The Vermont Senate adopted two related resolutions extending temporary rules permitting electronic participation: SR 2 continues provisions affecting committee meetings and SR 3 adopts a temporary rule (Rule 9(b)) governing when senators may participate remotely in concurrently conducted electronic sessions through Tuesday, March 11, 2025.

SR 2 preserves a standing committee chair’s authority to permit remote participation for committee meetings until March 11, 2025; sponsors said the measure continues a practice adopted during the pandemic that expanded public access and committee testimony. "That is town meeting day break," the presenter noted, and the Rules and Committee on Committees will reexamine remote-participation rules after that date.

SR 3, adopted by the Senate, sets conditions when senators may participate in concurrently conducted electronic sessions and vote remotely under a temporary emergency rule. Eligible reasons include: a senator testing positive for or diagnosed with COVID‑19 and within an isolation period; a senator having COVID‑19 symptoms while awaiting test results; the senator being the primary caregiver for a household member who is required to be home for those COVID‑related reasons; or a senator or household member facing a temporary emergency relating to health or care.

During floor discussion, Senator Madison raised concerns that the explicit references to COVID‑19 in SR 3 are out of date and argued for broader, less disease-specific language to cover other illnesses and caregiving circumstances, citing examples such as RSV, influenza, or cancer. The sponsor and the secretary responded that the rule includes a broader provision (subsection A1d) covering temporary emergencies relating to health or care and that the language has been interpreted to cover other illnesses in practice; the sponsor noted that the Rules Committee will revisit the rule after town meeting day.

The Senate adopted SR 2 and SR 3 by voice vote and will revisit the temporary rules after March 11, 2025, to determine whether to continue, amend, or let them expire.