What you should know
- The first special session ends on August 6; the second special session is due to begin on August 7th.
- Governor Abbott adds modified quorum rules to agenda after a lack of quorum reduced his first meeting.
- If the Democrats don’t return to Austin, Abbott said he would continue to convene special sessions until they return home.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) announced Thursday that he was convening a second special session of the Legislature after his first failed due to a lack of quorum. The second meeting will begin on Saturday, August 7th at 12 noon and will include new items on the agenda, including the change in the quorum rules.
After the end of the 87th legislative session, the governor convened a special session to raise items on his agenda that were not passed during the regular session. But that meeting collapsed when the Texas House Democrats left the Capitol and flew to Washington, DC, stripped the body of quorum, and halted the meeting.
Democrats said they would leave because Republicans are promoting an electoral integrity law that they believe is a veiled voter suppression. Republicans say that is not true and that legislation is necessary to have safe elections in Texas.
Abbott added all of the same 11 agenda items on Thursday that were part of its first special session, but he’s also now calling on lawmakers to change the rules on quorum along with five more new items.
Last month, when it became clear that the Texas Democrats would not be returning to end the session, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Abbott, to add the change in quorum rules to a simple majority plus a model for a future special session.
The house rules currently state that “two-thirds of the house form a quorum to do business.” The Texas House consists of 150 members, each elected for a two-year term. Under the current rules, with two-thirds present there would be 100 members in the House of Representatives Chamber. A “majority plus one rule” would reduce the number of members required for a quorum to 76 members. The current House of Representatives consists of 83 Republicans and 67 Democrats, which makes it much easier for the controlling party to maintain a quorum.
Other items added to Abbott’s agenda include federal COVID-19 remedies; Masking Rules in Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic and COVID-19 Vaccines; Changes to the 2022 pre-election dates in Texas; the regulations on radioactive waste in the state; Regulations on employment conditions; and enhancing criminal law as part of Abbott’s Border Security Plan.
The full list of items on the agenda can be found below.
- Security reform: Laws to reform the bail system in Texas to protect the public from accused criminals who can be released on bail.
- ELECTIVE INTEGRITY: Laws to Enhance the Integrity of Elections in Texas.
- SOCIAL MEDIA CENSORING: Legislation to protect freedom of expression by protecting social media and email users from censorship based on the views expressed by users, including providing a remedy for those who are wrongly excluded from a platform.
- ARTICLE X FUNDING: Legislation on the provision of funds from unrestricted disposable revenue to the legislature and the legislative authorities in accordance with Article X of the General Budget Act.
- PREVENTION OF FAMILY VIOLENCE: Legislation similar to Senate Act 1109 of the 87th Legislative Ordinary Session, which obliges schools to provide adequate education to middle and high school students about dating violence, domestic violence and child abuse, but which recognizes the right of parents to make their decision Children from class.
- YOUTH SPORTS: Legislation identical to Senate Bill 29, as passed by the Texas Senate in the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, prohibiting a student from participating in University Interscholastic League sports competitions aimed at the gender of the student’s gender opposite to birth.
- Drugs that induce abortion: Legislation similar to Senate Act 394 of the 87th Legislative Ordinary Session, prohibiting the delivery of abortion inducing drugs by mail or delivery service, strengthening laws on reporting abortion and abortion complications, and ensuring that no abortion inducing drugs are provided unless , there is a voluntary and informed consent.
- THIRTEENTH CHECK: Legislation similar to House Bill 3507 of the 87th Legislature, Regular Session, relating to a “thirteenth check” or one-time additional payment of benefits under the Texas Teacher Retirement System.
- CRITICAL RACING THEORY: Legislation similar to House Bill 3979 on Critical Race Theory as originally passed by the Texas Senate in the 87th Legislative Regular Session.
- MEDIUM: Legislation to provide funds from unrestricted disposable income for the following purposes: property tax reduction; Improved protection for the safety of children in the Texas care system by attracting and retaining private providers to the system and to better protect the state from potential cybersecurity threats.
What’s new and changed on the governor’s agenda
- CHANGED – BORDER SECURITY: Legislation to improve criminal law or provide funds from unrestricted available revenue to support law enforcement, counties, and other strategies as part of the Texas Comprehensive Border Security Plan.
- NEW – FEDERAL AID: Legislation to provide unrestricted disposable revenue for COVID-19-related health expenses, such as those listed below, taking into account the approximately $ 10.5 billion in funding local governments have received from the COVID-19 for COVID-19 American Rescue Plan Act of. to be used 2021 (ARPA), Pub. L. No. 117-2: Needs for health care workers, including doctors, nurses and other health professionals; Establishment, staffing and operation of alternative care facilities; Support for the operation of nursing homes, government-sponsored residential centers, assisted living facilities and long-term care facilities; Vaccine administration; Test pages; Consumables and equipment such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators; and getting up and running infusion centers.
- NEW – TRAINING: Laws establishing strategies for public school education from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring that students receive quality education and learning progress; personal learning is possible for any student whose parents so wish; wearing face coverings is not compulsory; and COVID-19 vaccinations are always voluntary.
- NEW – PRESELECTIONS: Legislation to change the submission deadlines and related election dates, including all runoffs, for Texas primary elections in 2022.
- NEW – RADIOACTIVE WASTE: Legislation to reform radioactive waste laws to protect the safety of Texans, including further restricting the ability to store and transport highly radioactive materials in the state.
- NEW – EMPLOYMENTLegislation that protects private employers and employees from rules, regulations, ordinances, and other policies of political subdivision that require working conditions that are above or in contradiction to federal or state laws regarding any form of work vacation, hiring practices, work performance, or rosters Practices methods exercises.
- NEW – STATE LEGISLATION: Legislation related to quorum legislative requirements.
Unless the Texas House Democrats return from the nation’s capital to meet a quorum, none of the governor’s legislative items from the second session can pass. The Texas Senate, which had a quorum, passed all laws on the governor’s agenda for the first special session. Without the House quorum, that legislation withered and died.
The Texas Democrats had previously announced that they would remain in Washington until August 6, the end of the first special session. It is not yet clear if they plan to return for the second session.
Abbott, as governor, sets the agenda for a special session and can add any item he wishes. The special sessions last 30 days and the governor can convene as many special sessions as he wants until his agenda is approved. Abbott previously said of the Democrats’ strike that it will convene as many special sessions as are necessary to get its agenda through.
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