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SENATE RESOLUTION
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BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Texas, That |
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the following rules of procedure shall be observed by the Senate |
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for the consideration of redistricting during the 88th |
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Legislature: |
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SECTION 1. REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE. (a) The Special |
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Committee on Redistricting is composed of members appointed by |
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the President. The President shall designate the chair and |
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vice-chair from the total membership of the committee. |
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(b) Bills and resolutions relating to the composition of |
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legislative, congressional, and State Board of Education |
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districts shall be referred to the committee by the President. |
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Senate rules governing a motion to refer or commit are |
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applicable, except that the special committee takes precedence |
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over a standing committee when several motions are made. |
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(c) The committee shall have the same authority and |
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powers granted to standing committees by Senate rules and by |
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applicable statutes. Where applicable, the rules governing |
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standing committees of the Senate apply to the committee's |
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proceedings. In case of any conflict, the procedures herein |
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shall prevail over a conflicting Senate or committee rule. |
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SECTION 2. REGIONAL HEARINGS; VIDEOCONFERENCE |
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TESTIMONY. (a) The committee shall hold regional hearings to |
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solicit public input on redistricting, including local |
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communities of interest. |
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(b) The committee may meet to conduct a regional hearing |
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in any location in this state that the chair determines |
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appropriate to encourage participation from all areas of the |
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state. The committee may allow the use of two-way |
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videoconferencing to facilitate testimony from the general |
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public during a regional hearing held in the Capitol. |
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(c) A witness testifying by videoconference must be |
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clearly visible and audible to the committee members. A |
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committee member questioning a witness by videoconference must |
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be clearly visible and audible to the witness and the committee |
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members. |
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(d) A witness testifying by videoconference must submit a |
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witness affirmation form before testifying. |
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(e) The chair may provide procedures for the orderly |
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participation of witnesses and may reasonably limit the time for |
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registration of witnesses, the order of appearance, and the time |
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allotted for each witness in order to provide all witnesses the |
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opportunity to be heard in a timely manner. |
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(f) The committee may not consider or take formal action |
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on a specific bill, resolution, or other nonprocedural matter |
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during a regional hearing, except for the adoption of permanent |
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rules at an initial meeting held in the Capitol. |
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SECTION 3. PUBLIC NOTICE OF MEETINGS. (a) The chair |
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shall give public notice at least 72 hours in advance of a meeting |
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for a regional hearing during the regular session or the interim |
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between sessions and at least 48 hours in advance during a called |
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session. |
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(b) The chair shall give public notice at least 48 hours |
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in advance of a meeting for a public hearing on a bill or |
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resolution. |
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(c) Public notice of the time and place of a meeting shall |
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be posted in a public place in the manner required by Senate |
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rules. |
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SECTION 4. CONSIDERATION OF REDISTRICTING BILLS BY |
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SENATE. (a) No proposed amendment, amendment to the amendment, |
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or substitute amendment changing any district in a legislative, |
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congressional, or State Board of Education redistricting bill is |
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eligible for consideration on second or third reading unless 35 |
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copies of an amendment packet prepared by the Texas Legislative |
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Council have been filed with the calendar clerk in accordance |
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with this section. |
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(b) An amendment packet is not required to include a |
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description of geography in the form of counties and census |
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tracts, block groups, and blocks, but must include: |
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(1) a general written description of the proposed |
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changes, including district numbers if the amendment does not |
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propose a statewide substitute plan, the names of counties or a |
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description of regions affected, and the plan number assigned by |
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the redistricting computer system operated by the Texas |
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Legislative Council; |
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(2) one or more maps prepared by the Texas |
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Legislative Council indicating the changes made by the |
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amendment; and |
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(3) standard reports prepared by the Texas |
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Legislative Council that include population, voter data, and |
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incumbent locations for the districts affected by the amendment. |
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(c) The calendar clerk shall as soon as practicable make |
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filed amendment packets available to the members of the Senate. |
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The calendar clerk shall also work with the Texas Legislative |
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Council to provide hyperlinks from the bill webpage on the public |
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legislative information website to the appropriate plan for each |
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amendment in the public DistrictViewer application operated by |
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the Texas Legislative Council. |
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(d) An amendment packet for each original amendment that |
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will be offered during second reading consideration of a |
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legislative, congressional, or State Board of Education |
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redistricting bill must be filed with the calendar clerk by 9 |
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a.m. on the third calendar day after the date the bill is reported |
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favorably from a committee, excluding Sundays. |
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(e) A bill with filed amendments subject to Subsection |
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(d) of this section is not eligible for consideration on second |
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reading until amendment packets have been made available to |
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members of the Senate for at least 24 hours. |
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(f) Subsections (d) and (e) of this section do not apply |
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after the 122nd day of the regular session, nor to a bill that |
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originates in the House of Representatives during a called |
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session. |
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SECTION 5. AUTHORITY; CONFLICT OF RULES. The Senate |
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adopts these redistricting rules and procedures under the |
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authority of Section 11, Article III, Texas Constitution. All |
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questions of procedure not provided for in this resolution shall |
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be subject to the standing rules of the Senate. In case of any |
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conflict, the procedures herein shall prevail over a conflicting |
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Senate rule or procedure. |
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_______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on January 11, 2023, |
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by the following vote: Yeas 31, |
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Nays 0. |
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_______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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Establishing redistricting rules for the 88th Legislature. |