The Massachusetts House conducted routine legislative business, advancing a broad slate of bills, adopting a set of congratulatory resolutions, and taking procedural votes to move measures toward final passage.

The session opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and the adoption of resolutions honoring several young people who achieved the rank of Eagle Scout; those resolutions were reported and agreed to under suspension of the rules. Members repeatedly moved to suspend Rule 7A to take up second readings, and the House ordered many bills to third reading.

Among actions taken on the floor, a member identified in the transcript as Mister Walsh of Peabody moved to strike an emergency preamble from a bill; the amendment was read and the House adopted it. The clerk also read committee reports recommending that bills be scheduled or reported as ought to pass, including a bill printed as House No. 5142 related to terms of certain Commonwealth bonds and several locally focused measures (authorizing firefighter candidates to take civil service examinations notwithstanding age limits, allowing additional liquor licenses in the town of Clinton, and pension obligation bonds for Southborough, among others).

The House advanced a range of policy and local-interest bills: it ordered measures to third reading, passed many bills to be engrossed on third reading, and concurred in senate amendments where committees had recommended concurrence. Items advanced included legislation concerning genetic counselors (House No. 274 as discussed and advanced with amendment), a proposal to create a branch of the Boston Public Library within an affordable housing development in Dorchester (advanced as amended), and bills addressing creditable service in the Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System.

The routine session included ceremonial moments: Representative Vaughn introduced a championship cheer team and the Chair later introduced Yana Kobayashi, described in the transcript as a government-technology expert visiting from Tokyo. The House recessed briefly and then returned to take further procedural and engrossment votes.

Procedural language was used frequently on the floor: the Chair repeatedly called for the question with ‘‘All those in favor say ‘aye’’’ and the clerk recorded results. The body adopted orders and scheduling motions and, at the close of the session, Mister Frost of Auburn moved that the House stand adjourned; the House adjourned to meet Thursday next at 11:00 a.m. The clerk read a separate order scheduling an attorney meeting for Thursday at 11:00 a.m., which the House also adopted.

What happens next: Many of the measures advanced in this session were ordered to third reading or passed to be engrossed and will return for subsequent floor action and final passage votes as appropriate.