Here's a rundown of how a bill becomes a law, how the Texas Legislature works and the power players who keep things moving under the Pink Dome.
The first time Shera Eichler entered the Texas Capitol to work as a legislative aide in 2002, she was nervous. She didn’t have much experience at the Capitol, apart from a visit through a school field trip.
Lawmakers start convening today to represent the voters who elected them into office, and there are many ways for Texans to learn and get involved as representatives and senators vote on everything from abortion policy to public education funding.What is the Texas Legislature? The governor can also call for lawmakers to convene for up to 30 days outside of this time frame during a special session in which lawmakers can pass laws only on issues outlined by the governor. In 2021, Gov. Greg Abbott called three special sessions to address voting legislation, COVID-19 relief funds and redistricting, among other things.Lawmakers have been filing bills since Nov. 14, and more than 1,600 bills have been filed already.
If a committee takes up a bill, a public hearing with opportunity for public testimony is held. The committee can then choose to report, or advance, a bill to the rest of the chamber or to not take action on the legislation. Once a bill has been reported out of a committee, it must be scheduled for debate on the floor of the chamber, among other members.
"Amendments [are] really the way that you can get in under the hood of a piece of legislation, and really try to modify it for the better [or] try to modify it for the worst if you’re trying to defeat it [by] creat[ing] like a poison pill in the legislation," said Alex Birnel, advocacy director for MOVE Texas, an organization that focuses on voting rights, climate justice and criminal legal reform.
The state budget bill is developed through a two-year process that is led by the Legislative Budget Board, which is co-chaired by the speaker and lieutenant governor, and includes input from state agencies, the governor’s office and the comptroller. While lawmakers pass hundreds of new laws every legislative session, the budget bill — which pays for state agencies, public education, health care, roads and more — is the only piece of legislation lawmakers have to pass.
"That's where a lot of his power comes in," she said. "He has that ability to decide whether that bill actually becomes law or not." The tradition lends the minority power by requiring bipartisanship to advance a bill, but Patrick has swayed senators to vote to lower that threshold during his tenure. Essentially, this means Republicans in the Senate can advance a bill without the support of a single Democrat.
The State Affairs Committee in both chambers is also powerful because it has broad jurisdiction to receive bills on almost any topic. In April and May, the pace quickens as lawmakers rush to meet deadlines. During this time, the work days at the Capitol get longer, and lawmakers may work through the weekend to negotiate and pass legislation.Jan. 10 is the first day of the legislative session.May 29 is sine die or the last day of the legislative session.Aug. 27 is the day most bills will go into effect if they didn’t pass with more than two-thirds of votes. Bills that had two-thirds support can go into effect earlier.
Listen to our podcasts. The Brief podcast provides a quick, daily rundown of Texas news, and our reporters and editors discuss Texas politics on our weekly podcast, TribCast.Even though most legislation dies and one party currently holds control of the Legislature, political strategists, advocates and lawmakers all say addressing issues is still possible in the Legislature.
"It’s easy to get frustrated and then just cynical about the process," he said. "What’s kept me going for 20-plus years of working on this has just been working for that incremental progress because that makes a difference. Even small changes can have meaningful impacts on people’s lives."You don’t have to be an expert to meet or talk with a legislator’s office.
"Staff is very important in the process because staff makes the recommendations regarding the bill," Zaffirini said. "So by working with a staff, [voters] prepare the staff to be persuasive with a member."
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