Pursuant to the recommendations of the House COVID-19 protocol working group, the following protocols will be in place to begin the 2021 legislative session.

All protocols are subject to review and revision as circumstances warrant.

House Chamber and Gallery

The South and West Galleries on the 5th Floor will be open to the public, subject to socially distanced capacity limits that will be posted and enforced by the House Sergeants.
The North Gallery will be set aside for use by the Members of the House and closed to the public.

Floor presentations will be limited to two (2) non-House Members in front of the podium and two (2) legislators behind the podium. All additional guests present at the Capitol for floor presentations must observe from the gallery or from a designated overflow area.

Plexiglas partitions have been added on each desk in the Chamber.

The Chamber Podium will be sanitized after each use during meetings in the Chamber.

The House Chamber will be cleaned and sanitized daily.

Committee Rooms

Committee meetings will be open to the public, subject to socially distanced capacity limits that will be posted and enforced by the House Sergeants, with seating first reserved for Members and staff followed by the public.

Each committee room will have a designated overflow space for the public to view live proceedings when the posted capacity limits have been reached.

Committee rooms will be unavailable to be reserved either by or for outside groups during the 2021 legislative session. Reservations for committee rooms will be limited to meetings of lawmakers.

Committee Voting

The COVID-19 protocols working group recommended allowing members to vote remotely from their offices during committee meetings. A proposed House Rule to accomplish this is attached and must be approved by the full body.

Joint Sessions / State of the State

During all joint sessions of the House and Senate, a designated seating chart will be enforced on the House Floor and in the House Galleries.

Public Gatherings in the House of Representatives

The House will prohibit large groups of public gatherings in the House Chamber and public reservations of other spaces under its control during the 2021 legislative session. Members will determine their own office policies for receiving visitors (i.e., requiring appointments or limiting the number of people who may enter the office, etc.).

Cleaning House Offices and Common Spaces

All space under the control of the House will be cleaned daily. All work surfaces and door handles throughout the House will be sanitized several times throughout the day.

The House is pursuing bids for large-scale cleaning and sanitizing on a continuing basis.

Doors to shared work spaces and hallways will be propped open as circumstances allow.

More hand sanitizer stations will be placed throughout House spaces.

Disposable masks and hand sanitizer will be available for Members and staff through the House Supply Room.

Plexiglas partitions for desks will be available for Legislative Assistants.

Masks

The House will continue to voluntarily observe the Governor’s Executive Order requiring state employees and visitors to wear masks in state buildings when social distancing is not possible.

Members of the House are encouraged to wear masks when social distancing is not possible.

Staffing

Members will determine whether Legislative Assistants will work remotely or in the office.

Testing

Regular COVID-19 testing will be available for Members and Staff through the Oklahoma Department of Health.