Legislative Committees February 23, 2016

Standing Committees Some of the legislature's most important work takes place in committee. A standing committee is a permanent committee. The Texas House had 38 standing committees in 2015, ranging in size from 5 to 27 members. The most common size for House committees is 9 members. The Texas Senate had 14 committees, ranging from 7 to 15 members.

Purpose of Committees Standing committees are important because they enable members to divide the legislative workload. More than 5,000 bills may be introduced in a regular session, far too many for each member to consider in depth. Committees also permit members to specialize in particular policy areas. Most committees deal with particular substantive policy areas, such as higher education, criminal justice, or agriculture. Kel Seliger, R., Amarillo, chairs the Higher Education Committee in the Texas Senate.

Favorite Committees Legislators usually have strong preferences regarding committee assignments. In the House, the most coveted committee assignments are the Appropriations, State Affairs, Calendars, and Ways and Means Committees. The committees of choice in the Senate are the Finance, State Affairs, and Jurisprudence Committees. John Otto, R., Dayton, chairs the Appropriations Committee in the House.

Other Committee Preferences Legislators may also prefer a particular committee assignment because of personal preference or constituency interest. Garnett Coleman, D. Houston, whose district includes the Medical Center, serves on the House Public Health Committee.

Senate Committee Assignment In the Senate, the lieutenant governor appoints all committee chairs, vice chairs, and committee members at the beginning of each legislative session. The only restriction is that three members of each committee with ten or fewer members, and four members of each committee with more than ten members, must be senators who served on the committee during the last regular session. John Whitmire, D., Houston, chairs the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.

House Committee Assignment In the House, the speaker appoints committee chairs, vice chairs, and all of the members of the Appropriations Committee and the Calendars Committee. The speaker also names at least half of the members of each of the other standing committees. Speaker Straus appoints all committee chairs and vice chairs in the House.

Limited House Seniority Rights House rules allow representatives, in order of seniority, to select one committee assignment, provided that the committee is not already half staffed. Seniority refers to the length of continuous service a member has with a legislative body. Former Speaker Tom Craddick, R., Midland, has served in the House since His seniority gives him the pick of committee assignments.

Interim Committees An interim committee is established to study a particular policy issue between legislative sessions, such as higher education or public school finance. Frequently, an interim committee is also a select or special committee, which is a committee that is established for a limited period of time to address a specific problem. Interim committees may include private citizens as well as legislators. The speaker, lieutenant governor, and governor may appoint interim committees.

Quiz Is the chair of the House Public Education Committee a Democrat or Republican? A)A Republican because Republicans are the majority party. B)A Republican because the governor is a Republican. C)It could be either, depending on the wishes of the speaker of the House. D)It could be either, depending on which committee member is most senior. The answer is C.

What You Have Learned What role do standing committees play in the legislature? How are committee chairs and members selected in the House? How are committee chairs and members selected in the Senate? What are interim committees?