The Legislature branch is one of the three branches of the state government in the Texas Constitution. It includes 150 members in the house of representatives and 31 members in the state senate. Members that belong to the house of representatives are elected to a two-year term and are representatives of districts that have about 167,500 people each. In contrast to the house of representatives, senators serve a four-year term and are responsible for serving about 811,000 people each. The legislature is required to meet every odd-number of years to write new laws and to find solutions to any problems facing the state. The regular session meeting begins on the second Tuesday in January, and the session lasts for 140 days. The governor directs …show more content…
special sessions that involve issues that are chosen by him or her. Special sessions cannot last more than 30 days. All of the members of the house of representatives chooses one member to be the speaker of the house on the first day of the regular session. The speaker is considered the presiding officer and is in charge of maintaining order, acknowledging members to speak during debate, and ruling on procedural matters. The speaker is also in charge of appointing the chairs and vice chairs of the committees that study legislation and decides which other representatives will assist on those committees. Out of the 31 committees, each of them is assigned to a different subject area, and five committees specifically focus on procedural or administrative matters for the house. However, the presiding officer for the senate is the lieutenant governor who is the second-highest ranking officer for the executive branch. Once the rules have been adopted in both houses, the legislature begins to consider bills. First, an idea for a bill is introduced by the house of representatives or senators by listening to the people he or she represents and then working to solve their problem. The idea of the bill is researched to determine which state law needs to be changed or created to best solve that problem. After the research is conducted, the bill is then written by the legislator. Once the bill is written, it is introduced by a member of the house or senate in the member’s own chamber. After being introduced, a short description of the bill, called a caption, is read aloud while the chamber is in session so that all members are included about the bill and its subject. This reading is considered the first reading, and it is the point in the process where the presiding officer assigns the bill to a committee. Second, in the committee process is where the chair of each committee decides when the committee will meet, and which bills will be considered.
According to the house procedure, the committee or subcommittee is permitted to meet by three ways; in a public hearing, in a formal meeting, or a work session. As for the senate, testimony can be heard, and an official action can be taken at any meeting of a senate committee or subcommittee. Most of the time, public testimony is solicited on bills, which allows citizens the opportunity to present arguments on different sides on an issue. After a committee considers a bill, they have the power to take action or to issue a report on the bill. The report that is filled by the committee expresses the recommendations regarding actions on a bill, such as the record on the committee’s vote on the report, the text of the bill as reported by the committee, a bill analysis, and a fiscal note or other impact statements. The printed copy of the report is then distributed to every member of the house or …show more content…
senate. Third, the floor action is the stage where a bill has been considered by the full house or senate to receive its second reading. Once the bill is read, it is debated by the full membership of the chamber. Any member can offer an amendment, but it must be approved by a majority of the members that are present to vote so that it can be adopted. Once the members vote on whether to pass the bill it is then considered by the fully body again for the third reading and final passage. For a bill to be amended again on the third reading it requires a two-thirds majority for adoption. A bill is passed when it has received majority of the votes on the third reading. Being that the bill originated in the house of representatives, they send a new copy of the bill that incorporates all of the corrections and amendments to the senate for consideration. The process of passing a bill in the senate is the same process in the house of representatives. When the senate passes the bill, the members return the document to the originating chamber with any additional amendments that have been adopted. Fourth, once a bill is returned back to the originating chamber with additional amendments, the house can either agree to the amendments or request a conference committee to settle differences between the two versions. If the house agrees to the amendments, the bill is sent to the final stage where the presiding officers sign the bill and send it to the governor. If a bill ends up in the conference committee, five members from each office are appointed by the presiding officers to discuss the bill. After a conference committee reaches an agreement, a conference report is prepared and must be approved by at least three of the five members from each house. If a bill gets approved by both houses, the bill is signed by the presiding officers then sent to the governor. Finally, the governor’s action stage is when the governor receives the bill. The governor has 10 days in which he or she can sign the bill, veto it, or allow it to become a law without a signature. If the governor vetoes the bill while the legislature is still in session, the bill is returned to the house in which it originated with an explanation of the governor’s decision. To override a veto, it takes a two-thirds vote from each house. I gathered information about a bill from “Texas Legislature Online” website so I could understand the process more.
The bill I chose is titled “HB 375” and the caption is “relating to providing for the carrying of handguns without a license and to related offenses and penalties.” The purpose of the bill is to amend some of the chapters from the penal code, government code, and the local government code so individuals that can legally possess a firearm can carry their handguns without an LTC. The provisions also allow individuals to carry in certain locations and the penalties associated with carrying a firearm without an LTC are removed. As mentioned in the essay earlier there are steps involved in the process of the bill. The bill was filled in the house of representatives on November 16, 2016. The bill has been read once and was referred to the homeland security and public safety. In the committee process, the chairs of the committee considered the bill and decided to meet in a public hearing. Since March, 28 2017 the bill has been pending in the
committee. In conclusion, the legislative process for a bill is a very long and complex procedure. I chose this bill because I was interested to see how far the decision went, being that it is a controversial topic that is widely discussed today. The methodology in the fiscal note of the bill discussed that the changes could be a result of cost savings to the agency’s General Revenue Funds. However, the concern is that it could also be a lost in revenue to the agency’s Appropriated Receipts. The bill is said to be effective immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds from each house. Otherwise, the bill would be effective on the 91st day after the last legislative session.
