 533 (H.B. 1962 ), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019. Added by Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1250 (H.B. 4181 ), Sec. 28, eff. June 14, 2019.
Source: TX Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Fetched: 6/29/2026

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