Senate waives 24-hour posting to let disaster preparedness committee hear three House bills Sept. 2

The Texas Senate on Sept. 2 approved a motion to waive the 24-hour posting requirement in Senate rules so that the Senate Select Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding could meet at 2 p.m. the same day to consider three House bills. Senator Flores moved the suspension; the chair called for objections and, hearing none, the motion was adopted.

Senator Flores read the bill list into the record, naming House Bill 1 by Darby, “relating to youth camp and campgrounds emergency preparedness,” House Bill 20 by Darby, “relating to certain measures to prevent and reduce fraudulent charitable solicitations and theft during disasters,” and House Bill 27 by Harris, “relating to a groundwater study of certain aquifers underlying the territory of the Nature's and Trinity Valley Groundwater Conservation District.” The motion invoked Senate rules 11.1 and 11.18 to waive the 24-hour posting requirement.

Senator Hughes later announced that the Committee on State Affairs would meet upon recess at his desk to consider referred business (House Bill 7 and House Bill 15). The transcript records the committee scheduling and the waiver of the posting requirement but does not record any committee deliberations or final votes on the House bills during the floor exchange.