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Bill Statistics, May 10, 2013

May 13

posted by TexasLRL in Legislation, Bill statistics, 83rd Session, Legislative process

As we approach the end of the 83rd Regular Session, the library will be compiling daily bill statistics.

 

This entry was posted on May 13, 2013 at 12:59 PM and has received 1079 views. Print this entry.

Bill Statistics, May 9, 2013

May 10

posted by TexasLRL in Legislation, Bill statistics, 83rd Session, Legislative process

As we approach the end of the 83rd Regular Session, the library will be compiling daily bill statistics.

 

This entry was posted on May 10, 2013 at 4:01 PM and has received 530 views. Print this entry.

Deadlines and Statistics, Week of May 6, 2013

May 7

posted by TexasLRL in Legislation, Bill statistics, 83rd Session, Legislative process

The Texas Legislature meets in regular session for only 140 days every other year.  To keep the legislative process moving smoothly, the House and Senate rules include a series of end-of-session deadlines which begin to take effect this week:

 

May 6: Last day for House committees to report House bills

 

May 7: Calendars committee issues final floor calendar by 10 p.m.

 

May 9: Last day for House to consider House bills and joint resolutions on the daily or supplemental calendar on second reading

 

May 10: Last day for the House to consider consent House bills on second and third reading. Last day for third reading for all House bills and joint resolutions on the supplemental calendar.

 

House calendars are available from Texas Legislature Online. 

 

Bills Statistics as of 7:40 a.m. Tuesday, May 7

 
Filed
Reported out of committee
Passed by chamber of origin
Passed both chambers
Signed by the Governor
House Bills & Joint Resolutions
 4,079
1,757
669
15
2
Senate Bills & Joint Resolutions
1,980
1,048
911
107
8

 

This entry was posted on May 7, 2013 at 7:44 AM and has received 2045 views. Print this entry.

Lobbyists at the Texas Legislature

Mar 12

posted by Admin in Legislative process

Session is in full throttle, and with it, a higher volume of visitors associated with the legislative community. Among these visitors are lobbyists for various industries and organizations. If you ever want to see a list of lobbyists currently registered with the state, the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) is the place to go. Chapter 305 of the Texas Government Code requires lobbyists to register with the TEC and to file periodic reports of lobbying activity. On the TEC website, you can find a list of currently registered lobbyists and their contact information, as well as lobby activity reports.  If you're looking for past lists, you can find these on the same page, going back to 1998. The Library has lists in hard copy from 1995 to 1999. For assistance, please contact us at (512) 463-1252.

This entry was posted on March 12, 2013 at 10:30 AM and has received 2662 views. Print this entry.

Comparing Bill Statistics to Last Session

Feb 21

posted by Admin in Legislation, Bill statistics, 83rd Session, Legislative process

The Austin-American Statesman recently reported "Legislators filing fewer bills this session." Here is a look at the numbers in comparison to a similar period last session, 45 days into session, or, 3/4 of the way to the 60-day bill filing deadline (Friday, March 8 for the 83rd R.S.)

 

Bills & Joint Resolutions
82nd Regular Session

(Nov. 8, 2010-Feb. 24, 2011)
83rd Regular Session

(Nov. 12, 2012-Feb. 21, 2013)*
 % change
House filed 1,886 1,673 -11.29%
Senate filed 940 720 -23.40%
Total filed 2,826 2,393 -15.32%
House referred to committee 970 1,188 22.47%
Senate referred to committee 745 588 -21.07%
Total referred to committee 1,715 1,776 3.56%
House scheduled for hearing 19 78 310.5%
Senate scheduled for hearing 34 109 220.59%
Total scheduled for hearing 53 187 252.83%
House reported out of committee** 7 1 -85.71%
Senate reported out of committee 16 33 106.25%
Total reported out of committee 23 34 47.83%

* As of 2pm on Feb. 21, 2013.

**According to Texas Constitution, Article 3, Section 5, during the first 60 days of the legislative session, only emergency matters and emergency appropriations can be considered on the House floor. During the 82nd Regular Session in 2011, Governor Rick Perry designated six emergency matters; this session there have been no emergency matters and there has been one emergency supplemental appropriations bill (HB 10).

This entry was posted on February 21, 2013 at 3:28 PM and has received 2305 views. Print this entry.

Prefiling Statistics, 83rd Regular Session

Jan 8

posted by Admin in Legislation, Bill statistics, 83rd Session, Legislative process

In Texas, the Rules and Precedents of the Texas House (Rule 8, Section 7) and Senate Rules (Rule 7.04) allow legislators to prefile bills "beginning the first Monday after the general election preceding the next regular legislative session."

