Important Deadlines for Bill Actions

BY DAVID D. ANDERSON

affected by the decisions of the Texas Legislature— the session’s many procedural rules and deadlines seem confusing and arcane.

For Texas educators, understanding how the final weeks of any session work is important.

The House and Senate operate with certain calendar rules that are intended to be a practical summary guide to the end-of-session deadlines. Here is an outline of what to expect as the final three weeks of the 88th Session wind down:

MAY 8: Last day for House Committees to report

House Bills (HBs) and House Joint Resolutions (HJRs). If a HB or HJR isn’t reported by the 119th day of the session, the bill dies.

MAY 11: Last day for the House to consider HBs and HJRs on 2nd reading on the daily or supplemental calendars. If a HB or HJR doesn’t pass the 2nd reading vote by the 119th day of the session, the bill dies.

MAY 12: Last day for the House to consider consent on all HBs on the local and consent calendar and ALL HBs and HJRs on the House supplemental calendar. Otherwise, the HB or the HJR dies.

MAY 19: Last day for the House to consider local HBs on the local and consent calendar on 2nd and 3rd readings. If the local HB doesn’t pass the 2nd and 3rd reading vote by the 119th day of the session, the bill dies.

MAY 20: Last day for the House committees to report Senate Bills (SBs) and Senate Joint Resolutions (SJRs). If the SBs and SJRs are not reported, they die.

MAY 23: Last day for the House to consider 2nd reading SBs and SJRs on daily or supplemental calendar.

MAY 24: Last day for the House to consider all local and consent SBs and all 3rd reading SBs and SJRs on the supplemental calendar

MAY 26: By midnight, all House conference committee reports on the appropriations bill must be distributed and the last day for the House to act on Senate amendments.

MAY 27: By midnight, House copies of the conference committee reports (CCRs) for all bills except the appropriations bill must be distributed. If the CCR for a bill isn’t distributed, the bill dies.

MAY 28: On the next to last day of the session, the House will adopt CCRs or discharge its conferees and concur in Senate amendments. This is also the last day for the Senate to concur in house amendment or adopt CCRs. If this actions are not taken, the bill dies.

MAY 29: On the final day of the session, both the House and the Senate allow corrections only before each chamber adjourns sine die.

JUNE 18: The twentieth day after adjournment is the last day of the governor’s veto window. As bills are passed, the governor can also sign or veto bills, including vetoing line items in the state budget passed as HB 1 this session. Lawmakers can override a veto with two-thirds votes from the members present in each chamber, but they rarely do, as most bills are signed after the legislature adjourns sine die.

If the governor takes no action on a bill, it still becomes law. The governor may leave a bill unsigned as a means to provide some distance from the legislation.

Your high school government teacher will be proud of you for making your way through this entire calendar summary!

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