With the first Texas legislative special session in both chambers ending after on Friday after failing to meet a quorum in the House, the House and Senate returned at noon on Saturday for a second special session to face basically the same agenda that sent Democrats fleeing from the state.
The Senate moved through the new agenda quickly, sending bills already passed in the previous session through the committee process.
That includes a three-bill flood relief package that would set new safety requirements for summer camps that lie in flood prone areas, installation of flood warning systems, and the more than $200 million in state money to pay for it and other flood relief efforts.
The THC ban bill is back, unchanged from last session, that would bar the presence of any form of the psychoactive chemical in hemp-derived consumables but would still permit products containing CBG and CBD. The bill was vetoed in June by Gov. Greg Abbott and the issue that led to his call for the first special session.
Also advanced were bills to require individuals to use sexsegregated facilities that match the sex on their birth certificate, phasing out STAAR end-ofcourse exams in favor of a threetest regimen administered at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the year, and a bill that would create a private cause of action against anyone who distributes, manufactures, or otherwise provides medical abortion pills to women in Texas.
Other bills would ban the use of public funds for private lobbyists, allow victims of human trafficking more latitude to argue that crimes they committed were compelled through duress, and protect certain background information outside of a law enforcement officer’s personnel file from public disclosure.
While the rest of the firstcalled session agenda passed through committee on Friday, a hearing for the new congressional map in the Senate is scheduled for Sunday at 4 p.m.
That map, and all other bills on the agenda, could be considered by the full Senate when it reconvenes on Monday at 5 p.m.
The Senate is on track to finish passing the full agenda early next week. Then, it will await action in the House. Speaker Dustin Burrows told House members Friday he intends to complete passage of the special session agenda quickly.
“I have been told, and I expect, we will re-establish quorum on Monday,” Burrows told members from the House rostrum. “My goal will be to have this body accomplish this and adjourn sine die before the Labor Day weekend.”
As to Democrats who fled the state during the first special session, Burrows had ordered the doors to the chamber to be locked with members needing written permission to leave the chamber.
Additionally, Burrows announced an extra step for Democrats who broke quorum and had arrest warrants issued. He said those members would be granted written permission to leave only after agreeing to be released into custody of a designated DPS officer who will ensure they return to the House on Wednesday at 10 a.m.
Currently, the Texas Department of Public Safety has racked up at least six figures in overtime costs to find the quorum breakers - costs which the quorum breakers are responsible for.
Each member is also responsible for a $500 daily fine $7,000 each - for their 14-day quorum break.