Focus Report, Volume 83, Number 3, February 22, 2013 Page: 1
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HOUSE
RESEARCH
ORGANIZATION
Texas House of Representatives
OCUS
REPORTFebruary 22, 2013
Committee authority
Analysis before
committee action
Committee meetings
Committee action
Reporting legislation
Procedural issues
Senate committee
procedures
End-of-session
deadlines
Motions for committee
action
House standing
committeesHouse Committee Procedures:
83rd Legislature
Art. 3, sec. 37 of the Texas Constitution prohibits legislation from being
considered unless it has been referred to and reported by a committee in both
houses of the Legislature. Committees serve as the preliminary screeners for
legislation and give the public the opportunity to testify about their views on
legislative proposals. Legislation may be examined closely and revised in
committee before advancing to the next stage of consideration.
Most introduced legislation dies in committee. During the 2011 regular
session, for example, 4,019 House bills and joint resolutions were introduced,
and 1,752, or 44 percent, were reported favorably from House committees. The
odds of favorable committee action improve greatly when legislation passed by
one chamber is sent to the other. Of the 901 bills and joint resolutions the House
received from the Senate during the last regular session, 772, or 86 percent,
were reported favorably from House committees. Senate committees favorably
reported 853 of 1,100, or 78 percent, of House-passed bills and joint resolutions.
House committees must follow the requirements of the House Rules
(HR 4 by Smithee, 83rd Legislature), particularly Rule 4, which deals with
committee procedures. Each committee also establishes its own internal operating
procedures and practices.
Committees are not required to consider legislation referred to them. If a
committee does act, legislation may be left pending or laid on the table subject
to call; referred to subcommittee and either reported or left pending; reported
favorably without amendment, as amended, or as substituted; or reported
unfavorably or on minority report.This report reviews the rules and procedures used in House committees.
It also provides some sample motions used to initiate committee
This report reviews the action and includes citations to House rule provisions. For
T'his report reviews the- .. . . . .
additional information on the legislative process, see
rules and procedures used in the House Research Organization Focus Report Number
committees of the Texas House of 83-2, How a Bill Becomes Law: 83rd Legislature.
Representatives.Number 83-3
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Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives. Research Organization. Focus Report, Volume 83, Number 3, February 22, 2013, periodical, February 22, 2013; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth578499/m1/1/?q=%22~1~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.