By Grusendorf H.R. No. 439
75R8541 JSA-D
R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the 75th
1-2 Legislature of the State of Texas:
1-3 SECTION 1. Section 20, Rule 6, House Rules, is amended to
1-4 read as follows:
1-5 Sec. 20. TIME LIMIT FOR PLACEMENT [VOTE TO PLACE] ON A
1-6 CALENDAR. Within seven [30 calendar] days after a bill or
1-7 resolution has been referred to the appropriate calendars
1-8 committee, the committee must [vote on whether to] place the bill
1-9 or resolution on one of the calendars of the daily house calendar
1-10 or the local, consent, and resolutions calendar, as applicable, to
1-11 permit the bill or resolution to be heard by the house on second
1-12 reading within seven days after the date the bill or resolution is
1-13 placed on a calendar, unless the committee by a two-thirds vote
1-14 elects not to place the bill or resolution on a calendar. The
1-15 committee may not place a bill or resolution on a calendar for a
1-16 specific date ahead of another bill or resolution previously placed
1-17 on the same calendar for the same date. [A vote against placement
1-18 of the bill or resolution on a calendar does not preclude a
1-19 calendars committee from later voting in favor of placement of the
1-20 bill or resolution on a calendar.]
1-21 SECTION 2. Section 21(a), Rule 6, House Rules, is amended to
1-22 read as follows:
1-23 (a) When a bill or resolution is referred to [has been in]
1-24 the appropriate calendars committee [for 30 calendar days,
2-1 exclusive of the calendar day on which it was referred,] awaiting
2-2 placement on one of the calendars of the daily house calendar or
2-3 local, consent, and resolutions calendar, it shall be in order for
2-4 a member to move that the bill or resolution be placed on a
2-5 specific calendar of the daily house calendar or local, consent,
2-6 and resolutions calendar without action by the committee. This
2-7 motion must be seconded by five members and shall require a
2-8 majority vote for adoption.
2-9 SECTION 3. Section 15, Rule 1, House Rules, is amended to
2-10 read as follows:
2-11 Sec. 15. STANDING COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS. (a) The speaker
2-12 shall designate the chair and vice-chair of each standing
2-13 substantive committee and shall also appoint membership of the
2-14 committee, subject to the provisions of Rule 4, Section 2.
2-15 (b) [If members of equal seniority request the same
2-16 committee, the speaker shall decide which among them shall be
2-17 assigned to that committee.]
2-18 [(c)] In announcing the membership of the standing
2-19 substantive committees, the speaker shall designate which are
2-20 appointees and which acquire membership by seniority.
2-21 (c) [(d)] The speaker shall appoint the chair and vice-chair
2-22 of each standing procedural committee and the remaining membership
2-23 of the committee.
2-24 SECTION 4. Section 2(a)(3), Rule 4, House Rules, is amended
2-25 to read as follows:
2-26 (3) If members of equal seniority request the same
2-27 committee, the speaker shall assign [appoint] the member from among
3-1 those requesting that committee. Seniority, as the term is used in
3-2 this subsection, is determined according to class, with the
3-3 first-term members of each legislature constituting a class.
3-4 Within a class, members shall draw lots to determine seniority
3-5 [shall mean years of cumulative service as a member of the house of
3-6 representatives].
3-7 SECTION 5. Section 2, Rule 4, House Rules, is amended by
3-8 adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
3-9 (e) A house member who was a member of the house during the
3-10 preceding legislature may elect to retain any or all committee
3-11 memberships the member held at the end of the preceding
3-12 legislature. An election under this subsection has priority over
3-13 all other committee selections and appointments and counts as a
3-14 seniority selection by the member making the election for purposes
3-15 of these rules.