Most of the work in the Texas Legislature is done in the committee system, in which standing committees in each chamber are assigned pieces of legislation germane to that chamber’s jurisdiction. This allows the legislature to divide legislation by subject areas and work more efficiently under the constitutional mandate that regular sessions be limited to 140 days. Because so many bills are introduced and up for consideration, legislation reported favorably out of committee is referred to one of the calendar committees, which organize and prioritize legislation scheduled for debate. The calendar committees assign each bill to one of several calendars based on the content of each bill, and some calendars have distinct priority over others, given the limited time frame of the session

The House limits debate among members, while the Senate rules are often suspended, allowing unlimited debate. Delay tactics exist in both chambers, and extended debate in the form of a filibuster (the Senate) or chubbing (the House) can derail a bill’s track to passage. As part of the legislative process in Texas, each chamber must pass a bill after three required readings. Bills must be worded identically to one another or a conference committee is impaneled to reconcile House and Senate versions of the bill. Both party caucuses and special legislative caucuses help to structure the debate and voting on the bills when they are discussed on the chamber floor, as legislators seek to rally support for or opposition to bills and resolutions.