In addition to his many years teaching at the high school and university level, he served in the House of Representatives and in Harris County government.
As a member of the "Dirty Thirty" during the Sharpstown Scandal, Bass worked on legislation for reform laws to prevent government wrongdoing.
Bass "saw that the county's elected leaders increasingly failed to resemble the demographics of the rapidly growing, diverse region."
One of Bass' most lasting achievements was the acquisition of 635 acres of riparian corridor along Clear Creek, which forms the southern boundary of Harris County.
[9] Following his time in office, Bass helped to establish the Greater Harris County 9-1-1 Emergency Network in 1983, and continued to serve as the head of its board of managers.
Bass served on the board of the Visiting Nurses Association, represented Harris County at the Texas Silver Haired Legislature, and volunteered at Villa de Mantel.