AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Tuesday that he'll call lawmakers back to the Capitol for a special session beginning July 8.
According to a release from the governor's office, the agenda items for the 30-day special session will be announced at a later date.
Abbott has said he planned to call lawmakers back to deal with election reform and bail reform, two Republican priority issues that died in the House in the waning moments of the regular session in May.
"Ensuring the integrity of our elections and reforming a broken bail system remain emergencies in Texas," Abbott said following the end of the regular session on May 31. "They will be added to the special session agenda. Legislators will be expected to have worked out the details when they arrive at the Capitol for the special session."
Once the 2020 Census data is released later this year, lawmakers will also need to redraw the state's political maps. Abbott has also indicated he plans to have lawmakers work to divy up $16 billion in federal coronavirus stimulus funding during a special session this fall.
Under a special session, lawmakers are restricted to only considering items that Abbott has called for. "First, the only things I'll be putting on there are things I want to see passed," Abbott said in Fort Worth on May 27. "Second, we're going to go one item at a time. There will be one item placed upon the agenda. Not until they passed that item will we move on to another item."
