Focus Report, Volume 76, Number 3, January 1999 Page: 11
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House Research OraanizationPae1
Bills passed on second reading usually are set for
third reading on the next day's calendar. Approval on
second reading is referred to as "passage to
engrossment." A bill is "engrossed" when it finally
passes on third reading. A bill that is finally approved
by both houses is "enrolled."
A bill may be given a second and a third reading
on the same calendar day in the following cases:
+ In cases of "imperative public necessity," the
House by a four-fifths record vote of the members
present can suspend the constitutional rule requiring
reading on three separate days (Constitution Art. 3,
sec. 32; Rule 8, sec. 15).
+ The Constitution's requirement for reading on
"three several days" has been interpreted to mean
three legislative days. A legislative day is considered
to be finished whenever the House adjourns.
Therefore, the House may pass a bill on second
reading, adjourn, reconvene later, then take up the bill
on third reading. However, the House may not begin
two legislative days on the same calendar day. For
example, if the House wishes to pass a bill on both
second and third readings on a Tuesday, it must
recess instead of adjourn at the close of Monday's
session. The bill may be passed on second reading on
Tuesday, and the House may then adjourn. Both
Monday and Tuesday are considered parts of the
same legislative day. Later on Tuesday, the House may
reconvene and start a new legislative day, during
which the bill may be passed on third reading without
suspending the three-day requirement. Most often this
procedure is used when considering the Local,
Consent, and Resolutions Calendar.
Senate bills
When the House comes to a House bill on the daily
calendar, and a Senate bill on the same subject has
been reported from a House committee, the Senate bill
takes precedence. In such cases, the Senate bill will
be considered in lieu of the House bill, which is laid
on the table subject to call (Rule 6, sec. 10).
Joint resolutions and constitutional
amendments
Proposed amendments to the U.S. Constitution are
ratified by majority approval of a joint resolution.
Applications to Congress for a convention to amend
the U.S. Constitution are approved in the same
manner. If joint resolutions for these purposes areapproved on second reading by a majority of the
members present, they are considered adopted, and no
third reading is required (Rule 9, sec. 2).
Proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution
also are presented as joint resolutions. These
resolutions require approval by two-thirds of the
membership of each house (100 votes in the House,
21 in the Senate) for adoption. If such a resolution
receives only a majority vote on second reading, it is
passed to engrossment (third reading). If the resolution
then fails to win approval by two-thirds of the House
membership on third reading, it fails. If a joint
resolution receives a favorable vote of two-thirds of
the House membership on second reading, no third
reading vote is required (Constitution Art. 17, sec. 1;
Rule 9, sec. 1).
A joint resolution is not submitted to the governor
for approval. If proposing a constitutional amendment,
joint resolutions are presented to the voters for
approval on an election date set by the resolution.
Simple and concurrent resolutions
Simple resolutions and concurrent resolutions are
introduced and referred to committee in the same
manner as bills and joint resolutions. Simple resolutions
are used for matters affecting only the House, such as
the House rules, the housekeeping resolution, and
nonbinding expressions of House sentiment or intent
on particular issues. Concurrent resolutions express
the will of both houses of the Legislature and
commonly are used to grant the permission of the
Legislature to sue the state, to authorize joint
committees, or to request action by the U.S.
Congress. These resolutions are reported from
committee and sent to the Calendars Committee for
placement on the Resolutions Calendar or to the Local
and Consent Calendars Committee for placement on the
Local, Consent, and Resolutions Calendar for floor
consideration.
Resolutions that congratulate or memorialize are
referred to the Rules and Resolutions Committee,
which places them on a Congratulatory and Memorial
Resolutions Calendar. Majority approval is required for
adoption. However, it is common practice for the
House to "suspend all necessary rules" to take up and
consider individual resolutions of a congratulatory or
memorial nature.
Simple resolutions, as the act of only one house,
are not sent to the governor for approval. ConcurrentPage 11
House Research Organiz tion
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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/m1/11/?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.