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ThePublic Policy Project on Ballotpedia aims to illuminate major policy issues being discussed and implemented throughout the United States. Public policy can be complicated and controversial; deciding what works best and how to allocate resources to achieve a policy goal can involve multiple trade-offs. Much of the public policy that affects citizens economically, legally and socially, is made at the state level. Below you will find links and introductions to all theTexas public policy articles onBallotpedia. To see the policy overview of another state click on themap below.

For a list of all public policy articles onBallotpedia seehere.

Budget Policy

Budget and finances

InTexas, as in other states, lawmakers and public officials are elected in part to manage the state's finances. This includes generating revenues (money coming into the state from various sources) and approving expenditures (the money spent on governmental functions and servicingstate debt). State budgets are complex and fluid, as they depend on anticipated revenues and planned expenditures, which may alter over the course of a fiscal year. If revenues do not keep pace with expenditures, states generally have to raise taxes, cut services, borrow money, or a combination of the three. State budget decisions are also influenced by policy decisions at the national level, such as theAffordable Care Act or energy and environmental regulations, and issues at the local level, such as crime and the quality of education.

Taxes

Texas generates the bulk of its tax revenue by levying a generalsales tax and select sales taxes (otherwise known as excise taxes). The state derives its constitutional authority to tax fromArticle 8 of the state constitution.^[2][3]

Tax policy can vary from state to state. States levy taxes to help fund the variety of services provided by state governments. Tax collections comprise approximately 40 percent of the states' total revenues. The rest comes from non-tax sources, such as intergovernmental aid (e.g., federal funds), lottery revenues and fees. The primary types of taxes levied by state governments include personal income tax, general sales tax, excise (or special sales) taxes and corporate income tax.^[4]

Civil Liberties Policy

Affirmative action

Affirmative action in Texas refers to the steps taken by employers and universities inTexas to increase the proportions of historically disadvantaged minority groups at those institutions. Historically, affirmative action nationwide has taken many different forms, such asstrict quotas, extra outreach efforts, and racial and gender preferences. However, racial quotas in university admissions were banned in a 1978United States Supreme Court case,Regents of the University of California v. Bakke.^[5]

On June 29, 2023, theSupreme Court reversed lower court decisions inStudents for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College andStudents for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina, effectively ending the use of affirmative action in college admissions.

As of March 2015, 109 out of 577 public four-year universities across the country reported that they considered race in admissions. This practice has been banned in eight states. Meanwhile, 28 states require affirmative action plans in either public employment or apprenticeships. Affirmative action programs that grant racial preferences have come under scrutiny in the courts for potentially violating the Equal Protection Clause of theFourteenth Amendment andTitle VII of the Civil Rights Act.^[6][7]

The following information details the use of affirmative action in universities and employment in Texas, as well as notablecourt cases originating in the state.

The effects of affirmative action policies are contested. Proponents argue that affirmative action diversifies selective institutions and provides more opportunities to minorities. Opponents argue that implementing policies that favor some groups requires discrimination against others and that these policiesmay harm individuals they are meant to help.

Campaign finance

Campaign finance requirements govern how much money candidates and campaigns may receive from individuals and organizations, how they must report those contributions, and how much individuals, organizations, and political parties may contribute to campaigns. In addition to direct campaign contributions, campaign finance laws also apply to third-party organizations andnonprofit organizations that seek to influence elections throughindependent expenditures orissue advocacy.

This page providesbackground on campaign finance regulation, listscontribution limits to state candidates and ballot measures inTexas,compares contribution limits to gubernatorial and state legislative candidates in Texas with those from other states, and details thecandidate reporting requirements in Texas.

The information on this page pertains to candidates for state office and state ballot measures. Candidates for federal office are subject to federal campaign finance law. Candidates for local office are subject to all applicable state laws as well as any separate local campaign finance regulations.^[8]

Background

Seal of the United StatesFederal Election Commission

TheFederal Election Commission (FEC) is the independent regulatory agency that administers and enforces federal campaign election laws. The FEC is responsible for disclosing campaign finance information, enforcing limits and prohibitions on contributions, and overseeing public funding of presidential elections.^[9] According to the FEC, an individual becomes a federal candidate and must begin reporting campaign finances once he or she has either raised or spent $5,000 in his or her campaign. Within fifteen days of this benchmark, the candidate must register with the FEC and designate an official campaign committee, which is responsible for the funds and expenditures of the campaign. This committee must have an official treasurer and cannot support any candidate but the one who registered it. Detailed financial reports are then made to the FEC every financial quarter after the individual is registered. Reports are also made before primaries and before the general election.^[10]