The law making process is a lengthy process. First, a representative must have an idea for a new law and they become the sponsor of this bill. The representative must present to the bill to the Clerk of the House if it is in the house (H.R. Bills), or in the Senate (S Bills). The Government Printing Office, GPO, then prints the bill and distributes it to each representative. The Speaker of the House, for further study, then assigns this bill to a standing committee within the house. The standing committee studies the bill and its contents and has two options, either to release the bill with a recommendation to pass it or lay it aside so it cannot be voted on. If the bill is released, it may be voted on or sent into debate within the house and needs a majority vote for the bill to move onto the Senate. Within the Senate, the bill must go through one of the Senate’s sixteen standing committees, and as with the House of Representatives, the bill is either released or pigeonholed. If it is released, a simple majority passes the bill. The bill takes another step into a conference committee, which is made up of members of the Hou...
Congress is in session far more than that of the part-time Texas legislature. The Texas Legislators must create laws for the second most populated, second largest State, This is not a part time task. The Texas congress could easily be in session year-round. Many issues brought up while the Texas Legislature is not in session are left in limbo as they await the next legislative session. An ideal legislature is working around the calendar to ensure that they are serving as leaders.
Our Legislative Branch has two chambers or as some will call it bicameral. The chambers consist of the Senate and the House of Representatives just like the National Legislative Branch. In our Senate we currently have a total of 31 members and there are 150 members in the House of Representatives. Senators hold their seat for 4 years and their election years are spread out while the House of Representatives are elected for two-year terms. In our Texas Legislature we have a few authority figures. “The Texas Constitution provides that the lieutenant governor shall serve as president of the senate, the presiding officer of that body. The lieutenant governor is elected statewide by voters of Texas and is the second-highest ranking officer of the executive branch of government”. (Texas Medical Associaton) In the House of Representatives we have a Speaker of the House who is chosen in each time a new legislature starts by its own members. “The speaker maintains order during floor debate, recognizing legislators who wish to speak and ruling on procedural matters.” (Joe Straus Speaker) There are also many committees who act as important gatekeepers and shape the proposed legislation. (University of Texas at Austin). The main pu...
The Constitution gives powers to Congress in order to execute its many responsibilities. These responsibilities are necessary and proper for carrying out its policies such as, imposing taxes and regulating interstate commerce. The constitution has 435 members in the House and 100 more in Senate. Congress faces issues with action problems and the solution to correcting these collective problems are at the expense of the incentive members. The Cabinet, President, state and federal courts, political groups, media, etc. all have input when determining a political decision in the United States. Open arrangement is an objective arranged strategy that the legislature follows in managing an issue or issue in the nation. Open approaches are focused around law; however numerous individuals other than officials set them. People, gatherings, and even government organizations that don 't follow strategies can be punished. This confounded procedure has been concluded with an anticipated arrangement of steps.
The Texas Constitution delegates authority to three departments; Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. The Legislative Department consists of the Senate consisting of 31 members, and The
Functioning under the Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, it works as representative of the people of Texas, and has powers which can only be limited by the Texas and United States constitutions and valid federal laws. The legislative department is also the state 's policing branch, which promotes and safeguards the safety, health, morals, and welfare of the citizens of Texas. In addition, it has the traditional legislative power of the purse (to tax, spend, and borrow money for public purposes), and to organize and confer powers on the executive and the judiciary departments only as much as they are allowed in the Texas Constitution. Legislative powers of the State of Texas are under The House of Representatives and a Senate, which combine to make the Legislature of the State. The head of the House of Representatives is the Speaker of the house and who currently is Honorable Joe Straus. He is selected by the members of the House of Representatives from among their ranks and his main duties include conducting meetings of the House, appointing committees, and enforcing the Rules of the House. The proceedings in the Senate are run by the current Lieutenant Governor, Honorable Dan Patrick, who was elected by a statewide vote. He is the one who controls the work of the Texas Senate and controls the budgeting process as a leader of the Legislative Budget Board. Under the Texas
Before there is a law, there is a bill – and bills have many phases to pass through before these may become laws. The course materials of week three point out that a bill can originate in the House of Representatives or in the Senate – but different versions of the same bill could begin simultaneously in both chambers of Congress (Unit 3 the Congress, 9). It is possible for the President – or someone else – to write a bill, but a member of Congress must introduce the legislation through sponsorship. New bills receive a number and receive assignment to the committee best suited to examine the bill. Project Vote Smart reveals “Bills may be referred to more than one committee and it may be split so that parts are sent to different committees” (Project Vote Smart 2010). If the bill passes through the committee – or committees – the bill may get a new number before passing on to floor action. But it is not necessary for the bill to receive a new number. The foregoing stages describe the initial actions of the Legislative branch in the procedure of a bill becoming law.
