The 17th Texas Legislature met from January 11, 1881, to May 5, 1882, in its regular session and one called session. All members of the House of Representatives and about half of the members of the Senate were elected in 1880 General Election.
Members of the Seventeenth Texas Legislature as of the beginning of the Regular Session, January 11, 1881:
| District | Senator | Party | Took office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samuel Bronson Cooper | Democrat | 1881 | |
| 2 | William Wallace Weatherred | 1881 | ||
| 3 | Richard M. Wynne | 1881 | ||
| 4 | Richard L. Hightower | 1881 | ||
| 5 | William H. Tilson | 1879 | ||
| 6 | William Jesse Swain | 1879 | ||
| 7 | John Martin Duncan | 1879 | ||
| 8 | John Young Gooch | 1879 | ||
| 9 | Henry W. Lightfoot | 1881 | ||
| 10 | John C. Buchanan | 1879 | ||
| 11 | J. M. Martin | 1881 | ||
| 12 | William D. Lair | Democrat | 1879 (Prior: 1861–1863) | |
| 13 | Anson Rainey | 1881 | ||
| 14 | Francis Marion Martin | Democrat | 1879 (Prior: 1859–1861) | |
| 15 | John Nathaniel Henderson | 1881 | ||
| 16 | John T. Buchanan | 1879 | ||
| 17 | Walter Moses Burton | Republican | 1874 | |
| 18 | Charles Stewart | 1879 | ||
| 19 | James B. Stubbs | 1881 | ||
| 20 | William Kercheval Homan | 1879 | ||
| 21 | Andrew Jackson Harris | 1881 | ||
| 22 | Lawrence Sullivan Ross | Democrat | 1881 | |
| 23 | William R. Shannon | Democrat | 1879 (Prior: 1865–1867) | |
| 24 | Jewett H. Davenport | 1879 (Prior: 1874–1876) | ||
| 25 | Alexander Watkins Terrell | Democrat | 1876 | |
| 26 | A. W. Moore | Democrat | 1881 (Prior: 1861–1865) | |
| 27 | Samuel C. Patton | 1879 | ||
| 28 | Ellsberry R. Lane | 1876 | ||
| 29 | Stephen Powers | 1881 | ||
| 30 | Augustus W. Houston | Democrat | 1879 | |
| 31 | William Henry Burges | Democrat | 1881 |
| District | Outgoing Senator | Reason for Vacancy | Successor | Date of Successor's Installation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 11 | J. M. Martin | Martin died March 9, 1882. | William O. Davis | April 6, 1882 |
| District 16 | John T. Buchanan | Buchanan died January 29, 1882. | James G. McDonald | April 6, 1882 |
| District 28 | Ellsberry R. Lane | Lane resigned February 1, 1882. | Lucas H. Brown | April 6, 1882 |
| District 29 | Stephen Powers | Powers died after the Regular Session. | Charles A. McLane | April 6, 1882 |