House suspends rules to take House Bill 614 off notice calendar and refers it to Judiciary Committee

The member from South Burlington moved that the House suspend its rules and take House Bill 614 off the notice calendar, describing the measure as "an act relating to land improvement, fraud, and timber trespass," and asked that it be committed to the Committee on Judiciary.

The presiding officer put the question to the House and, by voice vote, announced "the ayes do have it," thereby suspending the rules and referring the bill to the Judiciary Committee. The motion and voice vote were recorded on the floor but no numerical roll-call tally was provided.

Why it matters: referral to the Judiciary Committee moves the bill from the full House's notice calendar into committee for review, hearings and possible amendment before any future floor action. The motion as stated did not include details about the bill's specific provisions, nor did floor debate on the motion elaborate on policy changes; those details will appear if and when the Judiciary Committee schedules consideration.

Other floor action: later in the session a member moved that the House stand adjourned until Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at 10 a.m.; the presiding officer again called the question and, by voice vote, announced the ayes had it. That adjournment motion was adopted without a recorded roll-call vote.

The brief floor session also included a devotional led by Rabbi Jan Salzman and a moment of silence for former Representative Judith C. DeMario, who served in the House from 1991 through 1994 and died on January 17, 2024. No hearing date or timetable for House Bill 614 was announced on the floor; committee referral is the next procedural step.