H. Res. 965 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

May 15, 2020. 

Resolved, 

SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF REMOTE VOTING BY PROXY 

DURING PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY DUE TO 

NOVEL CORONAVIRUS. 

(a) AUTHORIZATION.—Notwithstanding rule III, at any 

time after the Speaker or the Speaker’s designee is notified 

by the Sergeant-at-Arms, in consultation with the Attending 

Physician, that a public health emergency due to a novel 

coronavirus is in effect, the Speaker or the Speaker’s designee, in consultation with the Minority Leader or the Minority Leader’s designee, may designate a period (hereafter in 

this resolution referred to as a ‘‘covered period’’) during 

which a Member who is designated by another Member as a 

proxy in accordance with section 2 may cast the vote of such 

other Member or record the presence of such other Member 

in the House. 

(b) LENGTH OF COVERED PERIOD.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), a covered period shall terminate 45 

days after the Speaker or the Speaker’s designee designates such period. 

(2) EXTENSION.—If, during a covered period, the 

Speaker or the Speaker’s designee receives further notification from the Sergeant-at-Arms, in consultation with 

the Attending Physician, that the public health emergency due to a novel coronavirus remains in effect, the 

Speaker or the Speaker’s designee, in consultation with 

the Minority Leader or the Minority Leader’s designee, 

may extend the covered period for an additional 45 days. 

(3) EARLY TERMINATION.—If, during a covered period, the Speaker or the Speaker’s designee receives further notification by the Sergeant-at-Arms, in consultation with the Attending Physician, that the public health 

emergency due to a novel coronavirus is no longer in effect, the Speaker or the Speaker’s designee shall terminate the covered period. 

SEC. 2. PROCESS FOR DESIGNATION OF PROXIES. 

(a) IN GENERAL.— 

(1) DESIGNATION BY SIGNED LETTER.—In order 

for a Member to designate another Member as a proxy 

for purposes of section 1, the Member shall submit to 

the Clerk a signed letter (which may be in electronic 
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form) specifying by name the Member who is designated 

for such purposes. 

(2) ALTERATION OR REVOCATION OF DESIGNATION.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—At any time after submitting a letter to designate a proxy under paragraph 

(1), a Member may submit to the Clerk a signed 

letter (which may be in electronic form) altering or 

revoking the designation. 

(B) AUTOMATIC REVOCATION UPON CASTING

OF VOTE OR RECORDING OF PRESENCE.—If during 

a covered period, a Member who has designated another Member as a proxy under this section casts 

the Member’s own vote or records the Member’s 

own presence in the House, the Member shall be 

considered to have revoked the designation of any 

proxy under this subsection with respect to such 

covered period. 

(3) NOTIFICATION.—Upon receipt of a letter submitted by a Member pursuant to paragraphs (1) or (2), 

the Clerk shall notify the Speaker, the majority leader, 

the Minority Leader, and the other Member or Members 

involved of the designation, alteration, or revocation. 
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(4) LIMITATION.—A Member may not be designated as a proxy under this section for more than 10 

Members concurrently. 

(b) MAINTENANCE AND AVAILABILITY OF LIST OF DESIGNATIONS.—The Clerk shall maintain an updated list of the 

designations, alterations, and revocations submitted or in effect under subsection (a), and shall make such list publicly 

available in electronic form and available during any vote conducted pursuant to section 3. 

SEC. 3. PROCESS FOR VOTING DURING COVERED PERIODS. 

(a) RECORDED VOTES ORDERED.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding clause 6 of rule 

I, during a covered period, the yeas and nays shall be 

considered as ordered on any vote on which a recorded 

vote or the yeas and nays are requested, or which is objected to under clause 6 of rule XX. 

(2) INDICATIONS OF PROXY STATUS.—In the case 

of a vote by electronic device, a Member who casts a vote 

or records a presence as a designated proxy for another 

Member under this resolution shall do so by ballot card, 

indicating on the ballot card ‘‘by proxy’’. 

