The Texas House during a second called session voted to place the chamber under a formal call and authorized the sergeant at arms to retrieve absent members while the House pauses other business until House Bill 4 is considered.

Mr. Speaker announced the moves after the House failed to reach a quorum and said the chamber would calculate fines and seek to compel absent members’ attendance under the House rules. "If you are located, you will be compelled to this chamber," Mr. Speaker said, adding that civil arrest warrants could be reissued and that absent members would be given a six-hour notice window to return.

The action followed an early roll call in which Mr. Speaker said "there being 97 members present, a quorum is not present." Representative Garen then moved "a call on the House until consideration of HB 4 on third reading is completed." The motion was seconded in writing by more than 15 members and passed on a recorded vote of 87 ayes and 6 nays; the doors were ordered locked for the duration of the call.

Representative Garen later moved that "the sergeant at arms or officers appointed by her send for all absentees whose attendance is not excused for the purpose of securing arrest, if necessary, and that this order be continued beyond the adjournment of today's session until the further order of the House." That motion passed on a recorded vote of 88 ayes and 7 nays.

Mr. Speaker told members present that House administration would begin calculating the costs the state incurred as a direct result of the quorum break and that those costs would be charged to absent members "as provided for in our House rules." He also said present members would be required to remain ready to return to the chamber within six hours if enough absent members were located and returned.

Earlier in his remarks the speaker said he had reserved House Bill 1 for a proposed camp-safety measure filed by Chairman Darby and had designated House Bill 25 for legislation by Representative Joanne Shoffner providing for over-the-counter sale of ivermectin; he said he expected committees to hold immediate hearings next week if the quorum were reestablished. Mr. Speaker said he expected a reestablishment of quorum on Monday and expressed a goal of adjourning sine die before Labor Day.

The speaker set a return expectation for members registered as present: written permission to leave the chamber was entered into the journal for those members, and they were told to return by noon Monday, August 18, with the understanding that they could be called back within six hours of notice.

The House then stood adjourned until 10 a.m. Saturday on a motion from Representative Garen that drew no objection.

Context and next steps: the motions enforce rules the House uses to compel attendance during a call and to secure quorum for floor consideration of measures. The immediate practical effect is that consideration of other business was paused while House Bill 4 remained the business the chamber would take up when the call is lifted and members are secured. Committees, per the speaker’s statement, were expected to begin hearings if quorum is reestablished.