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Bill

HJR 151

Proposing a constitutional amendment authorizing each house of the legislature to determine the order of business for that house.

89th Legislature (2025) Introduced by David Lowe

Texas constitutional amendment allowing House and Senate to independently set their own legislative procedures, increasing majority-party control over bill consideration and debate priority.

Referred to State Affairs
#legislature(i0520) #resolutions--constitutionalamendments(i0661)
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Bill Summary · HJR 151

Legislative bill overview

HJR 151 proposes a constitutional amendment that would give each chamber of the Texas Legislature independent authority to set its own internal rules and order of business, rather than being governed by uniform constitutional procedures. This would modify Article III of the Texas Constitution to allow the House and Senate to establish their own procedural frameworks autonomously.

Why is this important

Legislative procedures directly affect which bills get debated, when they're considered, and ultimately which ones pass. Currently, constitutional rules create uniform constraints on both chambers. This amendment would give majority parties in each chamber significantly more flexibility to prioritize certain legislation and potentially expedite or delay bills based on chamber-specific preferences, fundamentally altering legislative dynamics and power distribution.

Potential points of contention

  • Majority party control: The chamber majority could use discretionary procedural power to suppress minority party bills or accelerate favored legislation, potentially reducing legislative diversity and cross-party collaboration
  • Inconsistent standards: Different procedural rules between chambers could create confusion, unequal treatment of similar bills, and opportunities for procedural manipulation during conference committee negotiations
  • Checks and balances: Removing constitutional constraints on procedure reduces constitutional safeguards designed to ensure deliberative, transparent lawmaking and protect minority rights in the legislative process

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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