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Rules Committee, Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Rules Committee is a standing committee of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Per House Rule 17, the committee is made up of 15 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 Rules to recommend special orders for the scheduling and consideration of legislation on the floor of the House. Said committee shall be authorized to make recommendations and propose changes in the rules for the purpose of improving and expediting the business and procedures of the House of Representatives and its committees.[5][6] | ” |
Membership
2025-2026 legislative session
|
House Rules Committee, 2025-2026 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (12) | Republican members (3) | Third-party members(0) |
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|
|
2021-2022 legislative session
|
House Rules Committee, 2021-2022 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (12) | Republican members (3) | Third-party members(0) |
|
|
|
2019-2020 legislative session
|
House Rules Committee, 2019-2020 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (11) | Republican members (3) | 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.
| Rules Members, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (12) | Republican members (3) | |||
| • William Galvin, Chair | • Kimberly Ferguson | |||
| • Marjorie Decker, Vice chair | • David Vieira | |||
| • Byron Rushing | • Sheila Harrington | |||
| • Louis Kafka | ||||
| • Joseph Wagner, Massachusetts Representative | ||||
| • Ronald Mariano | ||||
| • David Nangle | ||||
| • Paul Donato, Sr. | ||||
| • Patricia Haddad | ||||
| • Michael Moran | ||||
| • Sarah Peake | ||||
| • Ann-Margaret Ferrante | ||||
2015 legislative session
The following table describes committee membership at the beginning of the 2015 legislative session.
| Rules Members, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (12) | Republican members (3) | |||
| • William Galvin, Chair | • Paul Frost | |||
| • Paul Mark, Vice chair | • Sheila Harrington | |||
| • Byron Rushing | • David Vieira | |||
| • Thomas Petrolati | ||||
| • Louis Kafka | ||||
| • Ronald Mariano | ||||
| • Ellen Story | ||||
| • Joseph Wagner | ||||
| • Garrett Bradley | ||||
| • Patricia Haddad | ||||
| • Michael Moran | ||||
| • Paul Donato | ||||
2013-2014
The following table describes committee membership at the beginning of the 2013 legislative session.
| Rules Members, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (12) | Republican members (3) | |||
| • John Binienda, Sr., Chair | • Paul Frost | |||
| • Kate Hogan, Vice chair | • Geoff Diehl | |||
| • Byron Rushing | • Daniel Winslow | |||
| • Thomas Petrolati | ||||
| • Joseph Wagner | ||||
| • Ronald Mariano | ||||
| • Ellen Story | ||||
| • Eugene O'Flaherty | ||||
| • Kathi-Anne Reinstein | ||||
| • Garrett Bradley | ||||
| • Patricia Haddad | ||||
| • Michael Moran | ||||
2011-2012
The following table describes committee membership for the 2011 legislative session.
| Rules Members, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (12) | Republican members (3) | |||
| • Byron Rushing, Chair | • Donald Humason, Jr. | |||
| • Cory Atkins, Vice chair | • Geoff Diehl | |||
| • David Nangle | • Paul Frost | |||
| • Ellen Story | ||||
| • Eugene O'Flaherty | ||||
| • Garrett Bradley | ||||
| • John Binienda, Sr. | ||||
| • John Fernandes | ||||
| • Patricia Haddad | ||||
| • Ronald Mariano | ||||
| • Stephen Canessa | ||||
| • Thomas Petrolati | ||||
2009-2010
The following table describes committee membership for the 2009 legislative session.
| Rules Members, 2009 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic members (11) | Republican members (3) | |||
| • John Binienda, Sr., Chair | • Jeffrey Perry | |||
| • Cory Atkins, Vice chair | • Daniel Webster | |||
| • Patricia Haddad | • Paul Frost | |||
| • Thomas Petrolati | ||||
| • David Nangle | ||||
| • Timothy Toomey, Jr. | ||||
| • Arthur Tobin | ||||
| • James Vallee | ||||
| • Garrett Bradley | ||||
| • Gloria Fox | ||||
| • Byron Rushing | ||||
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 Rules," accessed March 4, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