 

Prefiling for the 83rd Texas Legislature began on Monday, November 12, the first Monday after the general election on November 6. Following are the number of prefiled bills and joint resolutions as of Monday, January 7:

 

                83R Prefiled Bills and Joint Resolutions

                (11/12/12–1/7/13)

 

                HB/HJR                 385

                SB/SJR                  149

 

                Total                      534

 

How do these numbers compare to previous sessions? Following are the number of bills and joint resolution prefiled during the last two regular sessions:

 

                82R Prefiled Bills and Joint Resolutions

                (11/8/10–1/10/11)

 

                HB/HJR                 575

                SB/SJR                  312

 

                Total                      887

 

                81R Prefiled Bills and Joint Resolutions

                (11/10/08–1/12/09)

 

                HB/HJR                 603

                SB/SJR                  455

 

                Total                      1,058

 

The total number of bills and joint resolutions prefiled for the 83rd regular session is 60.2% of those prefiled during the 82nd regular session, and 50.5% of those prefiled during the 81st regular session.

This entry was posted on January 8, 2013 at 8:36 AM and has received 2404 views. Print this entry.

Interim Committee Charges Released

Oct 24

posted by TexasLRL in Interim reports, Speaker of the House, Lt. Governor, Legislative process, 82nd Session

Speaker of the House Joe Straus has released his interim charges to House standing committees, and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst has released select interim charges relating to drought and wildfire preparedness to Senate standing committees. The complete text of these charges, as well as information about legislative committees, can be found in the Legislative Reference Library's legislative reports database. In the "Search committee charges" section, choose "82nd" as the legislature and click "search" to a see a complete list of charges that have been issued for the 82nd Legislature. This list will be updated as additional charges are released. If you'd prefer to see only charges relating to a specific topic or committee, try filling in the "subject" or "charge text" boxes to get a list tailored to your needs.

You can also use the legislative reports database to search for committees and full-text interim committee reports all the way back to the 1st Legislature, or you can view a complete list of committees by session. If you're not sure which committee you need, check out the committee search page. Finally, our new committee minutes database contains the full text of minutes from House and joint committees from the 63rd through 74th Legislatures (1973-1995). Senate minutes for those years are currently being scanned and will be added as completed.

This entry was posted on October 24, 2011 at 2:05 PM and has received 2478 views. Print this entry.

State Budget Timeline

Sep 21

posted by TexasLRL in LRL news, Legislative process

The library has just released an interactive Texas state budget timeline. Using information from the drafting of the 2012-2013 biennial budget, this comprehensive guide presents a month-by-month overview of the budget process. The timeline begins in May 2010 with the Legislative Budget Board's instructions for agency appropriations requests and ends in December 2011 with the state comptroller's Annual Cash Report. Budget bills and related documents are mentioned within the timeline and are linked as they are released. The library will update the timeline when the 2013-2014 budget process gets underway, so be sure to check back.

This entry was posted on September 21, 2011 at 12:30 PM and has received 1257 views. Print this entry.

82nd R.S. Adjourns Sine Die

May 30

posted by TexasLRL in Legislation, Legislative process

After 140 days, the regular session of the 82nd Legislature adjourned sine day on May 30, 2011.  What's next for the thousands of pieces of legislation considered during the regular session?

How many bills were filed? How many passed?
The legislative statistics report from Texas Legislature Online shows 5,796 House and Senate bills were filed during the regular session of the 82nd Legislature; 1,379 bills passed. 
 
For comparison, one hundred years ago the 32nd Legislature filed 981 bills and passed 243.
 
See our bill statistics page for more historical statistics.
 
If the Legislature passes a bill, does it become a law right away?
No. Under Article 4, Section 14 of the Texas Constitution, bills passed by the Legislature must be submitted to the Governor for approval. The Governor can sign a bill, veto it, line-item veto an appropriation, or allow a bill to become law without his signature.
 
How long does the governor have to approve or veto legislation?
The Governor has twenty days after final adjournment to consider bills received in the final ten days (not counting Sundays) of the session. Sunday, June 19th is the last day the Governor can sign or veto legislation.
 
If the governor approves a bill, when will it take effect?
The text of a bill may include effective date provisions requiring the bill to take effect immediately, to take effect on a specified day or there may be no mention of an effective date.
 
According to Article III, Section 39 of the Texas Constitution, a bill cannot become effective until at least 90 days after the session ends unless the bill passes both chambers with a favorable vote by two thirds of the members. 
 
Monday, August 29, 2011 is the 91st day following final adjournment; bills that do not specify an effective date and those that did not have the two thirds vote necessary to take effect earlier will take effect on August 29th.
 
If a bill received the votes necessary to become effective immediately, it will take effect on the date of the last action necessary for it to become law. This could be when the governor signs it, when the governor files it with the secretary of state without approving or vetoing it, or when the time for the governor to act expires, if the bill has not been approved or vetoed during that time.
 
Use  Texas Legislature Online to track the status of bills.
 
What happens to bills that did not pass?
Bills that did not make it completely through the legislative process die with the end of the session and are not automatically reintroduced during the next session. 
 
