• Welcome to YAG

  • Legislative Section

  • Judicial Trials

  • Appellate Hearings

  • State Affairs

What is Youth and Government?

The purpose of the program is to bring the workings of state government alive to students. It creates an opportunity for students to discuss current state issues with state administrators, elected officials, and students from high schools and YMCAs throughout the state.

Each conference is led by teens elected to office by their fellow delegates. Texas provides facilities and volunteers from various state departments who act as resources for the students while they debate the issues. The volunteers help guide the students through mock committee meetings. Students debate and vote on the bills that their fellow delegates have written and presented. Bills that pass in committee are then taken to the floor of the House or Senate for full debate and vote.

Students also have the opportunity to get hands on experience with the court systems. Each year, students argue a criminal case, in both judicial trial courts and in appellate courts.

Important Legislative Materials:

Important items for the state conference: 

  1. Committee Chairs and Room Assignments – One Page - One Up on Pink – http://downloads.texasyag.org/2013/2013-HearingCommitteeTeams.pdf
  2. Hearing Committee Motions and Seconds / Procedure and House and Senate Motions and Seconds – Two Pages – One Up Duplex on Light Gray - http://downloads.texasyag.org/ConferenceHandout.pdf
  3. Procedure for Hearing a Bill in Committee – Two Pages – One Up Duplex on Light Blue – Pages 3 and 4 of above file
  4. Procedure for Floor Debate of a Bill or Resolution – Two Pages – One Up Duplex on Light Orange - Pages 5 and 6 of above file
  5. Bill Assignments by Primary Author – 18 Pages - One Up Duplex on Light Green - http://downloads.texasyag.org/2013/2013-BillAssignmentsByAuthor.pdf
  6. Committee Dockets – 34 Pages - One Up Duplex on Light Yellow  - http://downloads.texasyag.org/2013/2013-HearingCommitteeDockets.pdf
  7. Hyde House Bills Divider Page – One Page - Light Purple
  8. Hyde House Bills – 81 Pages - Two Up Duplex on Plain White - http://downloads.texasyag.org/2013/2013-HH.pdf
  9. House Bills Divider Page – One Page - Light Purple
  10. House Bills – 147 Pages - Two Up Duplex on Plain White - http://downloads.texasyag.org/2013/2013-HB.pdf
  11. Senate Bills Divider Page – One Page - Light Purple
  12. Senate Bills – 55 Pages - Two Up Duplex on Plain White - http://downloads.texasyag.org/2013/2013-SB.pdf

 

2012-2013 Banned Topics Legislative Bill Template
Speaker and President Manual Legislative Manual
Legislative Basics Hearing Committee Manual
Joint Rules Senate Rules
Complete Legislative Manual

 

Below are some videos that discuss how the legislative section works. 

State Affairs Forum is a category of the Texas Youth and Government program. State Affairs allows students to get into group of two or three, and present and debate proposals related to state and national affairs. Students present a self-picked proposal off of the proposal topics list, and present it to the committee, and prepare to answer questions and respond to a debate. This group teaches students how to do analytical research and present a clear and concise argument with the goal of persuading their audience.

 

Important State Affairs Materials:

SAF Manual

SAF Proposal Template

Welcome to Texas Youth and Government

Our Mission and Goal

To help teenagers become responsible citizens and future leaders of our nation.

To create an environment in which students can increase their political awareness and understanding, while learning the meaning of social action through an actual experience in government.

Experience Youth and Government!

YMCA Youth & Government is a national program of the YMCA that involves thousands of teenagers nationwide in state-organized model-government programs. Students from every corner of the U.S. have the opportunity to immerse themselves in experiential civic engagement and to, quite literally, practice democracy.

JuniorYG State Conference

JuniorYG State Conference Information

Conference Info and Schedule

State Conference Information

HIGH SCHOOL

Schedule-at-a-Glance