House suspends Rule 7A and advances several bills to third reading

The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted to suspend Rule 7A and advanced several bills to third reading after the Committee on Steering Policy and Scheduling recommended they be scheduled for consideration. Representative Gordon of Bedford moved to suspend Rule 7A and the chair put the voice vote; “the ayes have it.”

The committee report identified bills on municipal alcohol licenses, telemarketer disclosures, partial payment rules and a proposed charter for the city of Cambridge as items to be scheduled. Those measures include: an act relative to certain licenses for the sale of alcoholic beverages to be drunk on the premises in the city of Holyoke (House No. 360); an act relative to partial payment (House No. 362); an act relative to telemarketer disclosures (House No. 438); an act establishing a charter for the city of Cambridge (House No. 4156, local approval received); an act reauthorizing the town of Swansea to issue additional licenses for on‑premises alcoholic beverage sales (House No. 4276, local approval received); and an act relative to successor supplier laws and termination of sales to wholesalers of alcoholic beverages (House No. 4281).

The scheduling followed a report from the Committee on Steering Policy and Scheduling; the committee recommended that the listed bills be placed on the calendar for consideration by the full House. After the committee report, members proceeded with second readings of the listed bills and then the House audited the measures for third reading. During the roll call to advance the bills, the chair asked, “All those in favor say aye.” The chair subsequently stated, “The ayes have it. The bills are audited to a third reading.”

The actions recorded in the session were procedural: a committee report recommending scheduling, a successful motion to suspend Rule 7A, and the House’s voice approval to audit the listed bills to third reading. The transcript does not record floor debate on the merits of any listed bill, nor does it record individual roll‑call votes on those measures. The committee report and the House’s procedural votes move those measures closer to potential final action but do not itself enact substantive policy.

Minor procedural matters that followed included the chair introducing guests from several area schools and placing the House in brief recess; the session later adopted the order that the House adjourn to meet next at 11 a.m. on the date specified by the House. The transcript does not provide a date or a recorded vote tally by member names for the suspension or the auditing vote.