What about other types of legislation?
Joint resolutions that propose amendments to the Texas Constitution do not require the approval of the Governor, and are filed with the Secretary of State. Proposed constitutional amendments are sent to the voters for approval or disapproval. 
 
The 82nd Legislature passed ten joint resolutions proposing constitutional amendments. These proposed amendments will be on the ballot on November 8, 2011. 
 
Most concurrent resolutions must be sent to the Governor for approval. The Governor must approve a concurrent resolution for it to take effect. 
 
Simple resolutions are passed by only one chamber of the Legislature, and do not require the Governor's approval.

This entry was posted on May 30, 2011 at 5:34 PM and has received 4302 views. Print this entry.

Filibusters and Chubbing

May 23

posted by TexasLRL in Legislative process

Near the end of the legislative session, delaying tactics such as filibusters and chubbing come into play as members seek to prevent the passage of bills, delay their consideration, or gain an advantage in negotiations.
 
What is a filibuster?
A filibuster is the prolonged discussion of a bill by an individual, intended to delay legislative action. 
 
Are filibusters allowed in the Texas legislature?
Filibusters are permitted in the Senate but not in the House of Representatives.
 
Are there any rules for a filibuster?
Filibusters are governed by the Senate rules and by precedents interpreting the rules. 
 
Rule 3.02 prohibits eating or drinking in the Senate chamber.
 
Rule 4.01 requires a member of the Senate to stand at his or her desk to address the Senate. The member speaking may not sit, lean, or use a desk or chair in any way. Bathroom breaks are not allowed.
 
Rule 4.03, which governs the interruption of a member who is speaking, allows other senators to raise objections if a speaker does not confine his or her remarks to the issue under consideration or if his or her voice is inaudible.
 
Is there a way to end a filibuster?
If a point of order is raised that the senator speaking has violated the rules for decorum or debate, the presiding officer will warn the senator twice; after a third violation, the Senate may vote on the point of order. If it is sustained, the senator speaking must yield the floor. 
 
What is the longest filibuster?
Senator Bill Meier holds both the state and national record for his 43-hour filibuster on SB 1275 during the 65th regular session in 1977. Senator Meier objected to a provision of the bill which would have prevented public inspection of the records of the Industrial Accident Board.
 
How common are filibusters?
Filibusters are not officially recorded in the Senate Journal, and they can be difficult to document, but they are not uncommon.   The Legislative Reference Library has indentified more than 100 filibusters in the last 72 years, including several record-breakers:
 
Session
Beginning date
Senator
Bill
Length
Source
65th R.S.
5/2/1977
43 hours
Houston Post, 5/5/1977 "Filibuster sets record, but bill passes anyway"
62nd, 3 C.S.
6/27/1972
42 hours, 33 min
Houston Chronicle ,6/28/1972 "McKool, glassy-eyed, but strong of voice, breaks filibuster record"
62nd R.S.
5/29/1971
29 hours, 22 min
Dallas Times-Herald, 5/31/1971 "UT-Dallas bill gains nod despite record filibuster"
54th R.S.
5/17/1955
SJR  1
28 hours 20 min
Dallas News, 5/18/1955 "Filibuster bars vote on water measure"
54th R.S.
3/30/1955
28 hours, 6 min
Texas Observer 4/4/1955 ".. And new champion .."      
54th R.S.
3/23/1955
23 hours and 35 or 45 minutes
Texas Observer , 3/28/1955 "Polka Dots and Orange Juice."
 
 
What is chubbing?
Chubbing refers to the practice of one or more members of the legislature debating bills at great length to slow down the legislative process.   It is frequently practiced on those legislative days which have deadlines near the end of session. Chubbing occurs in both the House and the Senate.
 
Why is this called chubbing?
The origin of the use of the word "chubbing" to refer to a tactic of talking at length to delay the consideration of legislation is not known.
 
It appears that the use of this term in Texas dates back at least to the 1950s. This usage may be unique to Texas. The Oxford Dictionary of American Political Slang lists the term as originating in Texas, and cites its appearance in newspapers and magazines. Texas newspapers articles from the early 1970s through the present describe the practice of chubbing, but give no information about the origin of the term.
 
The technique is also mentioned in several of the general books on Texas politics in the Library's collection; the earliest is from The Texas Citizen : the Guide to Active Citizenship in the Lone Star State by William Henry Gardner, published in 1955.  In a section on delaying tactics Gardner writes "A number of maneuvers are employed by opponents of a bill to defeat it, or delay its passage. In the House, members may prevent a bill that is on the calendar from being taken up for floor consideration by a time-consuming stratagem known as chubbing, which consists of talking at length on a number of other irrelevant matters." Again, no background is provided.

This entry was posted on May 23, 2011 at 10:00 AM and has received 48774 views. Print this entry.

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