The legislative history of a statute encompasses every official action the Texas Legislature took regarding that statute. Texas does not create official legislative histories, so researchers must compile them themselves or hire a private legislative intent research firm to do so on their behalf.
A legislative history usually starts with the introduction of the bill that first created a statute and includes any bill introduced in later Legislatures that amended or repealed the statute. All legislative materials that were created in response to any of these bills are part of the resultant statute's legislative history. Depending on the age of the bill, this may include some or all of the following materials: all versions of the bill, committee reports, committee vote sheets, floor amendments, bill analyses, fiscal notes, actions reported in the House and Senate journals, statements made in committee hearings and during floor debates, and materials related to companion bills.