During a floor session, the presiding officer of the Texas House of Representatives moved to place a call of the House and the chamber voted to compel the return of absent members, directing the sergeant at arms to bring back unexcused legislators and authorizing warrants for civil arrest if necessary. Representative Garen moved the primary motions that the House approved.

The action followed the presiding officer's remarks criticizing the members who left the state and saying their absence delayed consideration of urgent measures, including disaster recovery and human trafficking responses. The presiding officer said, “They've left the state, abandoned their posts, and turned their backs on the constituents they swore to represent,” and warned that “leaving the state does not stop this house from doing its work.”

The motions began when Representative Garen moved “a call on the House until consideration of HB 4 on third reading is completed.” The motion was entered as a record vote; the clerk reported “86 ayes and 6 nays,” and the presiding officer ordered the doors locked. Garen then 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 and maintaining their attendance under warrant of arrest if necessary and this order to be continued beyond the adjournment of day's session and until the further order of the House.” That motion also passed on a recorded vote the clerk reported as “85 ayes and 6 nays.”

After the votes, the chamber directed the sergeant at arms and any appointed officers “to send for all absentees whose attendance is not excused for the purposes of securing and maintaining their attendance under warrant of arrest if necessary until further order of the house.” House rules were invoked during the exchange: the presiding officer noted that while the House is under a call, any member wishing to leave the hall must have written permission from the speaker. The chair provided written permission to be entered in the journal for each member registered as present on the roll call to leave the chamber and return the following day at 1 p.m.

The presiding officer opened the session by invoking the urgency of pending items, saying the delay increases costs and that the House would use “any and all means available to this office” to establish quorum. Representative Garen spoke briefly to move the call and later to move the order to secure absentees; during the roll calls the clerk recorded the ayes and nays and the speaker ordered the doorkeeper to lock the doors.

The House concluded the session by adjourning under the call to reconvene at 1 p.m. the next day. Will Metcalfe led the Pledge of Allegiance earlier in the session; the record shows the presiding officer offered prayer before business resumed. No further substantive debate or amendments to HB 4 are recorded in the provided segment.