SR5

1st Special Session

Establishing rules of procedure to be observed by the Senate for the consideration of redistricting during the 89th Legislature.

LowStandard timeline

Low Cost

Effective:2025-09-01

Enforcing Agencies

Texas Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting • Texas Legislative Council (TLC)

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: September 1, 2025 (Applicable throughout the 89th Legislature's redistricting deliberations).
Compliance Deadline: Recurring. Strict filing deadlines trigger immediately upon a bill being reported favorably from the Special Committee.
Agency Rulemaking: The Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting acts as the regulatory body. While no new external rules are expected, the Committee Chair retains discretion to set hearing schedules and testimony limits with minimal notice.

Immediate Action Plan

1. Audit GR Vendor Contracts: Immediately review external counsel agreements to ensure they bear liability for missed TLC filing deadlines.
2. Establish the "T-Minus 24" Protocol: Set an internal hard deadline for all map amendments 24 hours *before* the Senate's 9:00 a.m. requirement to allow for printing 35 copies and physical delivery.
3. Pre-Clear Remote Tech: Test videoconferencing setups for all potential executive witnesses to ensure they meet the "clearly visible" standard; have Witness Affirmation Forms pre-filled.
4. Identify Key Districts: Define your organization's "must-have" geographies now. Do not wait for the committee report to begin drafting amendments.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

Lobbying Agreements: You must amend engagement letters with external government relations firms. Insert a clause requiring the firm to process all map amendments through the Texas Legislative Council (TLC) system at least 24 hours prior to the Senate filing deadline to mitigate processing delays.
Consultant Deliverables: Contracts with demographic or mapping vendors must specify that all data deliverables be formatted for immediate ingestion by TLC systems. Non-compliant data formats are useless under SR5.

Hiring/Training

Technical Liaison: Designate a specific member of your Government Affairs team to act as the liaison with the Texas Legislative Council. This individual must understand the "Plan Number" assignment process.
Witness Prep: Executives designated to testify via videoconference must be trained on the specific "visibility and audibility" standards required by the Committee.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

The Amendment Packet: For every proposed district change, you must generate and file 35 physical copies of an Amendment Packet with the Senate Calendar Clerk.
Deadline: 9:00 a.m. on the third calendar day after the bill is reported from committee.
Contents: Written description, TLC-generated maps, and standard data reports (population, voter data, incumbent locations).
Witness Affirmation Form: Remote witnesses must execute and submit this form to the Committee *prior* to providing testimony.

Fees & Costs

Rush Fees: Anticipate increased billing from consultants for "rush" data processing to meet the 9:00 a.m. filing window, given the 24-hour layover requirement.
Travel Contingency: Budget for last-minute executive travel if the Chair calls a regional hearing in a key operational area where remote testimony is limited.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

TLC Processing Capacity: The resolution mandates TLC usage but does not guarantee TLC turnaround times. If the TLC system is backlogged, you bear the risk of missing the Senate filing deadline. *Business Logic: Submit requests 24-48 hours early.*
"Reasonable Limits" on Testimony: The Chair has broad discretion to limit testimony time. There is no guarantee your registered witness will be heard. *Business Logic: Submit written testimony concurrently with registration to ensure the record reflects your position.*
Regional Hearing Locations: The Chair determines locations for regional hearings. These may be announced with short notice, requiring agile logistics for local stakeholder mobilization.

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Information presented is for general knowledge only and is provided without warranty, express or implied. Consult qualified government affairs professionals and legal counsel before making compliance decisions.

Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

Filed

Passed Senate

Passed House

Signed

Jul 21, 2025

Filed

Passed Senate

Passed House

Signed

Jul 21, 2025

TopicsRedistricting Resolutions Resolutions--rules

Senate Authors

Sen. Phil KingRepublican · Primary Author

Bill Text(with markup)



