By: Brown S.R. No. 40
99S0115/1
SENATE RESOLUTION
1-1 BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Texas, That the
1-2 Rules of the Senate of the 75th Legislature are adopted as the
1-3 Permanent Rules of the 76th Legislature with the following
1-4 modifications:
1-5 1. Amend Rule 5.08 to read as follows:
1-6 MORNING CALL
1-7 Rule 5.08. The President then shall call:
1-8 (1) [for reports from select committees;]
1-9 [(2)] for Senate bills and resolutions and House bills
1-10 and resolutions on first reading and referral to committee;
1-11 (2) [(3)] for the introduction and consideration of
1-12 resolutions;
1-13 (3) [(4)] for messages and executive communications;
1-14 (4) [(5)] for motions to print on minority reports;
1-15 (5) [(6)] for other motions not provided herein,
1-16 including but not limited to motions to set a bill for special
1-17 order, to reconsider, to print and not print bills, to rerefer
1-18 bills, to concur in House amendments to Senate bills, to not concur
1-19 in House amendments to Senate bills, to request the appointment of
1-20 conference committees, and to adopt conference committee reports.
1-21 This concludes the morning call, which the President shall
1-22 announce to the Senate.
1-23 It shall not be in order, during the morning call, to move to
2-1 take up a bill or resolution out of its regular order, and the
2-2 presiding officer shall not recognize any Senator for the purpose
2-3 of making any such motion or making a motion to suspend this rule.
2-4 2. Amend Rule 6.08 to read as follows:
2-5 MOTIONS TO REFER OR COMMIT
2-6 Rule 6.08. Any bill, petition, or resolution may be referred
2-7 from one committee or subcommittee to another committee or
2-8 subcommittee if the motion is approved by the chairs of both
2-9 committees involved and by a two-thirds vote of the members present
2-10 and voting. Any bill, petition, or resolution may be committed to
2-11 any committee or subcommittee at any stage of the proceedings on
2-12 such bill, petition, or resolution by a majority vote of the
2-13 elected members of the Senate. A bill or joint resolution
2-14 committed to a committee or subcommittee while on third reading
2-15 shall be considered as on its second reading if reported favorably
2-16 back to the Senate.
2-17 When several motions shall be made for reference of a subject
2-18 to a committee, they shall have preference in the following order:
2-19 First: To a Committee of the Whole Senate
2-20 Second: To a standing committee
2-21 Third: To a standing subcommittee
2-22 Fourth: To a special [select] committee.
2-23 3. Amend Rule 7.24 to read as follows:
2-24 DEADLINE FOR REPORT
2-25 Rule 7.24. (a) No bill shall be considered, unless it has
3-1 been first referred to a committee and reported thereon, and no
3-2 bill shall be passed which has not been presented and referred to
3-3 and reported from a committee at least three days before the final
3-4 adjournment of the Legislature. (Constitution, Article III,
3-5 Section 37)
3-6 (b) No bill shall be considered during a regular session
3-7 which has not been presented and referred to and reported from a
3-8 Senate committee at least 17 [15] days before the final adjournment
3-9 of the Legislature. It shall require a vote of four-fifths of the
3-10 members present to suspend this rule.
3-11 4. Amend Rules 11.02 and 11.03 to read as follows:
3-12 LIST OF [SPECIAL AND] STANDING COMMITTEES
3-13 Rule 11.02. At the beginning of each regular session, the
3-14 President shall appoint the following [special committees and]
3-15 standing committees with the number of members indicated:
3-16 [SPECIAL COMMITTEES]
3-17 [(1) General Investigating Committee (5 members)]
3-18 [(2) Committee on Veteran Affairs and Military
3-19 Installations (5 members)]
3-20 STANDING COMMITTEES
3-21 (1) Committee on Administration (5 [7] members)
3-22 (2) Committee on Criminal Justice (7 members)
3-23 (3) Committee on Economic Development (7 [11] members)
3-24 (4) Committee on Education (9 [11] members)
3-25 (5) Committee on Finance (11 [13] members)
4-1 (6) Committee on Health [and Human] Services (5 [11]
4-2 members)
4-3 (7) Committee on Human Services (5 members)
4-4 (8) Committee on Intergovernmental Relations (5 [11]
4-5 members)
4-6 [(8) Committee on International Relations, Trade, and
4-7 Technology (9 members)]
4-8 (9) Committee on Jurisprudence (5 [7] members)
4-9 (10) Committee on Natural Resources (7 [11] members)
4-10 (11) Committee on Nominations (7 members)
4-11 (12) Committee on State Affairs (9 [13] members)
4-12 (13) Committee on Veteran Affairs and Military
4-13 Installations (5 members)
4-14 [OTHER] SPECIAL COMMITTEES
4-15 Rule 11.03. (a) The President may appoint [additional]
4-16 special committees and may appoint standing subcommittees within
4-17 committees including subcommittees of the Committee of the Whole
4-18 Senate. The number of members of these committees and
4-19 subcommittees shall be determined by the President.
