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.  4-H members grades 9 – 12 at the time of the event are eligible to participate in this mock legislative session held in Austin at the State Capitol.  Those 4-H members who are interested in serving as a Lobbyist or Press Corp member need to fill out the application on-line through the 4-H CONNECT system (see below).

Lobbyist for Texas 4-H Congress

The Lobbyist group is designed for 4-H members who have attended 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. Submit an online application through 4HConnect between February 15 to March 31, 2016.

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 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. Submit an online application through 4HConnect between February 15 to March 31, 2016.

Submission of Legislative Bills

Any 4-H member, regardless of age or planning on attending Texas 4-H Congress, may submit a legislative bill for consideration.  Participation in the bill writing exercise allows 4-H members the opportunity to become engaged in the legislative process and the 4-H citizenship project. 4-H members attending Texas 4-H Congress will be required to submit at least one bill (this includes Texas 4-H Council, Tech Team, etc) prior to their registration to the event being accepted. To learn more on how to write and submit a bill download the “Preparing a Legislative Bill for Texas 4-H Congress”. Online submissions (click here) are being accepted between January 1 to May 20, 2016.