The Texas House is expected to take on a new bill this week following the high drama over redistricting, a proposal that would punish lawmakers who leave the state to block votes.

Lawmakers in the House and Senate are considering nearly identical bills to replace the test as they gather for a second special legislative session.

House Bill 27, a bill proposed by state Rep. Cody Harris relating to a groundwater study in the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District, is one step closer to seeing a vote on the Texas House floor.

The Texas Senate voted to approve a controversial, mid-decade redistricting bill that redraws the state's congressional map in Republican's favor. The new districts could give the GOP as many as five more seats in Congress after the 2026 midterm elections.

The mid-decade map redraw adds five Republican-leaning districts and sets up a legal showdown over minority representation.