(b) DETERMINATION OF QUORUM.—Any Member whose 

vote is cast or whose presence is recorded by a designated 

proxy under this resolution shall be counted for the purpose 

of establishing a quorum under the rules of the House. 
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(c) INSTRUCTIONS FROM MEMBER AUTHORIZING

PROXY.— 

(1) RECEIVING INSTRUCTIONS.—Prior to casting 

the vote or recording the presence of another Member as 

a designated proxy under this resolution, the Member 

shall obtain an exact instruction from the other Member 

with respect to such vote or quorum call, in accordance 

with the regulations referred to in section 6. 

(2) ANNOUNCING INSTRUCTIONS.—Immediately 

prior to casting the vote or recording the presence of another Member as a designated proxy under this resolution, the Member shall seek recognition from the Chair 

to announce the intended vote or recorded presence pursuant to the exact instruction received from the other 

Member under paragraph (1). 

(3) FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS.—A Member casting the vote or recording the presence of another Member as a designated proxy under this resolution shall cast 

such vote or record such presence pursuant to the exact 

instruction received from the other Member under paragraph (1). 

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZING REMOTE PROCEEDINGS IN COMMITTEES. 

(a) AUTHORIZATION.—During any covered period, and 

notwithstanding any rule of the House or its committees— 
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(1) any committee may conduct proceedings remotely in accordance with this section, and any such 

proceedings conducted remotely shall be considered as 

official proceedings for all purposes in the House; 

(2) committee members may participate remotely 

during in-person committee proceedings, and committees 

shall, to the greatest extent practicable, ensure the ability of members to participate remotely; 

(3) committee members may cast a vote or record 

their presence while participating remotely; 

(4) committee members participating remotely pursuant to this section shall be counted for the purpose of 

establishing a quorum under the rules of the House and 

the committee; 

(5) witnesses at committee proceedings may appear 

remotely; 

(6) committee proceedings conducted remotely are 

deemed to satisfy the requirement of a ‘‘place’’ for purposes of clauses 2(g)(3) and 2(m)(1) of rule XI; and 

(7) reports of committees (including those filed as 

privileged) may be delivered to the Clerk in electronic 

form, and written and signed views under clause 2(l) of 

rule XI may be filed in electronic form with the clerk of 

the committee. 
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(b) LIMITATION ON BUSINESS MEETINGS.—A committee 

shall not conduct a meeting remotely or permit remote participation at a meeting under this section until a member of 

the committee submits for printing in the Congressional 

Record a letter from a majority of the members of the committee notifying the Speaker that the requirements for conducting a meeting in the regulations referred to in subsection 

(h) have been met and that the committee is prepared to conduct a remote meeting and permit remote participation. 

(c) REMOTE PROCEEDINGS.—Notwithstanding any rule 

of the House or its committees, during proceedings conducted 

remotely pursuant to this section— 

(1) remote participation shall not be considered absence for purposes of clause 5(c) of rule X or clause 2(d) 

of rule XI; 

(2) the chair may declare a recess subject to the 

call of the chair at any time to address technical difficulties with respect to such proceedings; 

(3) copies of motions, amendments, measures, or 

other documents submitted to the committee in electronic form as prescribed by the regulations referred to 

in subsection (h) shall satisfy any requirement for the 

submission of printed or written documents under the 

rules of the House or its committees; 
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(4) the requirement that results of recorded votes 

be made available by the committee in its offices pursuant to clause 2(e)(1)(B)(i) of rule XI shall not apply; 

(5) a committee may manage the consideration of 

amendments pursuant to the regulations referred to in 

subsection (h); 

(6) counsel shall be permitted to accompany witnesses at a remote proceeding in accordance with the 

regulations referred to in subsection (h); and 

(7) an oath may be administered to a witness remotely for purposes of clause 2(m)(2) of rule XI. 

(d) REMOTE PARTICIPANTS DURING IN-PERSON PROCEEDINGS.—All relevant provisions of this section and the 

regulations referred to in subsection (h) shall apply to committee members participating remotely during in-person committee proceedings held during any covered period. 