TheSupreme Court of the United States has issued a number of rulings pertaining to federal election campaign finance regulations. In the 2010Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision, the court held that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited. The court's decision also overturned the ban on for-profit and not-for-profit corporations and unions broadcasting electioneering communications in the 30 days before a presidential primary and in the 60 days before a general election.^[11] In theSpeechNOW.org v. Federal Election Commission decision, the first application of theCitizens United decision, the court held that contribution limits on what individuals could give to independent expenditure-only groups, and the amount these organizations could receive, were unconstitutional. Contribution limits on donations directly to candidates, however, remained unchanged.^[12][13] In 2014'sMcCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission decision, the court overturned biennial aggregate campaign contribution limits, and held that individuals may contribute to as many federal candidates as they want, but may only contribute up to the federal limit in each case.^[14]

While the FEC governs federal election campaigns and contribution limits, individual states enforce their own regulation and reporting requirements. Regulations vary by state, as do limits on campaign contributions and third-party activities to influence elections. Candidates for local office must follow any applicable state and local campaign finance regulations.

Contribution limits

The table below details contribution limits as they applied to various types of individuals and groups in Texas as of August 2025. The uppermost row of the table indicates the contributor, while the leftmost column indicates the recipient.

State comparisons in the 2024 elections

See also:State-by-state comparison of campaign finance requirements

Candidate reporting requirements

Seal of Texas

See statutes:Title 15 of the Texas Election Code

A candidate for statewide office, thestate legislature, state board of education, or district attorney (multi-county district) must file campaign finance reports with theTexas Ethics Commission. The candidate must file an Appointment of a Campaign Treasurer by a Candidate Form (Form CTA) with the Texas Ethics Commission when he or she becomes a candidate even if he or she does not intend to accept campaign contributions or make campaign expenditures.^[16]

After a candidate has filed a form appointing a campaign treasurer, the candidate is responsible for filing periodic reports of contributions and expenditures. Filing reports is the responsibility of the candidate, not the campaign treasurer. A candidate may not accept a campaign contribution or make a campaign expenditure unless he or she has a campaign treasurer appointment on file with the Texas Ethics Commission.^[16]

A report must disclose all political contributions accepted and expenditures made during the reporting period.^[16]

• If a contributor contributes $110 or less during the reporting period, contributions from that contributor may be disclosed as part of a lump sum. For other contributions, the candidate must disclose the name and address of the contributor, the date of the contribution, and, for in-kind contributions, the nature and value of the contribution.^[16]
• A candidate must report any campaign expenditure (regardless of whether it is made from political contributions or from personal funds) and any political expenditure (campaign or officeholder) from political contributions (regardless of whether the expenditure is a political expenditure).^[16]

Required reports

The candidate must file the following reports with theTexas Ethics Commission electronically unless the candidate is entitled to claim the exemption from electronic filing.

• Report After Appointment of a Campaign Treasurer: The candidate must file a report after filing a campaign treasurer appointment. This report of contributions and expenditures is due no later than 15 days after the campaign treasurer appointment was filed. This report is required even if there is no activity to report.^[16]
• Personal Financial Statement: A candidate must file a financial statement no later than the 60th day after the date of the regular filing deadline for an application for a place on the ballot in the March primary election or February 12, whichever is later.^[16]
• Semiannual Reports: Every candidate and every officeholder is required to file reports of contributions and expenditures by January 15 and July 15 of each year. The candidate must file semiannual reports even if there is no activity to report for the period covered.^[16]
• Final Report: If a candidate expects to accept no further political contributions and to make no further political expenditures and if the filer expects to take no further action to get elected to a public office, the candidate may file a final report. Filing a final report terminates a candidate's campaign treasurer appointment and relieves the filer from any additional filing obligations as a candidate.^[16]

Campaign finance legislation

The table below displays bills related to campaign finance introduced during or carried over to Texas' current legislative session.^[17]

Election and campaign ballot measures

See also:Elections and campaigns on the ballot andList of Texas ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked 17 statewide ballot measures relating to elections and campaigns.

