By: Williams S.R. No. 14
SENATE RESOLUTION
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Texas, That
the Rules of the Senate of the 80th Legislature are adopted as the
Permanent Rules of the Senate of the 81st Legislature with the
following modifications:
1. Amend Rule 5.11 to read as follows:
SPECIAL ORDERS
Rule 5.11. (a) Any bill, resolution, or other measure
may on any day be made a special order for a future time of the
session by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the members
present.
(b) A special order shall be considered at the time for
which it is set and considered from day to day until disposed of,
unless at the time so fixed there is pending business under a
special order, but such pending business may be suspended by a
two-thirds vote of all the members present. If a special order is
not reached or considered at the time fixed, it shall not lose its
place as a special order. All special orders shall be subject to
any Joint Rules and Rule 5.10.
(c) Upon the affirmative vote of four-fifths of the
members present, a special order may be reset to an earlier time
than previously scheduled.
(d) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a bill or resolution
relating to voter identification requirements reported favorably
from the Committee of the Whole Senate may be set as a special
order for a time at least 24 hours after the motion is adopted by
a majority of the members of the Senate.
2. Amend Rule 6.15 to read as follows:
WHEN RECORD VOTE REQUIRED; CALLS FOR YEAS AND NAYS [REQUIRED]
Rule 6.15. (a)(1) A vote on [Upon the] final passage of
a bill, a resolution proposing or ratifying a constitutional
amendment, or a resolution other than a resolution of a purely
ceremonial or honorary nature shall be by record vote, with the
vote of each member entered in the journal.
(2) A vote on [all amendments proposed to the
Constitution, all bills appropriating money or lands for any
purpose, all bills containing an immediate effect clause,] all
motions to suspend the constitutional three-day rule, [and] all
questions requiring a vote of two-thirds of the members elected,
all motions on whether to concur in House amendments to Senate
bills, and all motions on whether to adopt a conference committee
report shall be by record vote, with the vote of each member [the
presiding officer shall call for the yeas and nays, and they
shall be] entered in the journal.
(3) Upon all other questions requiring a vote of
two-thirds of the members present, including a motion to suspend
the rules, the presiding officer shall determine if there is
objection and, if so, call for the yeas and nays, but they shall
not be entered into the journal unless required under Subsection
(b) of this rule. If no objection is made, the journal entry
shall reflect a unanimous consent vote of the members present
without necessity of a roll call of yeas and nays.
(b) On any other question, at [At] the desire of any three
members present, the yeas and nays shall be entered on the
journal, and the names of the members present and not voting
shall be recorded immediately after those voting in the
affirmative and negative, and such members shall be counted in
determining the presence of a quorum. (Constitution, Article
III, Section 12)
(c)(1) Any nonprocedural motion adopted by voice vote,
without objection, or with unanimous consent shall be reflected
in the journal by showing members present as "yea", unless a
member registers otherwise with the Secretary of the Senate.
(2) The following statement shall be entered in the
journal after each vote taken as provided in Subdivision (1) of
this subsection:
"All members are deemed to have voted 'Yea' except as
follows:
Nays:
PNV:
Absent-Excused:
Absent:"
(d) A member must be on the floor of the Senate or in an
adjacent room or hallway on the same level as the Senate floor or
gallery in order to vote; but a member who is out of the Senate
when a record vote is taken and who wishes to be recorded shall be
permitted to do so provided:
(1) the member was out of the Senate temporarily,
having been recorded earlier as present;
(2) the vote is submitted to the Secretary of the
Senate prior to adjournment or recess to another calendar day;
and
(3) the recording of the member's vote does not
change the result as announced by the chair.
(e) Once begun, a roll call may not be interrupted for any
reason.
3. Amend Rule 16.07 as follows:
MATTERS REQUIRING VOTE OF MAJORITY
OF MEMBERS OF SENATE
Rule 16.07. A vote of the majority of the members of the
Senate is required to:
(1) pass a resolution initially adopting temporary
or permanent rules of the Senate; Rule 21.01
(2) adopt, amend, or rescind any Joint Rules of the
two Houses; Rules 21.02 and 22.02
(3) adopt resolution to suspend conference
committee rules; Rule 12.08
(4) commit or recommit bill, resolution, or
petition to a committee; Rule 6.08
(5) hold an executive session; Rule 15.02
(6) pass a resolution amending the Rules of the
Senate.
(7) set voter identification requirement bills for
special order; Rule 5.11(d)