Senate resolution relating to adoption of a temporary Rule 44A
Senate Resolution 20 proposes adopting a temporary Senate Rule 44A for the Vermont Senate. The rule would require most bills that fail to meet the crossover deadlines of March 13, 2026 and March 20, 2026 to be referred to the Senate Committee on Rules. The resolution creates a procedural backstop for late-moving legislation and gives the Rules Committee authority to release referred bills either to another committee of jurisdiction under Senate Rule 24 or to the Notice Calendar, as appropriate.
The temporary rule would not apply to several major categories of legislation: the transportation capital bill, the capital construction bill, the general appropriations bill, the fee bill, and tax/revenue bills. The rule would remain in effect only until the Legislature adjourns sine die, making it a short-term procedural measure rather than a permanent change to Senate rules.
SR0020 would affect Senate procedure rather than substantive state law. It would temporarily alter how late bills are handled in the Vermont Senate by routing missed crossover bills to the Committee on Rules, while preserving exceptions for key budgetary and fiscal measures. The practical effect is to centralize control over late-session legislation and give leadership a mechanism to manage the flow of bills after crossover deadlines, but it does not amend any underlying statutory provisions or create new rights or obligations for the public.
Based on the text provided, the resolution appears to be a routine procedural measure with no recorded opposition, votes, or committee debate in the available materials. The absence of transcripts or voting history suggests there is no documented controversy in the supplied record. The bill’s narrow, administrative purpose and its limited duration indicate a generally neutral or pragmatic sentiment around the measure.
The main point of potential contention is the concentration of authority in the Senate Committee on Rules, which would gain discretion to hold or release bills that miss crossover deadlines. Legislators concerned about transparency, committee jurisdiction, or the ability of late-session bills to advance could view that as significant. Another possible issue is the effect on non-exempt bills that fail to meet deadlines, since they would face an additional procedural hurdle, while the listed exemptions for appropriations, capital, fee, transportation, and tax/revenue bills preserve priority treatment for major fiscal legislation.