Focus Report, Volume 76, Number 3, January 1999 Page: 10
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: Texas State Publications and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.
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PagA 10 os Rsac rgnzto
who are in the chamber but away from their desks
when the vote bell sounds ("Show Rep.
voting 'aye"'), unless a vote appears close or "strict
enforcement of the rules" has been demanded and
granted.
Members may change their vote any time before
the chair announces the result (Rule 5, sec. 53).
Members absent for a vote may have a statement
printed in the House Journal saying how they would
have voted had they been present. Members may also
have their reasons for voting a certain way published
in the journal by submitting a statement to the journal
clerk. If timely received, the statement or explanation
is printed immediately following the vote; otherwise, it
is printed at the end of the journal for the day on
which it was submitted to the clerk (Rule 5, sec. 49).
The chair (usually the speaker) may vote on any
bill or resolution but customarily does not vote (Rule
1, sec. 8). The chair most often votes in cases when
the vote would affect the outcome, such as to break
or create a tie vote. A tie means that the motion fails
(Rule 5, sec. 54). The chair generally votes last.
Verification of a vote may be taken at any
member's request or at the chair's discretion. A
motion calling for verification must be made
immediately after the vote is announced. A vote is
verified by asking each member on both sides of a
question to confirm their votes individually. Members
may not change their votes unless they were
incorrectly recorded. A member who failed to vote
originally may not vote on verification. However, if the
correction of an incorrectly recorded vote creates a
situation in which the chair's vote would be decisive,
the chair then may elect to vote (Rule 1, sec. 8; Rule
5, sec. 55).
Reconsideration
After a question has been voted on, the House may
reconsider it. Any member who voted on the
prevailing side may move to reconsider a vote, either
on the legislative day of the original vote or on the
next day. (Sometimes members who favor the side
that appears to be losing will cast a vote for the
winning side in order to be able to move to
reconsider the vote.) If the original vote was a voice
vote, any member who voted on the question may
move to reconsider (Rule 7, sec. 38). A motion to
reconsider made on the day after a vote must be
made before any other business is taken up (Rule 7,
sec. 37).Motions to reconsider are decided by majority vote,
regardless of the vote required for the original
question. Tabling a motion to reconsider disposes of
the matter (Rule 7, secs. 40, 42).
If no vote is taken on a motion to reconsider
immediately after the motion is made, the motion is
entered in the House Journal. It can be called up and
voted on only if one legislative day's advance notice
is given. All motions still pending 72 hours before the
session ends are considered lost. All motions to
reconsider made in the last 72 hours of the session
must be disposed of immediately (Rule 7, sec. 44).
A member who wishes to prevent reconsideration
of a measure may make a double motion to
reconsider and table. The motion is not debatable and
requires a majority vote for approval. If approved, the
motion blocks any later motion to reconsider the vote
in question. If the motion to reconsider and table
fails, the motion to reconsider is "spread on the
journal" and may be called up later by any member,
after advance notice of one legislative day (Rule 7,
sec. 43).
Any member on the prevailing side of a question
may move to "reconsider and spread on the journal."
Such motions do not require a vote. Once made, they
are entered in the journal and may be called up for a
vote at the request of any member. Any member who
wants an immediate vote on reconsideration may move
to call the motion to reconsider from the journal and
may either demand a vote on it or move to table it.
If the motion to table fails, the motion to reconsider
remains spread on the journal awaiting further action.
Any member, regardless of whether on the prevailing
side, may then call the motion from the journal for
action by the House. Once the motion is disposed of,
no other motion to reconsider can be made (Rule 7,
sec. 45).
Second and third reading
The Constitution requires that a bill be read before
the House on three different days in order to be
passed. This rule may be suspended only by a
recorded vote of four-fifths of the members present
(Constitution Art. 3, sec. 32; Rule 8, sec. 15). First
reading occurs when the bill caption is read and the
bill is referred to committee. Second reading gives the
House its first chance to debate and vote on the bill.
A simple majority can amend a bill on second reading.
On third reading, amendments require a two-thirds
vote (Rule 11, sec. 5).House Research Organization
Page 10
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Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives. Research Organization. Focus Report, Volume 76, Number 3, January 1999, periodical, January 29, 1999; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth641010/m1/10/?q=%22~1%22~1&rotate=0: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.