The Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter works year-round to protect Texas communities, our environment, and our future. From fighting for clean air and water to advancing and defending clean, reliable, and affordable energy, we advocate for policies that put people first - not polluters or special interests.
During each legislative session, we track how legislators vote on key issues through our Legislative Scorecard, which documents votes and actions on environmental priorities. But the work to shape those outcomes doesn’t start on the first day of session. In Texas, some of the most important advocacy happens before legislators ever gavel in.
What Is the Legislative Interim?
The Texas Legislature meets for just 140 days every two years. Once a session ends, most legislators return to their home district. The period between legislative sessions is known as the interim.
During the interim, legislators return to Austin because legislative leadership (the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor) assigns committees specific topics to study, called interim charges. These charges guide what issues legislators research, hold hearings on, and begin shaping into potential legislation for the next session. In many ways, the interim is when the foundation for future legislation is established.
Why Is the Interim So Important?
By the time a bill is filed during the legislative session, much of the political groundwork has already been laid out. The interim is when legislators learn (or are influenced) about policy issues, committee priorities are shaped, and stakeholders - including advocates, industry, and community members - make their cases for specific policies.
If environmental advocates aren’t engaged during the interim, polluting industries, special interests, and their high-paid lobbyists often fill that space. That’s why the Lone Star Chapter uses the interim to recommend and influence policy research, identify legislative priorities, build and strengthen relationships with legislators, and elevate community voices early - so everyone has the chance to be heard.
What Is the Lone Star Chapter Doing During the Interim?
This interim period, the Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter is actively engaging legislators across the state to push for smart solutions on key issues. We’ve met with legislators and given to them our interim charge letter (twelve pages, to be exact) outlining our priorities and recommendations for policy and research.
Among other topics, the letter highlights the urgent need to:
- Protect and expand clean energy and battery storage
- Improve energy efficiency to lower bills and strengthen grid reliability
- Safeguard clean air and water - especially with increasing data center development
- Ensure Texas communities are resilient in the face of extreme weather
By submitting clear policy priorities early and pressuring leadership, we can help shape what legislators focus on - and what they should be held accountable for - when session begins. Texas legislators need to know that Texans are paying attention. That’s why interim advocacy isn’t just about conversations at the Capitol - it’s about building public pressure. We’re organizing Texans to take action, stay informed, and make their voices heard before the next session even begins.
Because when lawmakers return to Austin, they should already know: Texans are engaged, organized, and want more from our leaders.
How Can I Get Involved During the Interim?
You don’t have to wait until the legislative session starts to make an impact.
Here’s how you can plug in right now:
- Join our Legislative Action Team
- Sign up for Legislative Email Updates
- Attend Upcoming Meetings (like our monthly Keep the Power On and Water for People & the Environment Committee meetings)
- Make a donation to power our work year-round
By engaging early, organizing, and showing up together during the interim, we are working to ensure the next legislative session moves our state toward a healthier, more sustainable future Texas deserves.