Understanding The Process: Texas Bill To Law

The process of a bill becoming a law in Texas is a multi-step procedure. The bill is introduced to the Senate, where it is read, debated, and voted on. If it passes, it moves to the House, where the process is repeated. If amended, it goes back to the Senate for further approval. Once both chambers have passed the bill, it is sent to a Conference Committee to be unified before being sent to the Governor, who can approve or veto it. If vetoed, the bill can still become law if a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate vote to override the veto.

Introduction and referral

The process of a bill becoming a law in Texas begins with the introduction and referral stage. This is the first step, where the bill is introduced to the Senate either directly on the floor or through copies provided to the secretary of the Senate. This step involves three readings, with the first reading being a brief caption that provides context for the bill. The legislation must be introduced within the first 60 days of the legislative session.

The Lieutenant Governor of the Senate then refers the bill to a committee, which will decide its fate. The committee will carefully examine the bill and either pass it, nullify it, rewrite it, or pigeonhole it. Senators have the option to postpone a committee hearing for a bill for up to two days.

The bill is considered on the Senate floor, where it is debated and voted on. After the first reading, the Lieutenant Governor assigns the bill to a committee, which will study it and create a printed report. The bill must receive a two-thirds majority vote to pass in the Senate. If the bill is amended, it goes back to the House for approval of the changes. If the House does not agree with the amendments, they can request a Conference Committee to discuss the differences and create a final version.

During the introduction and referral stage, the bill is also introduced to the House by a representative. The Speaker reads the bill in order, using its assigned number, and refers it to a committee for further consideration. The committee will study the bill, hold hearings, and create a printed report. The Calendar Committee then assigns the report to be read on a specific day, where it will be amended, debated, and voted on. After the third reading, a two-thirds majority vote in the House is required to pass the bill. If amendments are made, the bill goes back to the Senate for approval.

Committee action

After the first reading, the Speaker refers the bill to a committee. Committees are heavily relied upon in a busy legislature. The committee carefully examines the bill, and either passes or nullifies it. The committee can also pigeonhole or rewrite the bill. Senators can postpone a committee hearing for a bill for two days.

The committee studies the bill, holds hearings, and creates a printed report. The Calendar committee assigns the report to be read on a specific day. It is then read, amended, debated, and voted on. After the second reading, a simple majority can amend a bill. Amendments after the third reading require a two-thirds vote.

In the Senate, the Lieutenant Governor reads the bill and assigns it to a committee. A study and a printed report follow. The committee considers the bill on the Senate floor, and it is debated and voted on. After three readings, a two-thirds majority vote passes it in the Senate. If the bill has been amended, it goes back to the House, which can either agree with the changes or request a Conference Committee to discuss the differences and come up with a final version.

Floor action

Once a bill has been introduced and passed through the committee, it must be debated on the floor. This is known as floor action. A bill must receive a two-thirds vote to be promoted to the second debate. Senators can use tactics such as a filibuster to delay the process. If the bill passes the second debate, it is read within 72 hours of adjournment.

After the second reading, the bill is considered again on the third reading and final passage. It may be amended again at this stage, but amendments require a two-thirds majority vote for adoption. The Texas Constitution requires a bill to be read on three separate days in each chamber before it can become law. However, this requirement may be suspended by a four-fifths vote. The Senate routinely suspends this provision to allow a third reading immediately after the second reading. The House rarely does this.

In either chamber, a bill may be passed by a voice or record vote. In the House, record votes are tallied electronically, while in the Senate, they are taken by calling the roll of the members. If a bill receives a majority vote on the third reading, it is considered passed. When a bill is passed in the house where it originated, it is engrossed, and a new copy is sent to the opposite chamber for consideration.

Conference committee

In Texas, a conference committee is called when there are differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill. The committee is composed of five members from each chamber, appointed by the presiding officers of their respective chambers. The committee is tasked with resolving these differences and producing a unified bill that meets the requirements of both the House and the Senate. The committee may make amendments to the bill or even rewrite it entirely.

The bill history or "Actions" list will indicate if a bill goes to a conference committee. In the list of actions, look for "House appoints conferees" or "Senate appoints conferees." These actions show that each chamber has agreed to the committee and has appointed members to it. Conference committee appointees are entered into the Texas Legislature Online system as they are appointed and can be viewed on the bill's "History" page.

After the committee has reached an agreement, a report is submitted to both chambers for approval or disapproval. The report must be accepted by at least three conferees from each chamber and must contain the agreed-upon text of the bill, a side-by-side analysis comparing the text of the compromise bill to both the House and Senate versions, and the signatures of the conferees who approved the report.

If the conference committee report is not accepted by either chamber, it may be returned to the same committee for further deliberation or a new committee may be appointed. If an agreement is still not reached, the bill will not become law. If the report is adopted by both chambers, the bill is enrolled, signed by the presiding officers, and sent to the governor.

The governor's decision

The Governor's role in the process of a bill becoming a law in Texas is a critical one. The Governor has the power to either sign the bill into law or veto it. This is the final step in the process, and the bill becomes an enforced law if the Governor chooses to sign it.

The bill is first introduced to the Texas Senate, where it is read three times, with the first reading being a brief caption explaining the bill's context. The Lieutenant Governor then refers the bill to a committee, which decides its fate. If the bill survives, it is carefully examined, and either passed or nullified by the committee. It can also be rewritten or postponed.

Once the bill has passed through the committee, it moves to the floor action stage, where it must be debated. The bill must receive a two-thirds vote to advance to the second debate, and it can still fail at this stage. After the second debate, it is read within 72 hours of adjournment, and Senators can use tactics like filibusters to delay the process further.

If the bill passes this stage, the process repeats in the House of Representatives, with some variations in the rules. If the bill makes it through the House, a Conference Committee is held to unify the bill according to the requirements of both houses. If the bill still has significant differences, it may be rewritten entirely or have several amendments added.

Finally, the bill is sent to the Governor, who has the power to make the final decision. The Governor can sign the bill, turning it into an enforced law, or veto it. If the Governor vetoes the bill, it does not become a law unless a two-thirds majority vote of the House and Senate overrides the veto.

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