Working Together for the Texas of Tomorrow.

A bill is the means by which a law may be enacted, amended, or repealed. Only a legislator may introduce a bill, although the idea for a bill may originate from another source other than the legislator, such as an interested outside party or the findings of a committee study. A bill is first introduced by a legislator in their own chamber, and following passage of the bill by that chamber, the legislation moves to the opposite chamber for approval before proceeding to the governor. The steps in a bill's progress are basically the same in each chamber, with many opportunities for discussion and debate as well as for the amendment or defeat of the bill.

When a bill is introduced by a member of either chamber or received from the opposite chamber for consideration, it is officially read into the record, using its caption only, and is referred by the speaker of the House or the lieutenant governor to an appropriate committee.

Committee chairs call committee meetings and set agendas for the meetings. In order to be voted out of committee, a bill must receive a public hearing. A committee may vote out a bill without no amendments, or it may choose to amend the bill or replace the bill with a new version (a "committee substitute"). Bills that are still pending in committee at the end of session are considered are considered to have "died" in committee.

 In the House, bills reported out of committee are sent to the appropriate calendars committee for placement on a calendar, and only bills placed on the calendars may be considered by the full House.  In the Senate, bills reported out of committee are listed on the Senate's regular order of business. Senators who wish to bring a committee-approved bill to the floor file a "notice of intent" with the secretary of the Senate, who prepares a list of all legislation for which notice is given; the lieutenant governor then recognizes senators to call up bills from that list for floor consideration.

Floor consideration of a bill begins on second reading, when the bill as approved by a committee becomes subject to debate and amendment by the entire membership of a chamber. After the bill is debated and, in some cases, amended, the members vote on the bill for passage to third reading, where the bill is then considered for final passage. At that stage, if the bill is approved, it is considered passed. When the bill is passed in its originating chamber, it is then engrossed (all corrections and amendments are incorporated into it) and the engrossed bill is prepared and sent to the opposite chamber for consideration.

A bill is the means by which

A bill is the means by which

A bill is the means by which

A bill is the means by which