Texas 4-H Congress is the premiere citizenship and leadership experience for Texas 4-H members between the ages of 15 and 18. Held on the even numbers years in the Texas State Capitol, Texas 4-H Congress allows 4-H members to experience the law making process first hand by writing, submitting, and then serving as a member of the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Press, or as a Lobbyist. From these roles, the 4-H members determine the fate of each bill submitted over the four day event.
- How Can A 4-H Member Participate – PDF
- Understanding the Texas Legislative Process - PDF
- 2012 Texas 4-H Congress Information:
- 2012 View photos in Flickr – link
- 2012 Texas 4-H Video Channel – link
- 2012 Sunday News, July 15, 2012 – PDF
- 2012 Monday News, July 16, 2012 – PDF
- 2012 Tuesday News, July 17, 2012 – PDF
- 2012 Wednesday News, July 18, 2012 – PDF
Location
The headquarters for Texas 4-H Congress will be in Austin, Texas
Event Dates and Schedule
The next Texas 4-H Congress will take place in July, 13-16 2014.
Age Requirements
Official ages for Texas 4-H Congress are 15 (at the time of the event) to 18 years of age. This is a prestigious event reserved for older 4-H members. Because of the number of 4-H members allowed to attend, counties should make it a priority to select 4-H members for the House and Senate that have never attended prior.
Costs and Quotas
A select number of 4-H delegates will be allotted to each district. In addition to the districts, the urban counties, Prairie View Cooperative Extension and the 4-H Military Program will be allotted a quota of delegates.
Lobbyist for Texas 4-H Congress
The Texas 4-H Lobbyist group is designed for 4-H members who have at ended Texas 4-H Congress in the past. The responsibility of the Lobbyist group is to identify certain bills and then lobby members of the House and Senate to either pass or defeat the bill. Lobbyist should be knowledgeable about Texas 4-H Congress and the schedule that it follows. Lobbyist members should be prepared to and have the ability to approach other 4-H members and persuade House and Senate members for support. The Lobbyist group will hold a “by invitation only” reception for House and Senate Members, along with Congress Leadership.
Press Corp for Texas 4-H Congress
The Texas 4-H Congress Press Corps play an extremely important part in the success of the event. Press Corps members can be either a first time or returning 4-H members to 4-H Congress. Individuals applying for Press Corps should have strong skills in writing, word processing, interviewing, photography, and focused on making deadlines. The press corps is responsible for the publishing of a daily newspaper and helping maintaining a web page/electronic communication. Press Corps members should be aware that sometimes they may not be able to at end certain events because of print deadlines.
Submission of Legislative Bills
Anyone who wants to submit a bill can do so, regardless if they are attending Texas 4-H Congress. This process will allow all 4-H members, regardless of Congress participation and age, the opportunity to participate in an exercise in civic engagement. For those counties that do have at least one person at ending Texas 4-H Congress, it is a requirement that at least one bill be submitted (this includes Texas 4-H Council, Tech Team, etc). To accomplish the writing and submission of legislative bills it is recommended that the County Extension Agent, or a volunteer, assist the youth in learning about what a quality bill is, how to write one, and then submitting the bill on-line.
To assist 4-H members with the process of preparing a bill for submission, refer to the Texas 4-H publication entitled “Understanding the Texas Legislative Process, A Guide for Participating in Texas 4-H Congress.”
- 2012 Texas 4-H Congress Bill Book for reference – PDF
Event Contact Information
Dr. Toby L. Lepley
Extension 4-H and Youth Development Specialist
4180 Highway 6
College Station, TX 77845
Phone: 979-845-1212
Fax: 979-845-6495
E-mail: tlepley@ag.tamu.edu
