Amendment ID: S14-35-R1

Redraft Amendment 35

In-Person Voting

Mr. Keenan moves to amend the report by striking out Rule 57C and inserting in place thereof the following:- "The President may, prior to a vote, excuse a member from voting in person due to disability, illness, the need for a member to provide care for an immediate family member, pregnancy or childbirth of a member or said member’s spouse, domestic partner or partner. A member shall not be required to provide proof or documentation about the reason for being excused, nor be permitted to vote in-person after the decision is announced from the Chair. A member excused from voting in accordance with this rule may authorize the presiding officer to announce the member’s vote by submitting a letter to the Clerk that specifies the member’s exact instruction to the presiding officer on how to answer the question for which the roll call is ordered and states that the presiding officer is authorized to announce the member’s vote; provided, however, that a member may alter or revoke this authorization by submitting a letter to the Clerk; provided further, that if a member who has so authorized the presiding officer announces the member’s own vote, the member shall be considered to have revoked the authorization to announce the member’s vote. Upon receipt of a member’s letter authorizing the presiding officer or altering or revoking the authorization of the presiding officer, the Clerk shall notify the President and the minority leader of the authorization, alteration or revocation. The Clerk shall maintain an updated list of the authorizations, alterations and revocations submitted or in effect under this order and shall make the list publicly available in electronic form and available after any vote subject to this order.

The presiding officer shall answer the roll call on behalf of each member who has authorized the presiding officer to announce the vote under this section; provided, however, that the presiding officer shall announce the vote in accordance with the member’s exact instruction.

A letter under this section may be submitted to the Clerk electronically.";

by striking out at the beginning of Rule 57D the words "Notwithstanding Senate Rule 57" and inserting in place thereof the following words:- "A member excused from voting in accordance with Senate Rule 57C";

by striking out at the beginning of Rule 57D the following words:- "or any other rule to the contrary, a member";

by inserting in the second paragraph of Rule 57D after the word "members" the following words:- "excused from voting";

and, by inserting in the fourth paragraph of Rule 57D after the second appearance of the word "member" the following words:- "excused from voting".