Focus Report, Volume 76, Number 3, January 1999 Page: 9
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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Page 9
IH Resa~rch Organiz mtn
house adsubttt anwabior
clause and substitute a new bill for the original. The
substitute must be germane to the original.
+ amendments to the substitute.
+ a substitute for the amendment to the substitute.
+ an amendment to the caption (Rule 11, sec. 7).
In recognizing members to offer substantive
amendments and complete substitutes, the following
order is observed:
+ the main author of the bill.
+ members offering committee amendments or
substitutes.
+ other members (Rule 11, sec. 7).
Up to three different amendments may be
considered at the same time. Suppose, for example,
the author offers a floor substitute for a bill. While the
floor substitute (Amendment No. 1) is under
consideration, another member offers an amendment
(No. 2) to the floor substitute. While the amendment
to the floor substitute is being debated, another
member offers a substitute amendment (No. 3) for the
amendment to the floor substitute. The three
amendments would be voted on in reverse order: first,
the substitute amendment (No. 3) for the amendment
to the floor substitute; second, the amendment (No.
2) to the floor substitute; and third, the floor
substitute (No. 1) (Rule 11, sec. 12).
The number of amendments to a bill may be limited
in two ways. The first is to move the previous
question (see the preceding section). The other is to
move to limit amendments. At least 25 members must
second such a motion. Proponents and opponents of
the motion each get three minutes to speak. The
motion is not subject to tabling. Such a motion may
limit consideration to either those amendments already
pending before the House or those already on the
speaker's desk (Rule 11, secs. 10, 11).
Amendments that radically alter the original purpose
of a bill are not permitted. However, this rule does
not apply to joint resolutions (Constitution Art. 3, sec.
30; Rule 11, sec. 3; Rule 9, sec. 1(b)). In
determining whether floor amendments are "germane,"
i.e., pertaining to the same subject, the chair considers
whether the subject was included in the original
version of the bill or in any committee substitute
before the House (Rule 11, sec. 2). Should acommittee substitute be ruled not germane to the
original version of a bill, the bill is returned to the
Calendars Committee, which may either place the
original version of the bill on the daily calendar or
return the bill to committee (Rule 4, sec. 41).
Division of the question
A motion to "divide the question"-force separate
votes on separate parts of legislation-requires majority
approval and must be made before any other motion
to vote on the question. The motion to divide the
question is subject to debate by one proponent and
one opponent for no more than three minutes each. If
the motion prevails, the chair may divide the question
into groups of propositions that are closely related
(Rule 5, sec. 43; Rule 7, sec. 2 (14)). The House by
majority vote also may order a measure to be
considered section-by-section (Rule 8, sec. 16).
Voting
The House has three ways of voting: voice,
division, and record. For a voice vote, the chair asks
separately for the "ayes" and "nays" and determines
which side prevailed.
If the chair considers a voice vote too imprecise,
a division vote often is used. For a division vote, the
"ayes" and "nays" are registered on the voting
machine, but the members' votes are not recorded in
the House Journal (Rule 1, sec. 7).
While voice or division votes are not recorded,
members may record their votes and have them
printed in the House Journal if they inform the journal
clerk before the House adjourns or recesses to another
day (Rule 5, sec. 52).
A record vote must be taken on any question if
requested by any three members present (Constitution
Art. 3, sec. 12; Rule 5, sec. 51). Before a record vote
is taken, the clerk rings a bell to alert members.
Members vote by pressing one of the buttons at their
desks. Members may not cast a vote for another
member (Rule 5, sec. 47).
Members are required to vote from their desks on
all but voice votes. However, the votes of the member
moving for the vote and the principal opponent of the
proposition being voted on may be recognized from the
floor, as may the vote of a member whose voting
machine is out of order (Rule 5, sec. 40). The chair
traditionally recognizes the votes of most members
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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/m1/9/?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.