IV 
House Calendar No. 78 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 965 
[Report No. 116–420] 
Authorizing remote voting by proxy in the House of Representatives and 
providing for official remote committee proceedings during a public health 
emergency due to a novel coronavirus, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 13, 2020 
Mr. MCGOVERN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Rules 
MAY 14, 2020 
Reported from the Committee on Rules; referred to the House Calendar and 
ordered to be printed 
RESOLUTION 
Authorizing remote voting by proxy in the House of Rep-
resentatives and providing for official remote committee 
proceedings during a public health emergency due to 
a novel coronavirus, and for other purposes. 
Resolved, 
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SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION OF REMOTE VOTING BY 
PROXY 
DURING 
PUBLIC 
HEALTH 
EMER-
GENCY 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 ‘‘cov-
ered 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.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graphs (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 fur-
ther notification from the Sergeant-at-Arms, in con-
sultation with the Attending Physician, that the 
public health emergency due to a novel coronavirus 
remains in effect, the Speaker or the Speaker’s des-
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ignee, in consultation with the Minority Leader or 
the Minority Leader’s designee, may extend the cov-
ered period for an additional 45 days. 
(3) EARLY TERMINATION.—If, during a covered 
period, the Speaker or the Speaker’s designee re-
ceives further notification by the Sergeant-at-Arms, 
in consultation with the Attending Physician, that 
the public health emergency due to a novel coronavi-
rus is no longer in effect, the Speaker or the Speak-
er’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 form) specifying by name the Member 
who is designated for such purposes. 
(2) ALTERATION OR REVOCATION OF DESIGNA-
TION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—At any time after sub-
mitting a letter to designate a proxy under 
paragraph (1), a Member may submit to the 
Clerk a signed letter (which may be in elec-
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tronic form) altering or revoking the designa-
tion. 
(B) AUTOMATIC REVOCATION UPON CAST-
ING 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 major-
ity leader, the Minority Leader, and the other Mem-
ber or Members involved of the designation, alter-
ation, or revocation. 
(4) LIMITATION.—A Member may not be des-
ignated 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 sub-
mitted or in effect under subsection (a), and shall make 
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