4-20 (b) A special committee has the jurisdiction, authority, and
4-21 duties and exists for the period of time specified in the charge of
4-22 the President. A special committee has the powers granted by these
4-23 rules to a standing committee except as limited by the charge of
4-24 the President.
4-25 (c) The President may direct that a subcommittee of the
5-1 Whole Senate appointed under this rule report directly to the
5-2 Senate concerning any matter within its jurisdiction.
5-3 5. Strike Rule 11.05 as follows and renumber subsequent rules and
5-4 cross references appropriately:
5-5 [LIMITATIONS ON MEMBERSHIP OF COMMITTEES]
5-6 [Rule 11.05. A Senator's appointment to any committee or
5-7 subcommittee, standing, special, select, statutory, or otherwise,
5-8 is terminated if the Senator is not renominated to the Senate.]
5-9 6. Amend Rule 12.08 to read as follows:
5-10 SUSPENSION OF CONFERENCE COMMITTEE RULES
5-11 Rule 12.08. Limitations imposed on certain conference
5-12 committees by the provisions of Rules 12.03, 12.04, 12.05, 12.06,
5-13 and 12.07 may be suspended, in part, by permission of the Senate to
5-14 enable consideration of and action on a specific matter or matters
5-15 which otherwise would be in violation thereof. Such permission
5-16 shall be granted only by resolution passed by majority vote of the
5-17 Senate, with yeas and nays thereon to be recorded in the journal of
5-18 the Senate. Such resolution shall specify in detail: (1) the
5-19 exact nature of the matter or matters proposed to be considered;
5-20 (2) the specific limitation or limitations to be suspended thereby;
5-21 (3) the specific action contemplated by the conference committee
5-22 thereon; and (4) except for a resolution suspending the limitations
5-23 on the conferees for the general appropriations bill, the reasons
5-24 why suspension of such limitations is being requested. In the
5-25 application of this rule to appropriations bills, the resolution
6-1 [shall include a general statement outlining a proposed salary plan
6-2 but] need not include changes in amounts resulting from a proposed
6-3 [the] salary plan or changes in format that do not affect the
6-4 amount of an appropriation or the method of finance of an
6-5 appropriation, but shall include a general statement describing the
6-6 salary plan or format change. The resolution need not include
6-7 [and] differences in language which do not affect the substance of
6-8 the bill. Permission thus granted shall suspend such limitations
6-9 only for the matter or matters clearly specified in the resolution,
6-10 and action of the conference committee shall be in conformity
6-11 therewith.
6-12 7. Amend Rule 16.04 to read as follows:
6-13 MATTERS REQUIRING VOTE OF
6-14 FOUR-FIFTHS OF MEMBERS PRESENT
6-15 Rule 16.04. A vote of four-fifths of the members present
6-16 shall be required to:
6-17 (1) suspend the constitutional rule requiring bills to
6-18 be read on three several days; Rule 7.18 (Constitution, Article
6-19 III, Section 32) See note to Rule 7.18.
6-20 (2) suspend the requirement that a bill be reported
6-21 from a Senate committee at least 17 [15] days before final
6-22 adjournment of a regular session; Rule 7.24 (Constitution, Article
6-23 III, Section 37)
6-24 (3) pass a bill on third reading after the 135th
6-25 calendar day of a regular session; Rule 7.25.
7-1 (4) take any action on a bill except to correct an
7-2 error therein; Rule 7.25.
7-3 (5) suspend the Intent Calendar rules; Rule 5.14.
7-4 (6) reset a special order to earlier time. Rule 5.11.