Committee to Vote Tomorrow on Proposed House Rules

STATE HOUSE – The House Rules Committee has scheduled a vote tomorrow on a revised set of new rules for the House of Representatives, including rules that allow the speaker to activate procedures that include remote committee votes and limited proxy voting during emergencies such as the current pandemic.

The proposal (2021-H 5002A), which will come for a vote before the committee at a hearing tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan. 26, at the rise of the House session (around 4:30 p.m.), now incorporates proposals made during two public hearings, including granting committee chairs discretion to put representatives of state departments, agencies, and quasi-public agencies under oath while testifying before House committees.

Another change included in the version being considered tomorrow allows the speaker to require, during public health emergencies, that members comply with public safety measures recommended by the Department of Health while in attendance at any session or committee of the House.

“I’m certain that these changes will help the House operate more effectively in doing the people’s work. These proposals will allow new committees to better focus on the types of issues we consider today, and keep legislation moving by spreading out the workload. It also gives us the latitude we need to keep working safely through emergencies like the current pandemic. Being able to do more of our committee work remotely, and allowing proxy voting by those who can’t safely be in a large group will help legislate in the new realities we currently face,” said Chairman Corvese (D-Dist. 55, North Providence).

In response to the difficult legislative conditions caused by the pandemic, the proposal would provide the speaker with discretion to trigger temporary legislative procedures during a public health or other emergency. Those temporary procedures include allowing members to participate and vote in committee meetings via video conferencing or telephone, as long as the member’s identity could be verified.

Under the proposal, the speaker could temporarily allow members to vote by proxy on items on the daily and consent calendars, provided there is a quorum met by the physical presence of 38 of the members. Members would communicate their proxy votes to their majority or minority leader and the House clerk.

Temporary procedures would remain in place until the speaker rescinds them at his discretion at the conclusion of the public emergency.

The amended bill would guarantee that each member will be appointed to at least two committees, and would increase from five to 10 the number of cosponsors that can be published on each bill. 

 The bill adds two new standing committees: a Committee on Innovation, Internet and Technology, which would address issues relating to cybersecurity, data and internet privacy, and emerging technology, including technological innovation in state government; and a Committee on State Government and Elections, which would consider legislation relating to state affairs, governmental departments and divisions, administrative procedures, open meetings, elections law and constitutional amendments.

It also splits the Committee on Health, Education and Welfare into two distinct committees: a Committee on Education and a Committee on Health and Human services. This change would better position committees to hear legislation focusing on these distinct and important issues confronting the state. Additionally, it would change the Municipal Government Committee to the Municipal Government and Housing Committee to reflect the importance that the House places upon the issue of housing currently facing our communities.

The proposal allowing members to carry up to three of their bills over for the second year of a legislative term would allow them to avoid the process of reintroduction for their highest legislative priorities.

The proposal has been amended to provide a more detailed procedure for the discipline of a member which affords due process protections to the member, through the House’s Committee on Conduct. It also adds clarification on the procedure for running the legislative session on days when the speaker is absent.

No testimony will be taken at this meeting, held in Room 35. It will be televised live on Capitol Television, which can be seen on Cox Channels 15, and 61, in high definition on Cox Channel 1061, on Full Channel on Channel 15 and on Channel 34 by Verizon subscribers. It will also be live streamed at http://www.rilegislature.gov/CapTV/Pages/default.aspx. The State House remains closed to the public.