Texas House adopts rules restructuring committees, creating permanent subcommittees

The Texas House unanimously adopted its rules package, HR 4, on a recorded vote after ordering the previous question and then approving the resolution 116-23 with 1 present not voting and 10 absences, formally changing committee jurisdictions and creating permanent standing subcommittees.

Representative Hunter, the author of HR 4 and the chamber member who explained the measure on the floor, said the package updates existing rules and is intended to improve efficiency. "These are the procedures that we as a house follow. And I'm gonna ask that you remember this is not policy today," Hunter said, explaining that 44 of 232 pages (19%) contain changes from the prior rules and that much of the package consolidates committee jurisdictions.

The adopted rules abolish six existing committees and fold their jurisdictions into newly structured panels. Hunter listed the committees he said were eliminated and the two new committees created: "I abolished business and industry. I abolished county affairs. I abolished defence and veteran affairs. I abolished juvenile justice and…