Senator moves to recommit S.79 on hospital liens to Judiciary; motion approved

The Vermont Senate on an opening-session motion recommitted S.79, an act relating to limitations on hospital liens, to the Committee on Judiciary. The motion was introduced by the senator from Chittenden Central, who said portions of S.79 had been folded into other legislation last session and the item should be returned to committee rather than placed on the floor.

The senator from Chittenden Central moved the recommitment, explaining, “the bill wound up in another bill last session... what popped out of the rules committee for missing crossover automatically in January is a duplication of what has already gone through the process.” The presiding officer put the question to the Senate and announced the voice vote had the effect of recommitting S.79 to the Judiciary Committee.

The action was procedural: it returns the bill to committee for further consideration rather than advancing it on the calendar. No amendment or substitute language was adopted on the floor, and no roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript; the outcome was announced by voice vote.

The Senate then proceeded with first readings of several bills and routine announcements before adjourning until Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 9:30 a.m.