DOVER, Del. - The Delaware House of Representatives has passed a resolution to allow remote attendance and participation during special legislative sessions.
House Resolution 19, first introduced earlier in November, would allow House members to join special sessions and vote remotely, as long as the Speaker of the House approves and there is a quorum of the House physically present in Dover.
Remote participation under the resolution is permitted during sessions that do not fall between the second Tuesday in January and the first day of July, when regular sessions occur.
A substitute for the original HR 19, House Substitute 1, also mandates that if the Speaker of the House denies a remote participation request, they must include the reason for their denial in writing. Any House members who participate remotely must also appear on camera when voting or responding to attendance roll calls.
The resolution garnered support from some Democratic lawmakers like Kerri Evelyn Harris, who argued that returning to Dover outside of the regular session could prove challenging to some members. On the other side of the aisle, some Republican Representatives like Bryan Shupe criticized the measure, emphasizing the importance of face-to-face discussions and the possibility of remote access expanding to the regular session.
HR 19 was introduced less than a year after the resignation of District 20 Representative Stell Parker Selby, who faced criticism for being absent for much of the regular session due to medical complications. As it is currently designed, HR 19 would not have allowed for her remote participation during the regular session.
The Delaware State Senate currently also allows remote participation.
HS 1 for HR 19 passed the House in a 22-15 vote on Thursday, Nov. 13, with one abstaining and three absent.