The House Appropriations Committee voted Thursday to advance three Senate bills to the Committee of the Whole with favorable recommendations: Senate Bill 163, Senate Bill 165 and Senate Bill 304.

The actions followed routine consideration in which bill sponsors answered committee questions and no substantive amendments were offered by the committee for SB163 and SB165. SB304 was advanced with an amendment identified in the packet (J004), which the committee adopted before forwarding the bill.

Senate Bill 163 was moved to the Committee of the Whole by the vice chair and seconded by Representative Joseph; a roll-call produced a final recorded result that the chair summarized as passing on a vote of 6 to 4. Senate Bill 165 was advanced on a recorded vote of 9 to 1 with one member excused after the committee adopted no additional amendments. For Senate Bill 304, the committee adopted amendment J004 over no objection, then moved the bill; the chair announced that SB304 passed the committee on a vote of 7 to 3 with one member excused.

Committee clerical staff (Miss Pope) handled roll calls and the vice chair and Representative Joseph frequently served as mover and seconder for motions to advance bills.

All three measures will proceed to the Committee of the Whole for further consideration by the full House.