IV 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 23 
Permitting parental remote voting by proxy, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 9, 2025 
Ms. PETTERSEN (for herself, Mrs. LUNA, Ms. JACOBS, Mr. LAWLER, Mr. 
GOMEZ, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, Mr. CISCOMANI, Ms. 
PEREZ, Mrs. KIM, Mr. VAN DREW, and Mr. NEGUSE) submitted the fol-
lowing resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Rules 
RESOLUTION 
Permitting parental remote voting by proxy, and for other 
purposes. 
Resolved, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Proxy Voting 
for New Parents Resolution’’. 
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF REMOTE VOTING BY PROXY IN 
HOUSE AND IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE 
FOR MEMBERS BECOMING PARENTS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding rule III, in 
the case of a Member who has given birth or whose 
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spouse has given birth, such Member may designate 
another Member as a proxy who may cast the vote 
of such Member or record the presence of such 
Member in the House and in the Committee of the 
Whole House on the state of the Union in accord-
ance with this section. 
(2) PERIOD OF AUTHORIZATION.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Except as provided 
under subparagraph (B), the authority to vote 
by proxy or record a presence pursuant to para-
graph (1) shall begin on the date of the birth 
and shall terminate 12 weeks thereafter. 
(B) DESIGNATION PRIOR TO BIRTH.—Not-
withstanding subparagraph (A), a Member may 
instead make a designation prior to the birth of 
a child in the event that such Member’s health 
care provider advises that her pregnancy pre-
sents a serious medical condition or that she is 
unable to travel safely. Such authority to vote 
by proxy or record a presence shall terminate 
12 weeks after the initial designation. Each 
week prior to the birth of the child during 
which a Member does not have a designated 
proxy shall not constitute a week for purposes 
of this subparagraph. 
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(b) REQUIREMENTS
FOR DESIGNATION
BY MEM-
BER.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In order for a Member to 
designate another Member as a proxy under sub-
section (a), the Member shall submit to the Clerk a 
signed and dated letter (which may be in electronic 
form). Such letter must be submitted prior to the 
start of the first vote in which the Member wishes 
to vote by proxy and must include— 
(A) an affirmative statement of— 
(i) the birth of a child in the case of 
a designation under subparagraph (A) of 
subsection (a)(2); or 
(ii) the existence of a medical condi-
tion related to pregnancy as stipulated by 
the Member’s health care provider in the 
case of a designation under subparagraph 
(B) of subsection (a)(2); 
(B) a statement of intent to vote by proxy, 
including the name and State of the Member 
who has agreed to be designated as a proxy; 
and 
(C) an original signature of the Member 
making the designation. 
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(2) ALTERATION
AND
REVOCATION.—At any 
time after submitting a letter to designate a proxy 
under paragraph (1), such Member may submit to 
the Clerk a signed letter (which may be in electronic 
form) altering or revoking the designation. 
(3) AUTOMATIC REVOCATION UPON CASTING OF 
VOTE OR RECORDING OF PRESENCE.—If 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 or 
in the Committee of the Whole House on the state 
of the Union, the Member shall be considered to 
have revoked the designation of any proxy under this 
section. Revocation of proxy does not prohibit a 
Member from designating a proxy at a later time. 
(c) RESPONSIBILITIES OF CLERK.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Upon receipt of a letter sub-
mitted by a Member pursuant to subsection (b), the 
Clerk shall— 
(A) verify the letter; 
(B) notify the Speaker, the Majority Lead-
er, the Minority Leader, and the other Member 
or Members involved in the designation, alter-
ation, or revocation; and 
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(C) if a letter is missing any of the items 
under subsection (b)(1), notify the submitting 
Member of the deficiency, which shall result in 
the proxy being unable to vote on the Member’s 
behalf. 
(2) MAINTENANCE OF LIST.—The Clerk shall 
maintain an updated list of the active designations, 
alterations, and revocations pursuant to this section 
and shall make such list publicly available in elec-
tronic form. 
