This concurrent resolution establishes formal grounds under which Members of Congress may vote by proxy and participate remotely in committee proceedings. It amends House and Senate rules to allow a designated proxy to cast votes or record a member’s presence when specific conditions apply.
It also creates a framework for remote attendance at committee meetings, including how such participation is recognized for quorum and attendance purposes. The measures rely on signed letters (potentially electronic) and accompanying documentation to verify eligibility under each ground.
The bill is designed to keep legislative business moving during emergencies—ranging from illnesses and jury service to military deployments and other disruptions—by expanding how Members can participate without strictly requiring in-person presence. It does not alter the fundamental need for accountability or public visibility, as it requires official documentation, maintains public lists of designations and remote participants, and makes proxy choices transparent through the Clerk or Secretary’s records.
At a Glance
What It Does
The House and Senate would permit proxy voting and remote attendance for specified grounds. Members may designate proxies, certify eligibility, and have designated members vote or record presence. Remote participation at committee proceedings is allowed and counted toward quorum when grounds are met.
Who It Affects
Members of the House and Senate, clerks and secretaries who manage records, and committees that rely on votes and attendance for proceedings and quorum determinations.
Why It Matters
Provides a clear, auditable pathway to sustain legislative activity during emergencies, reducing the risk of gridlock while maintaining accountability through documented grounds and public recordkeeping.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The bill creates a formal framework for two key tools: proxy voting and remote attendance. In the House, it amends Rule III to allow a member to designate another member as a proxy to vote or record presence, provided the member signs a letter certifying eligibility and naming the proxy.
Grounds include leave under FMLA, illness with a defined cap, jury service, death of a family member, uniformed service with specified day limits, and events that prevent safe travel (e.g., acts of God). A parallel system for the Senate allows a senator to designate a proxy under similar conditions.
Both houses require the Clerk or Secretary to keep updated, public records of proxy designations and remote participation, including the number of days used and the grounds invoked.
Separately, the bill authorizes remote attendance at committee proceedings when a member’s ground applies, with explicit rules about how remote participation affects absences and quorum, and it requires documentation to support remote attendance. The overarching aim is to preserve legislative function during disruptions while preserving transparency and accountability through documentation and public recordkeeping.
The design also contemplates continued quorum counting even when a member votes or appears remotely, ensuring committees and chambers do not grind to a halt because of unavoidable absences.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The bill creates a formal proxy-voting mechanism for both Houses allowing a designated member to vote or record presence on another member’s behalf.
Grounds for proxy or remote designation include FMLA-based leave, illness, jury summons, death of a family member, uniformed service, and travel-disrupting events, with documentation required.
Remote attendance is permitted at committee proceedings and is not counted as an absence for certain rules; it also counts toward quorum.
Clerks/Secretaries must maintain public, updated lists of proxy designations, days used, and remote participation grounds.
Senate rules mirror the House: senators may designate proxies and participate remotely under similar grounds and quorum rules.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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House proxy voting mechanics
This section amends Rule III to allow a Member to designate another Member as a proxy to cast votes or record presence when the grounds described in subsection (b) apply. It requires a signed letter certifying eligibility and naming the proxy. The mechanism creates a formal process for proxy designation and sets expectations for documentation and verification.
Grounds for proxy designation (House)
Grounds include Family and Medical Leave Act leave scenarios, illness, jury summons, death of a family member, service in the uniformed services, and events preventing safe travel. Each ground has evidence requirements and, in some cases, explicit day caps (e.g., illness capped at 7 days per year; death capped at 4 consecutive days; military service capped at 15-22 days depending on duty type).
Clerk’s public record of proxies
The Clerk is tasked with maintaining an up-to-date list of proxy designations, including the number of days a proxy is in effect and the grounds cited. The list must be publicly accessible in electronic form to ensure transparency and accountability of proxy voting decisions.
Remote attendance at House committee proceedings
Rule XI is amended to add a remote-attendance clause. If a ground applies, a member may participate remotely during in-person committee proceedings, including voting or simply recording presence. Remote attendance is not counted as an absence for certain rules and must still support quorum calculations.
Senate proxy voting mechanics
This section grants Senators a similar proxy-voting authority as the House, allowing designation of another Senator as proxy by signed letter, with the proxy’s identity specified. The Senate must count a proxy-designated member for quorum consistent with standing rules.
Remote attendance at Senate committee proceedings
Senators may participate remotely in committee proceedings under similar grounds as the House. Remote participation is not treated as an absence under standing rules and counts toward committee and Senate quorum. Documentation supporting eligibility is required.
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Explore Government in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- Members facing illness or caregiving needs, who can continue to participate in votes and proceedings without in-person presence.
- Members summoned for jury service who must still fulfill duties while preserving legislative participation.
- Members deployed in the uniformed services who would otherwise miss votes or meetings.
- Members experiencing significant travel barriers or safety concerns who need remote attendance options.
Who Bears the Cost
- Clerk and Secretary offices incur administrative overhead to maintain proxy and remote-participation records and ensure transparency.
- Members’ offices incur time and administrative effort to prepare and submit the required documentation supporting eligibility.
- Committees and their staff may incur monitoring and technical costs to support remote participation and verify attendance for quorum purposes.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central tension is between maximizing legislative continuity during emergencies and maintaining clear, auditable accountability for votes cast by proxy or remotely. Flexibility can improve function, but it introduces new vectors for misrepresentation or uneven application of rules, requiring strong documentation, transparent public records, and disciplined administrative processes.
The bill thoughtfully increases Congress’s resilience to disruption by allowing proxies and remote participation, but it also raises questions about verification, accountability, and the risk of overuse. Requiring signed letters and supporting documentation helps guard against abuse, but it transfers a significant administrative burden to Members’ staffs and the clerks’ offices.
Publicly accessible disclosures of proxy designations and remote participation days enhance transparency but do not fully shield against strategic clustering of proxy votes or attempts to game quorum rules. Practical challenges include validating documentation across districts and the potential need for updated internal procedures to handle electronic signatures and records.
The central policy tension is balancing timely legislative action with robust oversight. The mechanism preserves attendance flexibility without abandoning accountability, yet it creates new governance complexities around proxies, the integrity of votes cast remotely, and the consistency of quorum determinations across chambers.
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