In 1963, the Texas Legislature commissioned the Texas Legislative Council to make non-substantive revisions to Texas statutes, and this revision process is nearly complete. By the end of it, all Texas statutes will be organized into the Vernon’s Texas Codes Annotated for a total of twenty-seven subject matter codes. Vernon’s Annotated Statutes and Codes are the main source to find these entries in print form. These entries contain brief historical notes, constitutional provisions, notes of decisions, cross references to other Vernon’s and references to West Digest System, Corpus Juris Secundum, and encyclopedias. These volumes are written and kept up to date by Westlaw.
To find a subject, you can find the volume you want and search the table of contents (this includes a page number), or look in the general index. The general index lists the main subject then subtopics. The topic may refer you to a different area in the index. To search your topic, think of keywords regarding your subject to look up, look these up in the general index, find the statutory citation in the relevant volume, and then check the back of the volume for pocket part updates.
There are multiple copies of the volumes so that many students can look at them at one time. Make sure you check for pocket parts and pamphlets.
The Disposition tables, at the front of the volumes, are used to find earlier citations of the statute. This is used when an article has been repealed or changed.
In the same area as the statutes and codes, you can also find Vernon’s volumes of the Texas Constitution, Texas Code Forms Annotated, Texas Rules Annotated, and Texas Session Law Service (includes the most recent session laws, session laws are ultimately codified in the VTCA).
The volumes are updated by annual cumulative pocket parts and quarterly pamphlets.
Vernon's Texas Codes and Statutes Annotated Allows For Users To: