The Texas legislative session calendar 2027 runs from Tuesday, January 12, 2027, when the 90th Legislature convenes, to sine die on Monday, May 31, 2027, the 140th day. Bill prefiling opens November 9, 2026, and the bill filing deadline is March 12, 2027. By GamesOfSkillMag's calculation, the governor's veto deadline falls on June 20, 2027.
For cash-prize skill machine operators and vendors in Texas, any change to Penal Code Chapter 47 or Occupations Code Chapter 2153 would have to pass during this 140-day window. Fixed rules set the dates, so the calendar can be mapped before any 2027 bill is filed.
Why the 2027 dates are predictable
Texas Government Code §301.001 says the Legislature "shall convene at the seat of government in regular session at 12 noon on the second Tuesday in January" of each odd-numbered year. In 2027 that day is January 12. Article III, §24(b) of the Texas Constitution limits a regular session to 140 days, which puts sine die on May 31. The Legislative Reference Library (LRL) says the bill filing deadline is the 60th calendar day after the Legislature convenes, which is March 12, 2027. The Texas Library Association, an association rather than a legislative body, lists the same three dates. It also lists November 9, 2026 as the day bill filing opens.
The 2027 calendar matches 2021 day for day. LRL's dates for the 87th session list January 12, March 12, May 31, June 20 and August 30, 2021 for the same milestones. As of October 24, 2026, LRL's Session Deadlines page had calendars only through the 89th Legislature (2025). The Texas Legislature Online home page still showed the 89th Legislature's Second Called Session.
Stage 1: Prefiling opens November 9, 2026
According to LRL, prefiling begins "the first Monday after the general election in even-numbered years," and "Returning members and members-elect of the upcoming legislative session may prefile bills." Members of the public cannot file bills directly; they have to work through a legislator. The Texas Secretary of State lists the general election as November 3, 2026, so prefiling opens the following Monday. For scale, LRL reports that 1,511 bills and resolutions were filed on November 12, 2024, the first prefiling day for the 89th session. That was a record for a first day. HB 487, an eight-liner bill, was filed that same day.
Stage 2: Convening and referral, from January 12, 2027
Article III, §37 says "No bill shall be considered, unless it has been first referred to a committee and reported thereon." Prefiled bills get their first reading and committee referral after the session opens. In 2025, SB 517 was referred to Senate State Affairs on February 3. HB 487 went to House Licensing & Administrative Procedures on February 28.
Stage 3: Filing deadline, March 12, 2027
Under House Rule 8 §8 and Senate Rule 7.07(b), filing a bill after the 60th day needs approval from four-fifths of members present and voting, LRL notes. Local bills, emergency appropriations and emergencies declared by the governor are exempt. Article III, §5(b) gives the first 30 days to introducing bills, the next 30 to committee hearings, and the rest of the session to acting on pending measures. Under §5(c), either chamber can change that order by a four-fifths vote.
Stage 4: Committee hearings
SB 517 shows how committee action works. It had a public hearing in Senate State Affairs on March 31, 2025, was left pending, was voted on April 10, and was reported favorably as substituted on April 14. Editorial recommendation: set up My TLO bill and meeting alerts for any filed bill that would amend Chapter 47 or Chapter 2153.
Stage 5: Floor action and the second chamber
Article III, §32 requires a bill to be read on three separate days in each house. Four-fifths of a chamber can suspend that rule. LRL's process steps then cover engrossment, consideration in the other chamber, and either concurrence or a conference committee report. SB 517 passed the Senate on May 8, 2025, with the three-day rule suspended. Its last recorded action was "Received from the Senate" in the House that same day.
Stage 6: Sine die and the governor's window
Article IV, §14 gives the governor 10 days, not counting Sundays, to act on a bill received during session. For bills received after adjournment or less than 10 days before it, the governor has "20 days (including Sundays) after the final day of the session," LRL explains. A bill the governor neither signs nor vetoes becomes law without signature. In 2025 the session ended June 2, and the Texas State Law Library and LRL both give June 22 as the governor's deadline. Twenty days after May 31, 2027 is June 20, 2027. That is GamesOfSkillMag's calculation, not a published date. LRL's 89th-session totals show how few bills reach this stage: of 8,719 House and Senate bills filed, 1,045 were signed, 140 became law without signature and 26 were vetoed.
Stage 7: Effective dates
Under Article III, §39, a law generally takes effect 90 days after the session adjourns. It can take effect sooner if two-thirds of all members elected to each house vote for that, and the general appropriations act is an exception. In 2025, the 91st day after adjournment was September 1. For 2027, GamesOfSkillMag calculates the 91st day as August 30, 2027. LRL also notes that "The text of a bill may include effective date provisions," so each enacted bill's own text sets its effective date.
Filed, passed, enacted: not the same thing
HB 487 was filed and referred to committee, and nothing more happened. SB 517 passed one chamber and stopped. Neither bill changed Penal Code Chapter 47 or Occupations Code Chapter 2153. Under LRL's process, a bill becomes law only after both chambers pass it and the governor signs it or lets it become law without signature. Even then, it takes effect on its effective date.
2027 calendar at a glance
| Date | Milestone | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| November 3, 2026 | General election | Texas Secretary of State |
| November 9, 2026 | Prefiling opens | LRL rule; Texas Library Association |
| January 12, 2027 | 90th Legislature convenes | Gov. Code §301.001 |
| March 12, 2027 | 60-day bill filing deadline | House Rule 8 §8; Senate Rule 7.07(b) |
| May 31, 2027 | Sine die (day 140) | Const. Art. III §24(b) |
| June 20, 2027 | Governor's deadline (calculated) | Const. Art. IV §14 |
| August 30, 2027 | Default effective date (calculated) | Const. Art. III §39 |
"Calculated" dates are GamesOfSkillMag's own arithmetic from the constitutional rules. As of October 24, 2026, LRL had not posted a 90th-session deadlines calendar.
Tracking bills once filing opens
Texas Legislature Online offers Bill Lookup history pages, Bill Search, Text Search, Amendments search, View Votes and Sections Affected. Through My TLO, users can also keep bill lists, set bill and meeting alerts, save searches and subscribe to RSS feeds. This calendar is a reporting tool. It does not determine the legal status of any machine.
Related reading
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Texas Coin-Op License Types, Explained: Credentials, Fees and the Limits of a License
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Texas Skill Machine Enforcement Timeline: From the Rylie Ruling to Local Bans, 2023 to 2026
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Pennsylvania Skill Games Ban Enforcement Begins After Supreme Court Ruling
Sources
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LRL: First Day of Prefiling Statistics, 89th Regular Session
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LRL: Bill Statistics After Signing/Veto Period, 89th Legislature
Reporting is for information, not legal advice. A vendor listing or the term skill game does not establish a machine's legality in any jurisdiction.
AI assistance was used in preparing this article. Consult primary sources and qualified counsel for legal decisions.