PROVIDENCE – The House has approved new rules for the 2021-2022 session that allow House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi to activate procedures that include remote committee votes and limited proxy voting during emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resolution became effective immediately Thursday upon passage.
“I’m certain that these changes will help the House operate more effectively in doing the people’s work. These rules 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 Rules Committee Chairman Arthur Corvese, D-North Providence, who sponsored the resolution.
The resolution also creates two new committees, the Committee on Innovation, Internet and Technology, which will 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 will consider legislation relating to state affairs, governmental departments and divisions, administrative procedures, open meetings, elections law and constitutional amendments, the House said.
The resolution also split the Health, Education and Welfare Committee into two committees and grants chairs of the committees to put representatives of state departments, agencies and quasi-public agencies under oath while testifying before House committees.
In addition, the resolution guarantees 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.
Greg Pare, spokesman for Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio, said the Senate amended its rules during its last session to include proxy voting. That was done on June 17, 2020, he said, noting that the Senate carried forward last year’s rules.
