Article I of the Texas Constitution

Texas Bill of Rights

The official title of Article I is "Bill of Rights." It is commonly referred to by both the courts and commentators as the Texas Bill of Rights.

It begins: "That the general, great and essential principles of liberty and free government may be recognized and established, we declare."

For a historical perspective on the article, review the following paper that was published in 1958: Origins of the Texas Bill of Rights.

Article I originally had twenty-nine sections. Thirteen sections have been added. None of the original or added sections have been repealed.

The article's original sections do not have official titles. Of the added sections, only Section 30 ("Rights of Crime Victims") has an official title.

Therefore, in general, the section titles that appear in various publications have been assigned over the years by the different publishers.

On TLG, each section of the state constitution has its own page: