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Senate adopts temporary rules for electronic participation, approves adjournment resolutions and refers multiple bills to committees
Summary
The Senate adopted SR 18 and SR 19 to extend electronic committee meeting rules, approved several joint resolutions (JRS 29, 30, 31) scheduling adjournments and a joint assembly, referred a list of bills to committees of jurisdiction, and approved a motion to suspend rules to introduce bills by number.
The presiding officer and reader carried several procedural actions on the floor, including readings and voice adoptions of temporary and joint resolutions and the referral of multiple bills to committees of jurisdiction.
The Senate adopted SR 18, which extends the provisions of permanent Senate rule 32a regarding committee meetings through March 10, 2026, by voice vote. The chamber then adopted SR 19, which amends temporary rule 9B (electronic participation in Senate sessions) and remains in effect through March 10, 2026. Both were read aloud and put to voice votes; the presiding officer announced "the ayes have it."
The Senate also approved JRS 29 (scheduling when the two houses adjourn on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, to reconvene no later than Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026), JRS 30 (providing for a joint assembly to receive the governor's State of the State on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026 at 2 p.m.), and JRS 31 (town meeting adjournment scheduling); each was read and adopted by voice vote.
Following the resolutions, the presiding officer listed bills that failed crossover in 2025 and referred them to the appropriate committees under temporary rule 44a (examples: H46 to Health & Welfare for the rare disease advisory council; H230 to Natural Resources & Energy). The senator from Chittenden moved to suspend the rules to allow introduction and first reading of Senate bills by number only; the motion carried by voice vote. Clerks then read a sequence of Senate bill numbers (S159–S209 and additional S200+ series) and assigned them to committees (Finance, Judiciary, Education, Health & Welfare, Natural Resources & Energy, Government Operations, Transportation, Economic Development, Agriculture).
The Senate stood adjourned on a motion from the senator from Chittenden until 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026; brief committee meetings and mandatory training were announced before adjournment.
