The Massachusetts House of Representatives suspended Joint Rule 12 on a voice vote to allow immediate referral of three citizen petitions to standing committees. The House took the action after the Committee on Rules reported that it recommended suspension of the rule so the petitions could be referred.
The suspension allowed the petition of James C. Arena de Rosa and Catherine R. Linacher regarding transportation of farm goods to be referred to the Committee on Transportation; a petition from Christine P. Barber about applied behavioral analysis reimbursement rates to be referred to the Committee on Healthcare Financing; and a petition from William F. MacGregor asking that the Commissioner of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance be authorized to release certain shoreline easements in West Roxbury to be referred to the Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
House procedure requires suspension of Joint Rule 12 before certain petitions may be referred on the floor. The motion to suspend the rule was put to a voice vote and the presiding officer announced that the ayes had it.
No debate on the substance of the petitions was recorded on the floor in the relevant transcript segments. The record shows the referrals were made and the petitions sent to the committees named by the Committee on Rules report.
The petitions will proceed through the receiving committees’ processes, including any committee hearings or further action, as determined by those committees.