A Professional's Guide to Engaging in Texas Legislation

Ever wonder how laws that shape your profession come to life in Texas? We're here to unravel the intricate Texas lawmaking process that only happens every two years. Join hosts Cimone Murphree and MJ Hooper as they navigate the journey of a bill from its initial stages to the governor's desk, highlighting the pivotal role of committees and how public voices can alter the legislative course. Discover why veto overrides are a rarity and the profound impact these laws have on professional licensing, standards, and fees. Staying informed isn't just an option—it's a necessity, and we'll guide you on using the Texas Legislature online platform to keep up with relevant bills.
 
 Empowering professionals is at the heart of our conversation. Learn how your involvement can shape the regulations impacting your career. Whether it's submitting comments, joining industry groups, or attending hearings, your actions make a difference. We'll provide practical steps to ensure the rules governing your industry align with your needs. This is your call to action—protect your profession and advocate for positive changes. Subscribe for more insights and stay inspired and engaged with regulatory processes that affect your livelihood. Know Your Regulator, the podcast that inspires you to engage.

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Visit the resources we highlighted in the video!

Texas Legislature Online - https://capitol.texas.gov/

Who Represents Me? - https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home/

Get more information, details and resources on Know Your Regulator - https://www.belolaw.com/know-your-regulator

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
This podcast is for educational purposes only, does
not constitute legal advice anddoes not create an
attorney-client relationship.
If you need legal assistanceabout a legal problem, contact
an attorney.
Welcome to Know your Regulator,the podcast that inspires you
to engage.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
I'm Simone Murphy, your host, and I'm MJ Hooper, in
case you don't recognize me.
Today we are diving into acrucial topic how are laws and
regulations made in Texas and,most importantly, how does this
affect you and how can you getinvolved?

Speaker 1 (00:37):
So let's start with the basics.
Unlike Congress, which meansevery year, the Texas
legislature meets every twoyears on odd numbered years, so
the session starts in Januaryand runs for only 140 days.
This means lawmakers have alimited window to introduce,
debate and pass laws that impactmillions of Texans.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Now we're going to talk about how does a bill
become law in Texas.
Of course, we're dealing withthe government, so it's a
multi-step and complex process,but we hope to be able to break
it down for you to make iteasier to understand.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
Yes.
So step one pre-filing.
Legislators can start filingbills as early as November,
before the session even begins.
This allows lawmakers tointroduce proposed laws before
the session officially starts,and it's critical because it
helps lawmakers build supportand gain public awareness early

(01:36):
on the next step we have isfirst reading and committee
assignment.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
This is where the bill gets introduced into either
the House or the Senate.
Then it's assigned to acommittee that will specialize
in that specific topic of thebill, such as health care,
education, business regulationand so forth.
This step is very importantbecause committees act as the

(02:02):
gatekeepers, deciding which billwill move forward and which
don't.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
So that would be something MJ like an example of
that may be, you know, likeathletics or something that's a
very specific topic or specificindustry, and that would need
more of an expert on that topicto be able to make that sound

(02:27):
decision, Correct?

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Correct and good point.
Thank you for clarifying.

Speaker 1 (02:32):
I feel like sometimes that can be really confusing.
It's like what you know, whatare the qualifications or why
does that happen?
It's a crucial step.
You want people who areinformed about the industry and
informed about this topic to bemaking those decisions.
So then, in the committeeprocess, lawmakers, stakeholders
and the public will all weighin.

(02:53):
The committee holds hearings,gathering expert testimony, and
they may even amend the bill.
This step is also criticalbecause most bills die in
committee and they never make itfurther.
In fact, the majority ofproposed bills never reach a
final vote.
So making your voice heard atthis stage is very, very crucial

(03:14):
.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
Agreed, and if it survives which that sounds so
funny, but we are dealing withbills here.
The bill can move to the fullchamber for debate and voting.
The bill can move to the fullchamber for debate and voting.
Lawmakers here will discuss thebill's pros and cons and any

(03:34):
amendments they feel are neededand or warranted.
If it passes, it heads over toanother chamber for the same
process.
Each chamber can proposechanges, which is why bills
often look very different fromtheir origination.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
Yes, and sometimes, if both chambers pass different
versions, a conference committeesteps in to reconcile the
differences.
This small group of lawmakersensures that both the House and
the Senate agree on the finalwording, and if they can't reach
an agreement, the bill maystall and never become a law.
And this is where sometimes youwill see that the House and the

(04:10):
Senate have both created a billthat looks almost exactly the
same, but there are somedifferent nuances between them,
and this is where thatconference committee would step
in to reconcile thosedifferences.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
So now the bill has finally landed on the governor's
desk and this is where thegovernor starts his work, his or
her work.
At this time, the governor hasa choice to sign it into law.
They can veto it or they canallow it to come into law
without signing.
If the governor decides to vetothis, the lawmakers do have the

(04:48):
option to override that veto.
However, they have to have atwo-thirds vote majority in both
chambers to get thataccomplished and what I've been
told?
That's very rare for that tohappen.
So if the governor decides togo ahead and move forward, most
laws take effect on September1st, unless the bill has a

(05:10):
specific date stated.

