By: Tinderholt H.R. No. 35
R E S O L U T I O N
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State of
Texas, that the following amendments to the permanent rules of the
House of Representatives of the 85th Legislature are hereby
adopted.
Rule 5, Sec. 6 is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 6. MOTIONS IN ORDER WHEN QUORUM NOT PRESENT. If a
registration or record vote reveals that a quorum is not present,
only a motion to adjourn or a motion for a call of the house and the
motions incidental thereto, including motions to impose penalties
on absent members, shall be in order.
Rule 5, Sec. 8 is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 8. SECURING A QUORUM. When a call of the house is moved
for one of the above purposes and seconded by 15 members (of whom
the speaker may be one) and ordered by a majority vote, the main
entrance to the hall and all other doors leading out of the hall
shall be locked and no member permitted to leave the house without
the written permission of the speaker. The names of members present
shall be recorded. All absentees for whom no sufficient excuse is
made may, by order of a majority of those present, be sent for and
arrested, wherever they may be found, by the sergeant-at-arms or an
officer appointed by the sergeant-at-arms for that purpose, and
their attendance shall be secured and retained. The house shall
determine on what conditions they shall be discharged. Members who
voluntarily appear shall, unless the house otherwise directs, be
immediately admitted to the hall of the house and shall report their
names to the clerk to be entered in the journal as present.
Until a quorum appears, should the roll call fail to show one
present, it shall not be in order to recess under a call of the house
and no business shall be transacted, except to adjourn, to compel
the attendance of absent members, or, by a vote of a majority of all
members, impose the following penalties on absent members:
(1) remove an absent member from any committee
chairmanship;
(2) remove an absent member from any procedural
committee; and
(3) permanently remove any privilege or advantage
regularly due to an absent member on the basis of seniority [or to
adjourn. It shall not be in order to recess under a call of the
house].