Today Texas is no longer a rural state but a modern state where the populations, jobs, and economy have grown but the biennial tradition remains. In a normal session thousands of bills are introduced "and the 140-day limitation places a considerable restriction on the legislature's ability to deal with this workload". This part-time legislature puts restrains on how well the legislature functions letting a lot of bills "die in the end-of-session crush of business because there isn't time to consider them". Governing a large urban state is difficult, and its even more difficult trying to prepare a budget for a two-year period, it leaves room for errors and leads to deficiencies. Arguably an annual budget would be more fitting for today's large state, as the two-year budget is an apparent outdated
This “two house” structure is composed of the Texas Senate and Texas House of Representatives, with a total of 181 state legislators total. The Senate is presided by the President of the Senate, the Lieutenant Governor. He is elected statewide independently of the Governor. Even thought he is a member of the Executive Branch, he contains a lot of power and influence in the Legislature. In addition to serving as the Chairman of the Legislative Budget Board and the Legislative Council, he has the authority to assign bills to specific committees, casts a vote in the case of a tie on the Senate floor, and serves as a member on the Legislative Redistricting Board. Other than the Lt. Governor there are 31 Senators in the Senate. Each is elected from their own district in staggered elections, for a 4-year term with no term limit. The requirements to be a Texas Senator are being a US citizen, a resident of TX for 5 years and your district for 1, be registered to vote for 5 years, and be at least 26 years old. The House of Representatives is presided by the Speaker of the House. He is elected by his fellow house members from a house district. His job is to keep order on the House floor during debates by recognizing the various members who speak and ruling on questions. He must also sign all bills passed by the Legislature, all while having all the powers of a regular Representative of the House. Like the Lt. Governor of the Senate, he also serves on the Legislative Council, Legislative Redistricting Board and Legislative Budget Board. The requirements to be a Member of the House are to be a US citizen, a registered voter, a resident of TX for 2 years and of your district for 1, and at least 21 years old. The Governor of Texas, while apart of the Executive Branch, does have select Legislative powers. Only he can call the Legislature into Special Sessions, and he decided the purpose for these sessions. Committees
The house and the senate both have to pass the bill before it goes into enrollment. Failure to reconcile differences or gain a majority vote in either chamber results in a vetoed vill. After enrollment the bill is then signed in the presence of the house and sent to the governor to be signed. The governor can sign the bill to pass or he can refuse to sign it or he can veto the bill to either way, which the legislature may override by a ⅔ vote. The new or revised law goes into effect after 90 days of its passage, unless ⅔ of each house votes to give the bill either immediate effect or earlier effect. I believe this proves that legislature goes there during a regular session is to utilize their time and review the most urgent and most important matters of our state first. There are enough laws already so biennial sessions constitute a safeguard against unseemly legislative action, I think this system serves texas well. Texas has evolved and grown tremendously over the years but this process our legislature uses has been efficiently modified to utilize and manage time wisely in order to better serve our state. This structure forces politicians to prioritize and focus on what is most
First, in the long process of a bill becoming a law is introducing a bill. After someone from Congress in either chamber has come up with an idea for a bill they must introduce it. For members of the House of Representatives this is easy. All they have to do is put their idea in a mahogany box at the front of the chamber called the hopper. Now for a Senator to introduce a bill they must either hand it to the clerk of the Senate or they must talk about it in a presentation to their peers in a floor speech. Sometimes though Senators can cut down this process by adding their bill as an amendment to legislation that is already being processed. This saves them a lot of time. Also, new ideas for bills are labeled depending on what chamber they come from. Bills from the house will always be labeled with an H.R. with its number behind it. Well bills from the Senate will always be labeled with an S. followed by its number.
The members include the chair of Senate and House administration committees. Four senators selected by the lieutenant, nine representatives are chosen by the House speaker and the Lieutenant governor and the Speaker who serve as a chair and vice chair, respectively. Three standing committees manage the Council activities that are the executive, the finance and subject matter committees. The executive committee supervises all the operations of the legislative council, the finance mange the expenditures and support salaries and financial plan (Dye, Gibson & Robinson, 2010). Lastly, the subject matter committee analyzes and prioritizes the study projects or even works as a study committee. The Texas Legislature regular session meets in January on the second Tuesday of each odd-numbered
The Texas legislature is considered the most powerful branch of government because of its aggressive use of the power of the purse to control and direct the activities of state government. The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of Texas and meets in the state capitol of
Following committee review the bill would normally go to mark-up. But often, bills are sent to a subcommittee for consideration and debate. Subcommittees often hold hearings. At these hearings anyone is allowed to attend. The purpose of these hearings is to allow supporters of the bill to give testimony on support of the bill either in person or by writing.
The judicial branch of governments overall purpose is to interpret the law. The Judicial Branch of government checks the power of the executive branch by vetoing executive actions. The Judicial branch keeps the legislative branch under control through the ability to declare anything the legislative branch does as unconstitutional13. In order for an issue to be brought before the Supreme Court, the problem must first qualify to be heard. An issue that mainly involves a state’s law will more than likely not be brought before the Supreme Court. An issue will only be brought before the Supreme Court if the problem is appealed to a certain point. When appealed through the rest of the court system, you must create documents that give all necessary