Senate Appropriations Committee advances hundreds of bills on suspense file in largely roll-call session

The Senate Committee on Appropriations held a vote‑only suspense‑file hearing in Room 2200 of the Old Street Building and on the committee livestream, advancing large numbers of bills across topics including environmental regulation, health care, education, housing, labor and public safety.

The committee chair opened the hearing noting the state faces “a significant budget deficit” and that the committee had to make difficult cost‑reducing choices; several measures were identified as two‑year bills to allow further work with stakeholders. The hearing proceeded alphabetically by author; members voted on measures already heard in prior committee sessions (no new testimony was taken).

Why it matters: the Appropriations Committee takes final committee votes on bills that have fiscal implications before they move to the Senate floor or are held for further work. Votes on the suspense file determine which measures remain eligible for action before the House‑of‑origin deadline or are carried into the next year.

Key procedural points and outcomes

- The hearing was explicitly a “suspense file” session — votes only, no new public testimony. The chair said measures that were not taken up were held under submission and remain eligible for action in January before…