(e) TRANSPARENCY FOR MEETINGS AND HEARINGS.— 

Any committee meeting or hearing that is conducted remotely 

in accordance with the regulations referred to in subsection 

(h)— 

(1) shall be considered open to the public; 

(2) shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirement for non-participatory attendance under clause 

2(g)(2)(C) of rule XI; and 
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(3) shall be deemed to satisfy all requirements for 

broadcasting and audio and visual coverage under rule 

V, clause 4 of rule XI, and accompanying committee 

rules. 

(f) SUBPOENAS.— 

(1) AUTHORITY.—Any committee or chair thereof 

empowered to authorize and issue subpoenas may authorize and issue subpoenas for return at a hearing or 

deposition to be conducted remotely under this section. 

(2) USE OF ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE AND SEAL.— 

During any covered period, authorized and issued subpoenas may be signed in electronic form; and the Clerk 

may attest and affix the seal of the House to such subpoenas in electronic form. 

(g) EXECUTIVE SESSIONS.— 

(1) PROHIBITION.—A committee may not conduct 

closed or executive session proceedings remotely, and 

members may not participate remotely in closed or executive session proceedings. 

(2) MOTION TO CLOSE PROCEEDINGS.—Upon adoption of a motion to close proceedings or to move into executive session with respect to a proceeding conducted 

remotely under this section, the chair shall declare the 

committee in recess subject to the call of the chair with 

respect to such matter until it can reconvene in person. 
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(3) EXCEPTION.—Paragraphs (1) and (2) do not 

apply to proceedings of the Committee on Ethics. 

(h) REGULATIONS.—This section shall be carried out in 

accordance with regulations submitted for printing in the 

Congressional Record by the chair of the Committee on 

Rules. 

(i) APPLICATION TO SUBCOMMITTEES AND SELECT

COMMITTEES.—For purposes of this section, the term ‘‘committee’’ or ‘‘committees’’ also includes a subcommittee and a 

select committee. 

SEC. 5. STUDY AND CERTIFICATION OF FEASIBILITY OF REMOTE VOTING IN HOUSE. 

(a) STUDY AND CERTIFICATION.—The chair of the Committee on House Administration, in consultation with the 

ranking minority member, shall study the feasibility of using 

technology to conduct remote voting in the House, and shall 

provide certification to the House upon a determination that 

operable and secure technology exists to conduct remote voting in the House. 

(b) REGULATIONS.— 

(1) INITIAL REGULATIONS.—On any legislative day 

that follows the date on which the chair of the Committee on House Administration provides the certification described in subsection (a), the chair of the Committee on Rules, in consultation with the ranking minor-
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ity member, shall submit regulations for printing in the 

Congressional Record that provide for the implementation of remote voting in the House. 

(2) SUPPLEMENTAL REGULATIONS.—At any time 

after submitting the initial regulations under paragraph 

(1), the chair of the Committee on Rules, in consultation 

with the ranking minority member, may submit regulations to supplement the initial regulations submitted 

under such paragraph for printing in the Congressional 

Record. 

(c) IMPLEMENTATION.—Notwithstanding any rule of the 

House, upon notification of the House by the Speaker after 

the submission of regulations by the chair of the Committee 

on Rules under subsection (b)— 

(1) Members may cast their votes or record their 

presence in the House remotely during a covered period; 

(2) any Member whose vote is cast or whose presence is recorded remotely under this section shall be 

counted for the purpose of establishing a quorum under 

the rules of the House; and 

(3) the casting of votes and the recording of presence remotely under this section shall be subject to the 

applicable regulations submitted by the chair of the 

Committee on Rules under subsection (b). 
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SEC. 6. REGULATIONS. 

To the greatest extent practicable, sections 1, 2, and 3 

of this resolution shall be carried out in accordance with regulations submitted for printing in the Congressional Record 

by the chair of the Committee on Rules. 

Attest: 

Clerk.