Senate recesses until 7 p.m.; senator says House passed H.454, leaving H.480 pending

The Senate recessed until 7 p.m. after the senator from Chittenden said the House had passed House Bill H.454 and was sending it to the governor, leaving House Bill H.480 not ready for Senate action.

“The House has passed H.454. They’re in the process of messaging it to the governor,” the senator from Chittenden said, explaining that H.480 was waiting on that step and therefore not ready for Senate consideration.

Earlier in the exchange the presiding officer reminded the chamber about phones on the floor, addressing the remark to Senator Clarkson: “That means no phones on the floor, Senator Clarkson.” Shortly afterward the senator from Chittenden moved that the Senate recess until 7 p.m. The presiding officer then announced, “The Senate will stand in recess until 7 p.m.” The transcript contains no recorded second or roll-call vote on the motion.

No floor action on H.480 was taken in the portion of the transcript provided. The senator’s comments indicate H.480’s floor readiness was dependent on the House’s completion of H.454 and its transmission to the governor; the transcript records the House step as “in the process of messaging it to the governor.”