We are reaching that part of the Session – with two and a half weeks left – where major deadlines hit and bills either live, die, or (in some cases) find another vehicle to cross the finish line!
The first of the major deadlines to pass legislation this Session passed yesterday. Thursday was the last day for the House to consider House bills on second reading, with the exception of local and consent bills. The deadline to hear those bills is next Friday.
Thursday, May 14, 2015 (122nd day)
Last day for house to consider house bills and joint resolutions on second reading on House Daily or Supplemental Calendar
[House Rule 8, Sec. 13(b)]
Friday, May 15, 2015 (123rd day)
Last day for house to consider consent house bills on second and third reading and all third reading house bills or joint resolutions on House Supplemental Calendar
[House Rule 8, Sec. 13(b)]
Wednesday, May 20, 2015 (128th day)
Deadline for house to distribute last House Local and Consent Calendar with local house bills [relates to House Rule 6, Sec. 13, requiring 48-hour layout of local and consent calendars prior to consideration, and House Rule 8, Sec. 13(a), the deadline for consideration]
Friday, May 22, 2015 (130th day)
Last day for house to consider local house bills on second and third reading
[House Rule 8, Sec. 13(a)]
First day senate can consider bills and resolutions the first day they are posted on the Senate Intent Calendar
[Senate Rule 5.14(b)]
Saturday, May 23, 2015 (131st day)
Last day for house committees to report senate bills and joint resolutions
[relates to House Rule 6, Sec. 16(a), requiring 36-hour layout of daily calendars prior to consideration, and House Rule 8, Sec. 13(c), the deadline for consideration]
Sunday, May 24, 2015 (132nd day)
Deadline for house to distribute last House Daily Calendar with senate bills and joint resolutions
[relates to House Rule 6, Sec. 16(a), requiring 36-hour layout of daily calendars prior to consideration, and House Rule 8, Sec. 13(c), the deadline for consideration]
Monday, May 25, 2015 (133rd day)
Deadline for house to distribute last House Local and Consent Calendar with senate bills
[relates to House Rule 6, Sec. 13, requiring 48-hour layout of local and consent calendars prior to consideration, and House Rule 8, Sec 13(c), the deadline for consideration]
Tuesday, May 26, 2015 (134th day)
Last day for house to consider senate bills and joint resolutions, other than local and consent, on second reading on House Daily or Supplemental Calendar
[House Rule 8, Sec. 13(c)]
Wednesday, May 27, 2015 (135th day)
Last day for house to consider local and consent senate bills on second and third reading and all senate bills or joint resolutions on third reading on House Supplemental Calendar
[House Rule 8, Sec. 13(c)]
Last day for senate to consider all bills and joint resolutions on second or third reading
[Senate Rule 7.25; Senate Rule 10.01 subjects joint resolutions to the rules governing proceedings on bills]
Thursday, May 28, 2015 (136th day)
Midnight deadline for house to distribute senate amendments
[relates to House Rule 13, Sec. 5(a), requiring 24-hour layout of senate amendments prior to consideration]
Friday, May 29, 2015 (137th day)
Last day for house to act on senate amendments
[House Rule 8, Sec. 13(d)]
Midnight deadline for senate to print and distribute senate copies of conference committee reports on tax, general appropriations, and reapportionment bills
[relates to Senate Rule 12.09(a), requiring 48-hour layout of certain conference committee reports in regular session]
Last day for senate committees to report all bills and joint resolutions
[relates to Senate Rule 7.24(b), but note that the 135th day (two days earlier) is the last day for third reading in the senate; practical deadline for senate committees is before the 135th day; Senate Rule 10.01 subjects joint resolutions to the rules governing proceedings on bills]
Saturday, May 30, 2015 (138th day)
Midnight deadline for house to distribute house copies of all conference committee reports
[relates to House Rule 13, Sec. 10(a), requiring 24-hour layout of all conference committee reports]
Midnight deadline for senate to print and distribute senate copies of all conference committee reports on bills other than those on tax, general appropriations, and reapportionment and all house amendments to senate bills and joint resolutions that did not go to a conference committee
[relates to Senate Rule 12.09(b) and Senate Rule 7.21, requiring 24-hour layout of certain conference committee reports and house amendments to senate bills during the last 72 hours of a regular session; Senate Rule 10.01 subjects joint resolutions to the rules governing proceedings on bills]
Sunday, May 31, 2015 (139th day)
Last day for house to adopt conference committee reports or discharge house conferees and concur in Senate Amendments
[House Rule 8, Sec. 13(e)]
Last day for senate to adopt conference committee reports or concur in house amendments
[relates to Senate Rule 7.25, limiting a vote on the passage of any bill during the last 24 hours of the session to correct an error in the bill]
Monday, June 1, 2015 (140th day)
Last day of 83rd Regular Session; corrections only in house and senate
[Sec. 24(b), Art. III, Texas Constitution; House Rule 8, Sec. 13(f); Senate Rule 7.25]
Regular Session Ends Sunday, June 21, 2015 (20th day following final adjournment of Regular Session)
Last day governor can sign or veto bills passed during the regular session
[Section 14, Art. IV, Texas Constitution]
Monday, August 31, 2015 (91st day following final adjournment of Regular Session)
Date that bills without specific effective dates (that could not be effective immediately) become law
[Sec. 39, Art. III, Texas Constitution]
