House suspends Joint Rule 12 to refer petitions on arts education, psychedelics pilot, toxic-free medical devices and retirement credits

The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted to suspend Joint Rule 12 and referred several petitions to standing committees, the floor record shows.

Suspension of Joint Rule 12 matters because it allows petitioners’ requests to be referred directly to subject committees for consideration rather than delayed by procedural timing restrictions.

The joint-rule suspension was moved from the floor and adopted. The committee on rules, acting concurrently with its Senate counterpart, recommended suspension of Joint Rule 12 on a set of petitions and the House approved that suspension. The petitions and committee referrals recorded on the floor included: a petition of Paul McMurtry relative to arts education programs to the Committee on Education; a petition of James J. O'Day for legislation to authorize a pilot program for the use of psychedelics in certain licensed treatment facilities to the Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery; a petition of James J. O'Day relative to the manufacture and sale of toxic-free medical devices to the Committee on Public Health; and a petition of Kathleen Arla Natra and Patrick M. O'Connor asking the Massachusetts State Board of Retirement to credit Joseph Suppa with certain credible service to the Committee on Public Service.

Mr. Ouellette of Westport moved suspension of the rules and the ayes carried. The transcript records the committee recommendation and the subsequent floor approval; it does not include committee action, bill numbers, or legislative text for the petitions themselves.

The House clerk later announced that Joint Rule 12 had been suspended for these petitions; next steps depend on the referred committees deciding whether to hold hearings or file legislation.