Speaker 1 (05:13):
So why should you care about this process?
Because many of the laws thataffect your profession, your
license, your livelihood startas bills right here in the Texas
legislation, that's right,licensing requirements,
professional standards,disciplinary procedures, even
fees associated with yourlicense, are all shaped by the

(05:35):
legislative process.

Speaker 2 (05:37):
If you're not paying attention, major changes could
be happening without you evenknowing.

Speaker 1 (05:44):
And that is why we've created Know your Regulator.
For example, let's say a billis introduced that increases
continuing educationrequirements for your profession
.
If that bill passes and youdidn't even know it existed, you
might be caught off guard bythe new rules.
Staying informed helps youprepare for these changes and
advocate for your interests.

Speaker 2 (06:05):
Very true about those CEs.
The only way you're going tocatch that is when it's time for
renewal, and then you don'thave enough CEs and then you're
going to have to get audited andsubmit late ones.
So pay attention, people.
That can be helpful.

Speaker 1 (06:19):
Absolutely.
That is a really, really bigone.
You want to make sure that youare engaging with your
regulatory agency, that you aremaking your voice heard where
you can.
So let's talk about action.
How can you, as a professionallicense holder, get involved?
Here are some easy steps tomake your voice heard.

Speaker 2 (06:40):
So the first one that we wanted to discuss, which is
what we've already been kind oftalking about, is tracking the
bills that affect you in yourindustry.
So you can log on to TexasLegislature online, search the
current legislative session insession that is relevant for
your industry.

(07:01):
This website will allow you tolook at bills actually track
their progress and even receivealerts when changes have
happened.
Keep in mind people, knowledgeis power and staying informed is
the best first step in being anactive participant.

Speaker 1 (07:18):
Absolutely, and that legislative tracker is so
powerful, like you said, you canget alerts when changes have
happened, and you'll want toknow when those changes have
happened, so that's a reallygood one.
Second, it's one that's veryimportant.
You've probably heard beforefinding contact your legislators
, you can use who represents meto look up your state

(07:41):
representative senator.
They need to hear fromconstituents like you.
A quick email or a phone callexplaining your position on a
bill can make a huge impact.
Legislators often listen totheir constituents, especially
when they receive a large numberof calls or emails on a
particular issue.
So make sure that you aregetting engaged and making your

(08:02):
voice heard Very important piece.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
Our next one that we wanted to cover is attending and
or watching committee hearings.
Many of these hearings are openand available to the public,
where you can even testify onbills that impact your
profession.
Some hearings are live streamed, so you could participate
without even leaving your ownhome and or office.

(08:27):
Your testimony can providelawmakers with real world
perspectives that influencetheir decisions.

Speaker 1 (08:36):
That is right.
That's absolutely true.
Another good one that you cando is to join a professional
organization.
Many industry groups tracklegislation.
They lobby on your behalf.
They send out alerts whenimportant bills and issues arise
.
So being part of these groupsensures you stay informed.
You have a collective voice inthis process.

(08:57):
These organizations often havegood relationships with
lawmakers and they can provideguidance on how to advocate
effectively.

Speaker 2 (09:06):
And so the last one, which we kind of have been
mentioning throughout thispodcast today, is submit your
comments Again.
Speak what's bothering you,what you'd like proposed, what
you'd like to be changed.
Sometimes these agencies askfor public input before
implementing new regulations.

(09:27):
If you don't speak up, someoneelse's opinion may shape the
policies that govern yourprofession, and it might be one
that you didn't like.
Even in a short comment,explaining how a rule affects
you can be incredibly valuable.

Speaker 1 (09:45):
Yeah, the bottom line is laws aren't made just for
you.
They can be shaped by you.
Taking steps to stay engagedcan make a big difference in the
industry, and understandingthis legislative process gives
you the power to protect yourprofession and advocate for
yourself and your industry.
Laws and regulations aren'tsomething that just happen in

(10:06):
the background.
They are shaped by the voicesof engaged professionals like
yourself.

Speaker 2 (10:11):
By staying informed and involved, you can help shape
the rules that govern your workand or profession.
Even small changes or actionslike sending a quick email,
attending a hearing or evenjoining an industry group, these
can be big changes.

Speaker 1 (10:30):
Absolutely, and be sure to subscribe for more
insights on professionalregulation and this Texas 2025
legislative session.
Check out the links in ourdescription for the resources
that we discussed today and,until next time, stay inspired
and keep engaging with yourregulatory agency.
Know your Regulator the podcastthat inspires you to engage.