	By: King	S.R. No. 5



	SENATE RESOLUTION
	BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Texas, That
	the following rules of procedure shall be observed by the Senate
	for the consideration of redistricting during the 89th
	Legislature:
	SECTION 1. REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE. (a) The Special
	Committee on Congressional Redistricting is composed of members
	appointed by the President. The President shall designate the
	chair and vice-chair from the total membership of the committee.
	(b) Bills and resolutions relating to the composition of
	congressional districts shall be referred to the committee by the
	President. Senate rules governing a motion to refer or commit
	are applicable, except that the special committee takes
	precedence over a standing committee when several motions are
	made.
	(c) The committee shall have the same authority and
	powers granted to standing committees by Senate rules and by
	applicable statutes. Where applicable the rules governing
	standing committees of the Senate apply to the committee's
	proceedings. In case of any conflict, the procedures herein
	shall prevail over a conflicting Senate or committee rule.
	SECTION 2. REGIONAL HEARINGS; VIDEOCONFERENCE
	TESTIMONY. (a) The committee shall hold regional hearings to
	solicit public input on congressional redistricting, including
	local communities of interest.
	(b) The committee may meet to conduct a regional hearing
	in any location in this state that the chair determines
	appropriate to encourage participation from all areas of the
	state. The committee may allow the use of two-way
	videoconferencing to facilitate testimony from the general
	public during a regional hearing held in the Capitol.
	(c) A witness testifying by videoconference must be
	clearly visible and audible to the committee members. A
	committee member questioning a witness by videoconference must
	be clearly visible and audible to the witness and the committee
	members.
	(d) A witness testifying by videoconference must submit a
	witness affirmation form before testifying.
	(e) The chair may provide procedures for the orderly
	participation of witnesses and may reasonably limit the time for
	registration of witnesses, the order of appearance, and the time
	allotted for each witness in order to provide all witnesses the
	opportunity to be heard in a timely manner.
	(f) The committee may not consider or take formal action
	on a specific bill, resolution, or other nonprocedural matter
	during a regional hearing, except for the adoption of permanent
	rules at an initial meeting held in the Capitol.
	SECTION 3. PUBLIC NOTICE OF MEETINGS. (a) The chair
	shall give public notice at least 72 hours in advance of a meeting
	for a regional hearing during the regular session or in the
	interim between sessions, and 48 hours in advance during a called
	session.
	(b) The chair shall give public notice at least 48 hours
	in advance of a meeting for a public hearing on a bill or
	resolution.
	(c) Public notice of the time and place of a meeting shall
	be posted in a public place in the manner required by Senate
	rules.
	SECTION 4. CONSIDERATION OF REDISTRICTING BILLS BY THE
	SENATE. (a) No proposed amendment, amendment to the amendment,
	or substitute amendment changing any district in a congressional
	redistricting bill is eligible for consideration on second or
	third reading unless 35 copies of an amendment packet prepared by
	the Texas Legislative Council (TLC) have been filed with the
	calendar clerk in accordance with this section.
	(b) An amendment packet is not required to include a
	textual description of tracts, block groups, and block numbers,
	but must include:
	(1) a general written description of the proposed
	changes, including district numbers if the amendment does not
	propose a statewide substitute plan, the names of counties or
	description of regions affected, and the plan number assigned by
	the redistricting computer system operated by TLC;
	(2) one or more maps prepared by TLC indicating the
	changes made by the amendment; and
	(3) standard reports prepared by TLC that indicate
	population, voter data, and incumbent locations for the
	districts affected by the amendment.
	(c) The calendar clerk shall as soon as practicable make
	filed amendment packets available to the members of the Senate.
	The calendar clerk shall also work with TLC to provide a
	hyperlink for each amendment from the bill webpage on the public
	legislative information website to the appropriate plan in the
	public DistrictViewer application operated by TLC.
	(d) An amendment packet for each original amendment that
	will be offered during second reading consideration of a
	congressional redistricting bill must be filed with the calendar
	clerk by 9 a.m. on the third calendar day after the day on which
	the bill has been reported favorably from a committee, not
	including Sundays.
	(e) A bill with filed amendments subject to Subsection
	(d) is not eligible for consideration on second reading until 24
	hours after amendment packets have been made available to members
	of the Senate.
	(f) Subsections (d) and (e) do not apply after the 122nd
	day of the regular session, or to a bill that originates in the
	House of Representatives during a called session.
	SECTION 5. AUTHORITY; CONFLICT OF RULES. The Senate
	adopts these redistricting rules and procedures under the
	authority of Article III, Section 11 of the Texas Constitution.
	All questions of procedure not provided for in this resolution
	shall be subject to the standing rules of the Senate. In case of
	any conflict, the procedures herein shall prevail over a
	conflicting Senate rule or procedure.


		_______________________________
		President of the Senate

		I hereby certify that the
		above Resolution was adopted by
		the Senate on July 21, 2025, by
		the following vote: Yeas 19,
	Nays 11.


		_______________________________
		Secretary of the Senate

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SR5

What does Texas SR5 do?

SR5 mandates the exclusive procedural protocols for influencing congressional redistricting during the 89th Legislature, requiring strict adherence to Texas Legislative Council (TLC) data standards and rigid filing deadlines. Failure to comply with these technical specifications—specifically the submission of compliant "Amendment Packets"—will result in the automatic disqualification of your organization's advocacy efforts and proposed map changes. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: September 1, 2025 (Applicable throughout the 89th Legislature's redistricting deliberations).

Who authored SR5?

SR5 was authored by Texas Senator Phil King during the 1st Special Session.

When was SR5 signed into law?

SR5 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on July 21, 2025.

Which agencies enforce SR5?

SR5 is enforced by Texas Senate Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting and Texas Legislative Council (TLC).

How urgent is compliance with SR5?

The compliance urgency for SR5 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of SR5?

The cost impact of SR5 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does SR5 address?

SR5 addresses topics including redistricting, resolutions and resolutions--rules.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 26, 2025

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