Senate adopts resolutions extending electronic participation, schedules joint assembly and refers dozens of bills

The Senate opened its 2024 adjourned session and adopted several procedural resolutions Thursday that set meeting dates, extended temporary electronic participation rules and sent dozens of bills to committee.

Clerk/Reader read JRS 31, JRS 32 and JRS 33, and the Senate adopted each by voice response. JRS 32 resolves that the two houses will meet in joint assembly on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024, at 2 p.m. to receive the governor’s State of the State message.

The chamber also adopted Senate Resolution 12, which preserves the provisions of permanent Senate rule 32(a) governing electronic committee meetings through March 1, 2024, and Senate Resolution 13, which amends a temporary floor rule (temporary rule 9b/9bb) to extend temporary electronic participation for floor sessions through March 1, 2024. The presiding officer called for the question on each measure, and members responded in the affirmative.

Senator from Chittenden, previewing the measures before the votes, described the virtual participation provisions and how they would operate: “You would have 2 days where you can zoom in, participate, and vote,” he said, adding that after two days a member would need the assent of the Rules Committee to continue remote participation.

The Senate also read SR 14, a Senate resolution relating to updating the Senate disclosure form, and placed it on the calendar for notice and future action. According to the presiding officer, the new form is intended to mirror the disclosure information members file with the secretary of state and will be provided to members for review.

On referrals, the presiding officer announced five bills released from committee under temporary rule 44(a): S.79 (relating to limitations on hospital liens) will be placed on the calendar for notice; S.148 (relating to childcare and early childhood education) was referred to the Appropriations Committee under Rule 31; H.21 (relating to landlord notice of utility disconnections) to the Committee on Finance; H.81 (relating to fair repair of agricultural equipment) to the Committee on Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs; and H.469 (relating to allowing remote witnesses and advance directives) to the Committee on Health and Welfare.

After a motion to suspend the rules, the Senate agreed to have bills introduced and read the first time by number only. Clerks then read a list of bills (S.158 through S.209) by number and announced committee assignments across Judiciary, Government Operations, Finance, Health and Welfare, Education, Economic Development/Housing/General Affairs and Transportation; members were told a printed list was available on their desks.

Before adjourning, the Senate heard several scheduling and committee announcements and approved a motion to stand adjourned until Thursday, Jan. 4, at 1 p.m.

“May the spirit of peace be with this legislative body as you do the work of the people of this day,” Reverend Devin Thomas said during the session’s opening devotional.

The session produced only voice votes as recorded in the proceedings; no roll-call vote tallies were given in the transcript.