In this occasional post, we explain terms used in the Texas legislative environment.
When a house or senate committee is considering a bill, they have various reporting options: they may report favorably without amendments, report unfavorably, report favorably as amended, or report favorably as substituted. The latter is called a "committee substitute."
A committee substitute must be "germane"—it must address the same subject as the original bill.
How can you tell that a bill has been "substituted"? On Texas Legislature Online or the Legislative Archive System, the bill's actions will include entries like "Committee substitute considered in committee" and "Reported favorably as substituted." The committee report will note if it is a substitute, and will add a "CS" to the bill number. (So, HB 20 becomes CSHB 20.) In the Journal, it will be noted with the CS until it passes to engrossment.
