Article XV, Section 1 of the Texas Constitution ("Impeachment by House of Representatives")

Adopted February 15, 1876:

The power of impeachment shall be vested in the House of Representatives.

Editor Comments

This section does not identify the public officials subject to impeachment or provide a list of impeachable offenses.

It also fails to mandate any procedure. For example, it is unclear whether a simple majority is sufficient to impeach.

Nonetheless, it is well-established that the House performs the functions of the grand jury and prosecuting attorney.

None.

Ferguson v. Maddox, 263 S.W. 888, 892 (Tex. 1924) ("The Constitution in this matter [] created nothing new. By it, something existing and well understood was simply adopted. The power granted to the House to 'impeach,' and the Senate to try 'impeachment,' carries with it, by inevitable implication, the power to the one to prefer and to the other to try charges for such official delinquencies, wrongs, or malfeasances as justified impeachment according to the principles established by the common law and the practice of the English Parliament and the parliamentary bodies in America. The grant of the general power of 'impeachment' properly and sufficiently indicates the causes for its exercise.")

Vernon's Annotated Constitution of the State of Texas (this multi-volume and up-to-date resource is available at all law libraries and many municipal libraries)

The Texas State Constitution: A Reference Guide (this one-volume resource is available at most law libraries and some municipal libraries)

The Constitution of the State of Texas: An Annotated and Comparative Analysis (this two-volume resource is available at most law libraries and some municipal libraries)

Constitution of the State of Texas (1876) (this resource is published and maintained by the University of Texas School of Law)

Amendments to the Texas Constitution Since 1876 (this resource is published and regularly updated by the Legislative Council)

Reports Analyzing Proposed Amendments (this resource is published and regularly updated by the Legislative Reference Library)