Massachusetts H 4676: Order relative to the adoption of Temporary Emergency House Rules

Bill Text

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HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . No. 4676
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
______________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, April 29, 2020.

The committee on Rules, reports, under the provisions of House Rule 7C, that the
accompanying order an Order relative to special procedures for consideration of the Temporary
Emergency House Rules (see House, No. 4676), ought to be adopted.

For the committee,

_________________
WILLIAM C. GALVIN

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5057 FILED ON: 4/29/2020
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4676

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

House of Representatives, April 29, 2020
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)
_______________

1 Whereas, on January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization designated the
2 Coronavirus Disease 2019, hereinafter COVID-19, outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of
3 International Concern; and
4 Whereas, COVID-19 is a highly contagious, and at times fatal, respiratory disease;
5 Whereas, on March 10, 2020, pursuant to Executive Order No. 591, the Governor declared a
6 state of emergency in the Commonwealth to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak; and
7 Whereas, on March 11, 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak was characterized as a pandemic by the
8 World Health Organization; and
9 Whereas, on March 23, 2020, the Governor issued COVID-19 Order No. 13, Assuring
10 Continued Operation of Essential Services in the Commonwealth, Closing Certain Workplaces,
11 and Prohibiting Gatherings of More than 10 People ordering all non-essential workplaces and

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12 facilities closed and prohibiting public and private gatherings of more than 10 people through
13 April 7, 2020; and
14 Whereas, on March 27, 2020 the President of the United States declared that beginning on
15 January 20, 2020 and continuing a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
16 and ordered Federal assistance to supplement Commonwealth, tribal, and local recovery efforts
17 in areas of the Commonwealth affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; and
18 Whereas, on March 31, 2020, the Governor issued COVID-19 Order No. 21, Extending the
19 Closing of Certain Workplaces and the Prohibition on Gatherings of More than 10 People
20 through May 4, 2020; and
21 Whereas, pursuant to Article XXX of Part the First of the Constitution of the Commonwealth,
22 Executive Order No. 591, COVID-19 Order No. 13 and COVID-19 Order No. 21 do not apply to
23 the General Court; and
24 Whereas, at the direction of the Governor, the Department of Public Health issued a stay at home
25 advisory on March 23, 2020, urging all residents of the Commonwealth to limit activities outside
26 of the home and to practice social distancing at all times to limit the spread of this highly
27 contagious and potentially deadly virus; and
28 Whereas, the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 and the effects of its extreme risk of person-
29 toperson transmission significantly affect the life and health of Members, officers and
30 employees, as well as the economy, and is a disaster that impacts the health, security, safety and
31 convenience of the public; and

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32 Whereas, the House of Representatives concurs with the Governor’s declaration of a state of
33 emergency and a public health emergency as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and
34 Whereas, Article X of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth requires that
35 the General Court assemble for the political year on the first Wednesday in January and also
36 authorizes the General Court to assemble “at such other times as they shall judge necessary”; and
37 Whereas, Article XXII of Part the First of the Constitution of the Commonwealth, advises that
38 the General Court “ought frequently to assemble for the redress of grievances, for correcting,
39 strengthening and confirming the laws, and for making new laws, as the common good may
40 require”; and
41 Whereas, pursuant to Article X of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth,
42 the General Court assembled for the 2020 political year on January 1, 2020; and
43 Whereas, pursuant to Article XXXIII of the Amendments to the Constitution of the
44 Commonwealth, a majority of the Members of the House of Representatives are required to
45 establish a quorum for the transaction of business; and
46 Whereas, it is critical for the House of Representatives to continue to meet to take additional
47 steps to respond to, and mitigate the spread of, COVID-19 to protect the health, security, safety
48 and convenience the people of the Commonwealth; and
49 Whereas, the House of Representatives must, consistent with the guidance of federal and state
50 public health authorities, complete its business in a manner that will ensure the safety of its
51 Members, officers and employees; and

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52 Whereas, pursuant to Article 10 of Section 3 of Chapter 1 of Part the Second of the Constitution
53 of the Commonwealth, the House of Representatives has the exclusive const