2023 Texas legislative session: What to expect on first day
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas legislature convenes every other year for 140 days, so lawmakers are set to meet again Tuesday for the first time since 2021. As they return to the State Capitol, KXAN would like to prepare Central Texans for what's in store.
Dates to remember
The 88th regular legislative session officially begins Tuesday at 12 p.m. It will end on May 29 — referred to as "sine die." However, Gov. Greg Abbott could call for special sessions after that period, and those by law can only last a maximum of 30 days. He also has the sole authority to determine which items the state lawmakers will consider during a special session.
The Texas Constitution states the first 30 days of a regular session are "devoted to the introduction of bills and resolutions, acting upon emergency appropriations, passing upon the confirmation of the recess appointees of the Governor and such emergency matters as may be submitted by the Governor in special messages to the Legislature." During the next 30 days, the Constitution specifies the "various committees of each House shall hold hearings to consider all bills and resolutions and other matters then pending; and such emergency matters as may be submitted by the Governor."
In the remaining time, the Constitution states "the Legislature shall act upon such bills and resolutions as may be then pending and upon such emergency matters as may be submitted by the Governor in special messages to the Legislature."
State representatives and senators will be able to file bills this year until March 10, which is the 60-day deadline.
House speaker vote
On the first day of the new legislative session, the 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives will choose one of their members as speaker of the House.
State Rep. Dade Phelan, the Beaumont Republican, is likely to become the speaker again after his fellow members elected him to serve in that role in 2021.
The first thing the speaker and the lieutenant governor, who presides over the Texas Senate, will ask the two legislative bodies to do is to decide on rules they will follow during the session. The Texas Constitution lays out some procedures, but both chambers can add on other rules if they're passed by a majority of the members.
According to the Texas House of Representatives website, the "members give the speaker the authority to appoint the membership of each standing committee, subject to rules on seniority, and to designate the chair and vice chair for each committee. Under the rules, the speaker is responsible for referring all proposed legislation to committee, subject to the committee jurisdictions set forth in the rules. The rules also allow the speaker to appoint conference committees, to create select committees, and to direct committees to conduct interim studies when the legislature is not in session."
Monday live stream
KXAN's digital anchor Will DuPree will have a live Q&A Monday at 2:30 p.m. with Lauren McGaughy, who's a political investigative reporter with The Dallas Morning News. She'll discuss expectations for what will unfold on the first day of the new session as well as share the issues that she anticipates will dominate the lawmakers' work this year.
People can watch that conversation in this story and on the KXAN News Facebook page.
KXAN will also provide comprehensive coverage of the first day of the Texas legislative session on Tuesday, so stay with us for the latest updates.