(d) PROCEDURES FOR CASTING VOTES OR RECORD-
ING PRESENCE BY PROXIES.— 
(1) USE OF BALLOT CARD.—In the case of a 
vote by electronic device, a Member who casts a vote 
or records a presence as a designated proxy for an-
other Member under this section shall do so by bal-
lot card, indicating on the ballot card ‘‘by proxy’’. 
(2) INSTRUCTIONS
FROM
MEMBER.—Prior to 
casting the vote or recording the presence of another 
Member as a designated proxy under this section, 
the Member shall obtain an exact instruction from 
the other Member with respect to such vote. The 
Member voting by proxy, to the maximum extent 
practicable, shall provide written voting instruction 
to the Member serving as proxy. 
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(3) RECOGNITION
BY
CHAIR.—Immediately 
prior to casting the vote or recording the presence 
of another Member as a designated proxy under this 
section, 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 (2). 
(4) FOLLOWING
INSTRUCTIONS
FROM
MEM-
BER.—A Member casting the vote or recording the 
presence of another Member as a designated proxy 
under this section shall cast such vote or record such 
presence pursuant to the exact instruction received 
from the other Member under paragraph (2). 
(e) PROHIBITING USE OF PROXY TO ESTABLISH 
QUORUM.—Any Member whose vote is cast or whose pres-
ence is recorded by a designated proxy under this section 
shall not be counted for purposes of establishing a quorum 
under the rules of the House. 
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF REMOTE VOTING BY PROXY IN 
COMMITTEE FOR MEMBERS BECOMING PAR-
ENTS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—Notwithstanding rule XI, a 
Member who has designated another Member as a proxy 
who may cast the vote of such Member under section 2 
may designate a member of each committee on which the 
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Member sits as a proxy who may cast the vote of such 
Member in committee in accordance with this section dur-
ing the same period in which another Member is author-
ized to cast the vote of such Member under section 2. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR DESIGNATION.—In order 
for a Member to designate a committee member as a proxy 
under subsection (a), the Member shall submit to the chair 
and ranking minority member a signed and dated letter 
(which may be in electronic form) specifying by name the 
other Member who is designated as a proxy for such Mem-
ber. Such letter must be submitted prior to the start of 
the first committee meeting in which the Member wishes 
to vote by proxy. 
(c) ALTERATION AND REVOCATION.—At any time 
after submitting a letter to designate a proxy under sub-
section (b), such Member may submit to the chair and 
ranking minority member a signed letter (which may be 
in electronic form) altering or revoking the designation. 
(d) AUTOMATIC REVOCATION UPON CASTING
OF 
VOTE OR RECORDING OF PRESENCE.—If a Member who 
has designated another Member as a proxy under this sec-
tion casts the Member’s own vote in a committee, the 
Member shall be considered to have revoked the designa-
tion of proxy in that committee under this section. Revoca-
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tion of proxy does not prohibit a Member from designating 
a proxy at a later time. 
(e) INSTRUCTIONS FROM MEMBER.—Prior to casting 
the vote of another Member as a designated proxy under 
this section, the Member shall obtain an exact instruction 
from the other Member with respect to such vote. The 
Member voting by proxy, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, shall provide written voting instruction to the 
Member serving as proxy. 
(f) PROHIBITING USE
OF PROXY TO ESTABLISH 
QUORUM.—Any Member whose vote is cast in committee 
by a designated proxy under this section shall not be 
counted for purposes of establishing a quorum under the 
rules of the committee. 
SEC. 4. APPLICATION TO DELEGATES AND THE RESIDENT 
COMMISSIONER. 
For purposes of sections 2 and 3, the term ‘‘Member’’ 
shall include a Delegate and the Resident Commissioner 
and the term ‘‘State’’ shall include the District of Colum-
bia and a territory, except that— 
(1) nothing in this section authorizes a Dele-
gate or the Resident Commissioner to cast a vote in 
the House or record their presence in the House; 
and 
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(2) a Delegate and the Resident Commissioner 
may be designated as a proxy for purposes of section 
2 only by a Delegate or the Resident Commissioner. 
Æ 
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