Internal prototype — noindexed, not linked from public navigation yet.

Tex. Local Government Code § 161.165

This is the official text of Tex. Local Government Code § 161.165, part of Texas’s Local Government Code — governs the powers and operations of Texas cities and counties.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

§ 161.165.

Official statutory text

Sec. 161.165. FORMAL HEARING: SUBPOENAS AND WITNESSES. (a) A subpoena or other request to testify shall be served sufficiently in advance of the scheduled appearance at a formal hearing to allow a reasonable period, as determined by the commission, for the person subpoenaed to prepare for the hearing and to employ counsel if desired.

(b) Except as provided by Section 161.166(a)(1), the commission may order that a person may not, except as specifically authorized by the presiding officer, make public the name of a witness subpoenaed by the commission before the date of that witness's scheduled appearance.

(c) A witness may read a written statement or present a brief oral opening statement at a formal hearing, subject to the rules of evidence applicable to a contested case under Section 2001.081, Government Code.

(d) A person whose name is mentioned or who is identified or referred to in testimony or in statements made by a commission member, commission staff member, or witness and who reasonably believes that the statement tends to adversely affect the person's reputation may:

(1) request to appear personally before the commission to testify in the person's own behalf; or

(2) file a sworn statement of facts relevant to the testimony or statement that the person believes adversely affects the person's reputation.

(e) A witness who testifies at a formal hearing must be sworn.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

Need a lawyer in Texas?

Find a Texas lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.