D022 Create a Task Force on the Legislative Process
Online legislative committee meetings and hearings for the 80th General Convention were introduced of necessity during the COVID pandemic. At that convention, the House of Deputies amended its Rules of Order to permit electronic meetings, including meetings prior to the General Convention (Resolution 2022-A138). Soon after the 80th General Convention, a decision was made to utilize the process of online legislative committee meetings for the 81st General Convention.
Deputies to the 80th General Convention were invited to complete a survey about their experience of the electronic meeting format and other changes to the legislative process. However, results of that survey were not widely circulated.
After the 80th General Convention, the President of the House of Deputies appointed a small Special Committee on the Rules of Order of the House of Deputies. The committee proposed that all committee work be completed prior to arriving at the General Convention, going beyond the stated intent of Resolution 2022-A138 that legislative committees could begin taking action prior to General Convention. The special committee’s report acknowledged some of the challenges of online committee meetings, including pre-Convention workload for deputies and bishops, as well as time-zone differences, and technology concerns, but it did not make any recommendations to mitigate those concerns. The committee did not report any consultation with the House of Bishops, even though House of Bishops legislative committees are integral to the legislative process.
This resolution calls for a task force of deputies and bishops to work together to assess the advantages and challenges of pre-convention committee meetings and hearings, as well as other aspects of the legislative process, and to make recommendations to refine the legislative process.
Explanation
Online legislative committee meetings and hearings for the 80th General Convention were introduced of necessity during the COVID pandemic. At that convention, the House of Deputies amended its Rules of Order to permit electronic meetings, including meetings prior to the General Convention (Resolution 2022-A138). Soon after the 80th General Convention, a decision was made to utilize the process of online legislative committee meetings for the 81st General Convention.
Deputies to the 80th General Convention were invited to complete a survey about their experience of the electronic meeting format and other changes to the legislative process. However, results of that survey were not widely circulated.
After the 80th General Convention, the President of the House of Deputies appointed a small Special Committee on the Rules of Order of the House of Deputies. The committee proposed that all committee work be completed prior to arriving at the General Convention, going beyond the stated intent of Resolution 2022-A138 that legislative committees could begin taking action prior to General Convention. The special committee’s report acknowledged some of the challenges of online committee meetings, including pre-Convention workload for deputies and bishops, as well as time-zone differences, and technology concerns, but it did not make any recommendations to mitigate those concerns. The committee did not report any consultation with the House of Bishops, even though House of Bishops legislative committees are integral to the legislative process.
This resolution calls for a task force of deputies and bishops to work together to assess the advantages and challenges of pre-convention committee meetings and hearings, as well as other aspects of the legislative process, and to make recommendations to refine the legislative process.