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House suspends joint rule 12 to refer a slate of petitions to committees
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Summary
The House suspended joint rule 12 to allow immediate referral of multiple petitions — including measures on consumer connected devices, a state forest trail designation, and protections for piping plovers — to the appropriate standing committees.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted to suspend joint rule 12 to refer a series of petitions to standing committees.
The list of petitions named in the chamber included: a joint petition on consumer connected devices (referred to the Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure); a petition to authorize the Department of Conservation and Recreation to designate a trail in J. Harry Rich State Forest as the Marion’s Daughter River Walk; multiple petitions from Kenneth P. Sweezy relating to recreational beach management, piping plover habitat protections and over-sand vehicle access (referred to the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources); a petition concerning prohibiting genetic discrimination in insurance (referred to the Committee on Financial Services); and a petition from David M. Rogers and Attorney General Andrea Campbell addressing anti-competitive conduct and strengthening the Massachusetts antitrust act (referred to the Judiciary Committee).
Representative Procter (as noted in the transcript) moved to suspend joint rule 12; the motion passed by voice vote, enabling the clerk to refer the petitions to the committees listed in the report.
Why it matters: referrals determine which committee examines the proposals in detail and whether they advance to public hearings and floor consideration.
