House passes S 23 on use of synthetic media in elections

The House of Representatives voted to pass Senate Bill 23, “an act relating to the use of synthetic media in elections,” in concurrence with a proposal of amendment during its morning session, the presiding officer announced.

The bill’s title was read aloud before the vote. The presiding officer asked, “The question is, shall the bill pass in concurrence with proposal of amendment?” and members responded by voice. The presiding officer declared, “The ayes do have it, and you have passed the bill in concurrence with proposal of amendment.”

The transcript records no debate on the measure before the vote. The reading of S 23 and the voice vote were followed immediately by a recess; the House stood in recess until the fall of the gavel at 2 p.m., the presiding officer said.

Earlier in the morning the presiding officer announced the day’s schedule: the House would vote on S 23 during the morning session, recess until 2 p.m., reconvene at 2 p.m. to address House Bill 474 (coming over from the Senate) after a Government Operations meeting at 12:45 p.m., and later in the afternoon consider House Bill 454 and House Bill 480 at approximately 4 or 4:30 p.m. The transcript includes those scheduling announcements but does not record further floor debate on S 23.

The transcript does not include the bill text, details of the amendment adopted, a roll-call tally, or named yea/nay votes. The passage was recorded as a voice vote and certified by the presiding officer.