1. Texas Proposition 15, Elections for County Surveyors Amendment (1993)
2. Texas Proposition 18, Local Elections With Unopposed Candidates Amendment (September 2003)
3. Texas Proposition 9, Legislative Vacancies Amendment (2001)
4. Texas Proposition 6, Appointment of Presidential Electors Amendment (2001)
5. Texas Proposition 8, State and Local Elections with Unopposed Candidates Amendment (September 2003)
6. Texas Proposition 8, Voting Requirements Amendment (1966)
7. Texas Proposition 2, Election of Railroad Commissioners Amendment (1894)
8. Texas Proposition 1, Poll Tax Payment Amendment (1902)
9. Texas Proposition 7, Qualifications to Vote on Bond Issues Amendment (1932)
10. Texas Proposition 1, Military Poll Tax Exemption Amendment (August 1945)
11. Texas Proposition 4, Poll Tax and Voter Registration Amendment (1949)
12. Texas Proposition 1, Poll Tax Repeal Amendment (1963)
13. Texas Proposition 7, Poll Tax Repeal Amendment (1966)
14. Texas Proposition 14, Voting in the Armed Forces Amendment (1966)
15. Texas Proposition 3, Voter and Election Constitutional Provisions Amendment (1975)
16. Texas Proposition 8, State Debt Ballot Questions Amendment (1991)
17. Texas Proposition 1, Voting in Different Precincts Amendment (July 1915)

Election administration agencies

Election agencies

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also:State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Texas can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Texas County Clerks

Click here for a list

Texas Secretary of State, Elections Division

Physical Address: James E. Rudder Building

1019 Brazos St.

Austin, Texas 78701

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 12060

Austin, Texas 78711-2060

Phone: 512-463-5650

Toll free: 1-800-252-8683

Fax: 512-475-2811

Email:elections@sos.texas.gov

Website:http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/

Texas Ethics Commission

Physical Address: Sam Houston Building

201 East 14th St., 10th Floor

Austin, Texas 78701

Mailing Address: P. O. Box 12070

Austin, Texas 78711-2070

Phone: 512-463-5800

Email:reception@ethics.state.tx.us

Website:https://www.ethics.state.tx.us

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

Phone: 301-563-3919

Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

Email:clearinghouse@eac.gov

Website:https://www.eac.gov

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

1050 First Street, NE

Washington, DC 20463

Telephone: (202)-694-1100

Toll-free: 1-800-424-9530

Email:info@fec.gov

Website:http://www.fec.gov/

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the termsTexas campaign finance. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also

• Campaign finance regulation
• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Texas
• Texas
• Texas Ethics Commission

Footnotes

	v • e State ofTexas Austin (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? |Elections in 2025 |How to vote |How to run for office |Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? |U.S. President |U.S. Congress |Federal courts |State executives |State legislature |State and local courts |Counties |Cities |School districts |Public policy

Nonprofit regulation

Nonprofit regulation in Texas involves a complex set of rules that governnonprofit organizations and charitable giving throughout the state. Major issues surrounding nonprofit regulation nationwide include the following:

• contribution limits,
• donor disclosure, and
• the redefinition ofissue advocacy.

Texas is one of11 states that do not require charitable organizations, or those intending to solicit on their behalf,to register with the state in order to solicit contributions, whether they are a Texas organization or based out-of-state.^[1]

Education Policy

K-12 Public education

TheTexas public school system (prekindergarten through grade 12) operates within districts governed by locally elected school boards and superintendents. In 2022, Texas had 5,156,972 students enrolled in a total of 8,161 schools in 1,022 school districts. There were 344,362 teachers in the public schools, or roughly one teacher for every 15 students, compared to the national average of 1:16. In 2020, Texas spent on average $10,342 per pupil.^[4] The state's graduation rate was 90 percent in the 2018-2019 school year.^[5]

Higher education

Texas' higher education system is composed of 268 colleges and universities. Of these, 107 are public institutions, 73 are nonprofit private schools, and 88 are for-profit private institutions.^[6]

School choice

School choice is a term that refers to programs offering alternatives to assigned local public school options. Public school choice options include open enrollment policies,magnet schools, andcharter schools. Other options includeschool vouchers, scholarship tax credits, and education savings accounts (ESAs).^[7][8]

Proponents argue that school choice programs improve educational outcomes by expanding opportunity and access for historically disadvantaged students. In addition, advocates claim that school choice programs empower parents and improve traditional public schools through competition. Critics contend that these programs divert funds from traditional public schools, thereby generating unequal outcomes for students. In addition, some critics argue that school voucher programs wrongly direct tax dollars to religious organizations, which operate many private schools.

