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Senate adopts temporary rule setting March crossover deadlines
Summary
The Vermont Senate adopted Senate Resolution 7 (temporary rule 44a), establishing March crossover deadlines for policy and money committee actions and listing exceptions; the measure passed by voice vote after a floor explanation and brief questions about the shortened schedule.
The Vermont Senate on Thursday adopted Senate Resolution 7 (temporary rule 44a), which sets March 14 and March 21 as internal crossover deadlines for policy and money committee actions. The resolution was adopted by voice vote.
Senator from Chittenden explained the rule on the floor, saying the deadlines require that "all policy bills must leave their committees" by March 14 and must clear the money committee by March 21 to meet crossover. "If that date is not met, the bill is then, to a certain extent, handicapped as it moves forward because it drops into the rules committee," the senator said, describing the procedure for moving late bills out of rules.
The senator noted several exceptions listed in the rule, including the transportation capital bill, capital construction bill, the budget bill, and tax revenue bills, which "are not subject to crossover. They move at their own pace." She also said that if bills remain in the rules committee at the start of the next session, they will "automatically pop out" at that point and continue their course.
A different senator from Chittenden asked whether the joint rules committee had considered calendar constraints this year, specifically noting a late start to the session and the early timing of town meeting week "and how that actually shortens the amount of time we have to work on bills." The floor explainer replied that the joint rules committee "had a long discussion and arrived at these dates" and that, while the schedule is "a little more constrained this year," there was a general feeling that there was enough time for bills to move forward; she added that there were about "24 or 25 days" remaining before the crossover point.
After the explanation and brief questions, the president put the question, and the chair reported "the ayes have it," recording adoption of SR 7 by voice vote. The Senate completed its orders of the day and later adjourned until 11:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 31.
Why it matters: Crossover rules determine the legislative path for bills between the two chambers. Missing the deadlines sends bills to the rules committee, which can delay or complicate their progress. The temporary rule lays out dates and exceptions for this session and clarifies mechanics for late bills.
Votes and actions at a glance
- SR 7 (temporary rule 44a): Adopted by voice vote; counts not specified in the transcript.
