State House reopening is in sight
Vaxxed workers will return after 19 months
More than 19 months after the State House closed its doors to the public as coronavirus swept the Bay State, reopening is in sight — for lawmakers and staffers who vax up.
State representatives and House employees would be required to submit proof of vaccination by Nov. 1 to work in-person at the State House, according to new recommendations from a legislative working group.
The proposal calls for reopening the State House — which closed in March 2020 — on a phased basis, but outlined no timeframe.
All public meetings and hearings would continue to be livestreamed.
Consequences for lawmakers who do not comply with the vaccination order will be evaluated “when they occur,” House Speaker Ronald Mariano said on Monday, declining to wade into specifics.
“You can sit here and speculate a million different scenarios that you’d have to answer,” Mariano said. “We’d like to deal with some facts. Let’s see who’s going to cooperate and participate and who isn’t, and then we’ll deal with those folks almost on a one-byone basis. My anticipation is most people will cooperate in one form or another. My hope is we won’t need any further actions.”
No data is available currently regarding how many of the House of Representatives 159 members are vaccinated.
About 78% of Massachusetts adults 18 and older are fully vaccinated — one of the highest rates in the nation, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Representatives and staff would receive paid time off to get vaccinated or to recover from any side effects, according to the recommendations.
The working group is still working with the House’s legal counsel to develop a system for providing proof of vaccination and to create an exemption process for those with qualifying disabilities, medical conditions or religious beliefs.
The House vaccine and verification mandate must be voted on by the full chamber before it goes into effect.
It’s still unclear when that vote could happen, but Mariano said he expects a majority of representatives to approve the policy.
The House next plans to meet in a formal session on Thursday.
Mariano said some representatives opposed a House vaccine mandate and refused to disclose whether they had been vaccinated.
But roadblocks are already being erected by more than a dozen representatives who co-sponsored legislation that would bar limiting access to public spaces and businesses based on vaccination status.
Mariano said Monday that those proposals will “have a hearing and go through the committee process.” “My intention is to do what’s best for the 500 people that work underneath me,” he said. “What reps decide to do for themselves, I can’t control.”
Senate President Karen Spilka on Aug. 24 told senators and staff that they must prove their full vaccination status by Oct. 15.
Gov. Charlie Baker last month instituted a vaccine mandate for the state’s 42,000 employees.