House District 48 · Austin, TX
A West Austin native, former critical-care nurse, and longtime community advocate first elected in a 2006 special election, Rep. Howard is one of the most senior members of the House. She serves as Vice-Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Article II and as Vice-Chair of the House Higher Education Committee.
Biography
Rep. Donna Howard is a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives, first elected in a February 2006 special election to represent District 48, which covers a portion of Travis County including part of West Austin, Manchaca, Rollingwood, San Leanna, part of Shady Hollow, and West Lake Hills. An Austin native, she graduated from Reagan High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Nursing from the University of Texas at Austin in 1974 and a Master of Arts in Health Education from the same institution in 1977.
Read full biography Show less
Born October 25, 1951, Rep. Howard began her professional career as a critical-care nurse at Brackenridge Hospital and Seton Hospital in Austin, and served as Austin’s first hospital-based Patient Education Coordinator. She helped start the Seton Good Health School and served as President of District 5 of the Texas Nurses’ Association. She has also worked as a Health Education instructor on the University of Texas faculty.
For the 89th Legislative Session, Rep. Howard serves as Vice-Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Article II and as Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Higher Education. She also chairs the Texas Women’s Health Caucus. She is married to attorney Derek Howard and is the mother of three adult children and grandmother to seven grandchildren.
Biography sourced from the official Texas House of Representatives website.
Contact Information
District Information
Committee Membership
Committee assignments for the 89th Legislative Session (2025).
Most Recent Session Activity
Activity during the 89th Legislative Session (89R).
Authored Legislation by Session
Bills authored and joint-authored during each legislative session. Sessions from 71R (1989) onward link to the official Texas Legislature Online report; pre-1989 records are historical reference only.
Campaign Finance Data
Support Our Work
Texas Policy Research relies on generous donors across Texas. If you found this helpful, please consider supporting our efforts.
Donate TodayStay in the Loop
Subscribe for occasional emails with new research, event details, and ways to engage with Texas policy.
Subscribe for Updates
