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House Health and Human Services committee adopts proxy voting, affirms procedural rules and schedules hearings
Summary
At its organizational meeting, the House Health and Human Services Committee voted to allow proxy voting (voice vote, motion carried); staff reviewed rules for bill hearings, amendments, quorums (quorum = 11 of 21), use of informational witnesses, and set hearings for House Bill 76 and House Bill 77 for the next day and executive-action days on Fridays.
The House Health and Human Services Committee adopted proxy voting and reviewed committee procedures during its organizational meeting. Chair Ron Marshall called roll and led member introductions before staff briefings and several procedural votes.
Representative Jodi Etchart moved "to vote for proxy, to allow proxy voting." The committee held a voice vote; Chair Marshall called for 'aye' and 'opposed' and declared, "Motion carries." Members discussed who will hold proxy binders; the chair said vice chairs will by default hold proxy folders but noted members may designate others if they prefer.
Legislative staff (research analyst Millie Allen and clerk Mia Moses) reviewed committee procedures, including the bill-hearing process, amendment-drafting timelines (staff request amendments at least 24 hours before proposed action), decorum requirements, and quorum rules. Millie Allen read decision points drawn from House rules, including that a quorum for this 21-member committee is 11 members present physically or remotely and that proxies do not count toward a quorum in lieu of physical presence.
The committee clarified handling of informational witnesses: they should state name, affiliation and the topic; if testimony drifts toward advocacy, staff warned the chair may redesignate the witness as a proponent or opponent. The committee also discussed executive action logistics and agreed to schedule executive-action sessions on Fridays, with flexibility near transmittal deadlines.
Chair Marshall announced the committee will hear House Bill 76 and House Bill 77 the following day, with presentations to be made by Vice Chair Howell. Staff also noted administrative details (microphone/camera cautions and an existing packet of decision points for members).
Next steps: Vice chairs asked members to submit proxy forms before leaving and staff offered to circulate an updated acronym sheet and decision-points packet to new members.