Charter schools

Charter schools in Texas are public schools operated independently of public school systems, either by nonprofit or for-profit organizations. Although they are largely publicly funded, charter schools are exempt from many of the requirements imposed by state and local boards of education regarding hiring and curriculum. As public schools, charter schools cannot charge tuition or impose special entrance requirements; students are usually admitted through a lottery process if demand exceeds the number of spaces available in a school. Charter schools generally receive a percentage of the per-pupil funds from the state and local school districts for operational costs based on enrollment. In most states, charter schools do not receive funds for facilities or start-up costs; therefore, they must rely to some extent on private donations. The federal government also provides revenues through special grants. As of March 2017, 44 states and the District of Columbia had approved legislation authorizing the creation of public charter schools. Six states had not.

Election Policy

Ballot access requirements

In order to get on the ballot in Texas, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines.These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Texas. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates,click here. Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contactstate election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

Redistricting

Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Each of Texas' 38 United States Representatives and 181 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.^{[9][10][11][12]}

Texas was apportioned 38 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, two more than it received after the 2010 census. Click here for more information aboutredistricting in Texas after the 2020 census.

Voting

Election Information
2026 election and voting dates
Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times
Time off work for voting
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
Select a state from the menu below to learn more about its voting policies.
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The policies governing voter participation are enacted and enforced primarily at the state level. These policies, which includevoter identification requirements,early voting provisions,online voter registration systems, and more, dictate the conditions under which people cast their ballots in their respective states.

This article includes the following information about voting policies in Texas:

• Voter registration details, including deadlines and eligibility requirements.
• In-person voting details, including identification requirements, poll times, and early voting provisions.
• Absentee/mail-in voting deadlines and rules.
• Details aboutvoting rules for people convicted of a felony.
• Contact information forelection agencies.

Click here for more information about election administration in the state, including voter list maintenance policies, provisional ballot rules, post-election auditing practices, and additional election policy context.

For information on elections happening this year,click here.

Do you have questions about your elections? Looking for information about your local election official? Clickhere to use U.S. Vote Foundation’s election official lookup tool.

Energy Policy

Energy information

Energy policy involves governmental actions affecting the production, distribution, and consumption of energy in a state. Energy policies are enacted and enforced at the local, state, and federal levels and may change over time. These policies include legislation, regulation, taxes, incentives for energy production or use, standards for energy efficiency, and more. Stakeholders include citizens, politicians, environmental groups, industry groups, and think tanks. A variety of factors can affect the feasibility of federal and state-level energy policies, such as availablenatural resources, geography, and consumer needs.

Fracking

Texas overlies portions of the Anadarko Basin, the Palo Duro Basin, the Permian Basin, the Barnett Shale, the Eagle Ford Shale, and the Haynesville-Bossier Shale. As of February 2017, Texas had 279,615 active oil and gas wells. As of May 2017, however, the state did not track the number of wells that were hydraulically fractured. According to the Texas Railroad Commission, fracking began in Texas in the 1950s.^{[13][14][15][16]}

The map to the left shows oil and natural gas fields in Texas as of May 2017. The map in the center shows all oil and gas wells in the state as of January 2016.

Oil and natural gas fields in Texas as of May 2017 (click to enlarge)

Map of oil and gas wells in Texas as of January 2016 (click to enlarge)

Map legend

Environmental Policy

Environmental information

Environmental policy aims to conserve natural resources by balancing environmental protection with economic growth, property rights, public health, and energy production. Federal, state, and local government entities develop and implement environmental policies through laws and regulations. This page features information about environmental policy inTexas.

Endangered species

Endangered species policy in Texas involves the identification and protection ofendangered and threatened animal and plant species. Policies are implemented and enforced by both the state and federal governments.

