Texas Lawmakers Begin Filing Bills for 2027 Session
Pre-filing for the 90th Texas Legislature opens Monday, with Rep. Erin Zwiener proposing limits on statewide executive office terms.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Legislative Policy
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Returning and newly elected Texas legislators can file bills and resolutions starting at 8 a.m. Monday, November 9, 2026, as pre-filing for the 2027 session begins. Rep. Erin Zwiener announced she is filing a bill to limit how many terms a person can hold a statewide executive office.
Why it matters
Pre-filing sets the agenda before the 90th Texas Legislature convenes, and the volume of proposals signals what lawmakers intend to pursue. Zwiener's proposal revives a debate over term limits that the Texas Senate advanced in 2013 before it stalled in the House.
The 2025 regular session drew more than 8,700 bills and 2,700 resolutions, of which just under 1,200 were passed and sent to the Governor. Pre-filing volume in 2024 reached 1,511 bills on its first day alone, and the 2027 filing window runs until March 12, 2027.
The players
Erin Zwiener
Texas state representative from Kyle who announced a bill to limit statewide executive office terms.
Judith Zaffirini
Texas state senator from Laredo whose office said she was busy ahead of pre-filing Monday.
The details
Lawmakers can file through the pre-filing process beginning at 8 a.m. on the designated Monday, and filing continues until March 12, 2027. Zwiener announced her term-limit bill on social media, proposing to cap how many terms someone may serve in a statewide executive office.
Timeline
2013: The Texas Senate passed a two-term limit bill, which failed in the House.
2024: 1,511 bills were filed on the first day of pre-filing.
2025 regular session: Over 8,700 bills and 2,700 resolutions were filed.
November 9, 2026: Pre-filing for the 2027 session begins at 8 a.m.
January 12, 2027: The 90th Texas legislative session begins.
Legislative Context
Zwiener's term-limit proposal revisits the two-term limit the Texas Senate passed in 2013, which died in the House. The current filing surge follows a pattern of very high bill volume, with more than 8,700 bills filed in the 2025 regular session.
Proposals filed during pre-filing set the bills that may later affect how statewide executive officials can serve. Residents who want to track a specific measure can follow its status once it is filed.
The takeaway
Pre-filing is the first public signal of what the Texas Legislature may tackle, so readers can watch which proposals gain early sponsors. Term-limit measures have stalled before, so their path forward is worth tracking.
What happens next
Bill filing for the 2027 session continues until March 12, 2027, and the 90th Texas Legislature convenes January 12, 2027.
Further reading
For more on how these proposals move through the process, see Legislative Policy coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KXAN.
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Should Texas limit how many terms someone can serve in statewide executive office?
