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Ethics Committee, Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Ethics Committee is a standing committee of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Per House Rule 17, the committee is made up of 11 members.[1]
Per Rule 18 of the House Rules, committees of the Massachusetts House of Representatives are assigned by the Speaker of the House and the Minority Leader.[2] At the beginning of each two-year session, the committees are appointed to serve for the entire session. The Speaker and Minority Leader are responsible for choosing members from their respective parties.[3] Apart from a single minority member on the Committee on Bills in the Third Reading and each committee of conference, the partisan balance of committee membership is to be at least equal to the partisan balance of the chamber on the first day of the session, with minority party membership being no less than six on the Ways and Means Committee, four on the Ethics Committee and Personnel and Administration Committee, three on the Rules Committee, and two on all other standing and joint committees. The Speaker is responsible for nominating the chair of each committee, as well as vice-chairs and assistant vice-chairs of applicable committees, subject to a majority vote of the majority party caucus. The Minority Leader is responsible for nominating a ranking minority member for each applicable committee, subject to a majority vote of the minority party caucus. The Speaker and Minority Leader, pursuant to party affiliation, may recommend the removal of committee members or leaders, subject to the ratification of the respective party caucus except in the case of a representative who has been indicted in a court of law, who may be removed outright. Any vacancies that have occurred in any committees after members have been appointed are filled following the same rules.[4]
See rules: Rules of the House
Function
| “ | It shall be the duty of the committee on Ethics to consider all violations of rules and all questions of conduct of Representatives, report any recommendations relative thereto, and recommend any changes in the rules which tend to facilitate the business of the House.[5][6] | ” |
Membership
2025-2026 legislative session
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House Ethics Committee, 2025-2026 |
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|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (7) | Republican members (4) | Third-party members(0) |
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2023-2024 legislative session
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House Ethics Committee, 2023-2024 |
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|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (7) | Republican members (4) | Third-party members(0) |
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2021-2022 legislative session
|
House Ethics Committee, 2021-2022 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (7) | Republican members (4) | Third-party members(0) |
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2019-2020 legislative session
|
House Ethics Committee, 2019-2020 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (6) | Republican members (4) | Third-party members(0) |
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David Nangle (D) left this committee on February 19, 2020.
2017 legislative session
The following table describes committee membership at the beginning of the 2017 legislative session.
| Ethics Members, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (7) | Republican members (4) | |||
| • Christopher Markey, Chair | • Elizabeth Poirier | |||
| • Dan Cullinane, Vice chair | • F. Jay Barrows | |||
| • Byron Rushing | • Marc Lombardo | |||
| • Paul Donato, Sr. | • Susannah Whipps Lee | |||
| • Patricia Haddad | ||||
| • Peter Kocot | ||||
| • Sarah Peake | ||||
2015 legislative session
The following table describes committee membership at the beginning of the 2015 legislative session.
| Ethics Members, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (7) | Republican members (4) | |||
| • Christopher Markey, Chair | • Marc Lombardo | |||
| • Jeffrey Roy, Vice chair | • Elizabeth Poirier | |||
| • Byron Rushing | • Fred Barrows | |||
| • Garrett Bradley | • Leonard Mirra | |||
| • Paul Donato, Sr. | ||||
| • Patricia Haddad | ||||
| • Peter Kocot | ||||
2013-2014
The following table describes committee membership at the beginning of the 2013 legislative session.
| Ethics Members, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (7) | Republican members (4) | |||
| • Martin Walsh, Chair | • Shaunna O'Connell | |||
| • David Nangle, Vice chair | • Elizabeth Poirier | |||
| • Theodore Speliotis | • Fred Barrows | |||
| • Kathi-Anne Reinstein | • Matthew Beaton | |||
| • Paul Donato, Sr. | ||||
| • Patricia Haddad | ||||
| • Peter Kocot | ||||
2011-2012
The following table describes committee membership for the 2011 legislative session.
| Ethics Members, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (7) | Republican members (4) | |||
| • Martin Walsh, Chair | • Daniel Webster | |||
| • Thomas Golden, Jr., Vice chair | • Shaunna O'Connell | |||
| • Patricia Haddad | • Daniel Winslow | |||
| • Kathi-Anne Reinstein | • Fred Barrows | |||
| • Paul Donato, Sr. | ||||
| • Peter Kocot | ||||
| • Theodore Speliotis | ||||
2009-2010
The following table describes committee membership for the 2009 legislative session.
| Ethics Members, 2009 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (8) | Republican members (4) | |||
| • Peter Kocot, Chair | • Jeffrey Perry | |||
| • Lida Harkins, Vice chair | • Fred Barrows | |||
| • Patricia Haddad | • Elizabeth Poirier | |||
| • Thomas Petrolati | • Bradford Hill | |||
| • Arthur Tobin | ||||
| • James Vallee | ||||
| • Jeffrey Sanchez | ||||
| • Kathi-Anne Reinstein | ||||
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Massachusetts General Court, "House Rules," March 4, 2021 (Rule 17)
- ↑ Massachusetts General Court, "House Rules," accessed March 4, 2021 (Rule 18)
- ↑ Massachusetts General Court, "House Rules," accessed March 4, 2021 (Rule 17)
- ↑ Massachusetts General Court, "House Rules," accessed March 4, 2021 (Rules 18, 18A)
- ↑ Massachusetts General Court, "House Committee on Ethics," accessed January 16, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