Finance Policy

Financial regulation information

The United States financial system is a network that facilitates exchanges between lenders and borrowers. The system, which includes banks and investment firms, is the base for all economic activity in the nation. According to theFederal Reserve, financial regulation has two main intended purposes: to ensure the safety and soundness of the financial system and to provide and enforce rules that aim to protect consumers. The regulatory framework varies across industries, with different regulations applying to different financial services.^[17]

Individual federal and state entities have different and sometimes overlapping responsibilities within the regulatory system. For example, individual states and three federal agencies—the Federal Reserve, the Office of Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and theFederal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)—regulate commercial banks. Other sectors of the financial market are regulated by specific entities.^[18][19]

Some, such as theBrookings Institution, argue that expanded governmental regulation of banks and financial products (e.g., mortgages) can prevent large-scale financial crises, protect consumers from abusive practices, and stabilize financial markets. Others, such as theCato Institute, argue that over-regulation of banks of banks and financial products burdens business, stalls economic growth, and does little, if anything, to stabilize financial markets. Beyond this basic debate about the role of the government in regulating the private financial sector, there are varying opinions about the proper extent of governmental regulation.^[20][21]

Healthcare Policy

Healthcare information

Healthcare policy in Texas involves thecreation and implementation of laws, rules, and regulations for managing the state's healthcare system. The healthcare system consists of services provided by medical professionals to diagnose, treat, and prevent mental and physical illness and injury. The system also encompasses a wide range of related sectors, such asinsurance,pharmaceuticals andhealth information technology.

According to theNational Conference of State Legislatures, the 50 state legislatures collectively "make thousands of health policy decisions each year," not including the decisions made by local governments, which often oversee hospitals, and private bodies, such as insurers. These decisions can include budget appropriations, requirements for doctors obtaining their licenses, which services are covered by insurance, how personal health information is managed, and which immunizations children must receive, among many others.^[22]

Healthcare policy affects not only the cost citizens must pay for care, but also their access to care and the quality of care received, which can influence their overall health. A top concern for policymakers is therising cost of healthcare, which has placed an increasing strain on the disposable income of consumers as well as onstate budgets.

Other issues in healthcare policy include

• stateMedicaid expansion,
• health information technology and privacy,
• uninsured and underinsured portions of the population,
• a shortage of primary care physicians, and
• mental healthcare access and coverage.

Medicaid spending

Texas'Medicaid program provides medical insurance to groups of low-income people and individuals with disabilities. Medicaid is a nationwide program jointly funded by the federal government and the states. Medicaid eligibility, benefits, and administration are managed by the states within federal guidelines. A program related to Medicaid is theChildren's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which covers low-income children above the poverty line and is sometimes operated in conjunction with a state's Medicaid program. Medicaid is a separate program fromMedicare, which provides health coverage for the elderly.

Effect of the Affordable Care Act

Theimpact of theAffordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA), also known as Obamacare, has been debated among politicians, policymakers, and other stakeholders. The ACA was signed into law in 2010 by PresidentBarack Obama (D). The law facilitated the purchase of health insurance through a system ofhealth insurance exchanges, tax credits, and subsidies. Initially, states were required to expand eligibility for Medicaid under the law; a 2012 ruling by the United States Supreme Court made the Medicaid expansion voluntary for states. The law also required insurers to cover healthcare services within a standard set of benefits and prohibited coverage denials based on preexisting conditions. Under the law, all individuals were required to obtain healthinsurance.

Immigration Policy

Immigration information

Immigration policy determines who may become a new citizen of the United States or enter the country as a temporary worker, student, refugee, or permanent resident. The federal government is responsible for setting and enforcing most immigration policy.

Meanwhile, states assume a largely supportive role, enacting their own supplementary laws and setting policies that may, for example, determine which public services immigrants can access, establish employee screening requirements, or guide the interaction between related state agencies and their federal counterparts.

Some jurisdictions, including some states, cities, and counties, have adopted policies of not cooperating with federal immigration enforcement; these jurisdictions have become known assanctuary jurisdictions.

Pension Policy

Public pensions

Texaspublic pensions are the state mechanism by which state and many local government employees in Texas receive retirement benefits.

There were 135 public pension systems in Texas as of 2020. Of these, seven were state-level programs while the remaining 128 were administered at the local level. Membership in Texas' various pension systems totaled 2,878,068, as of fiscal year 2020. Of these, 1,429,935 were active members.^[23]

Public policy in other states

Footnotes

	v • e State ofTexas Austin (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? |Elections in 2025 |How to vote |How to run for office |Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? |U.S. President |U.S. Congress |Federal courts |State executives |State legislature |State and local courts |Counties |Cities |School districts |Public policy

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