House of Representatives Climaxes First Session of the 55th Legislature

By Jerromie S. Walters

The House of Representatives closed today. January 6, 2025, for the 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 (𝟭𝗦𝗧),  𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗 (𝟮𝗡𝗗) 𝗔𝗡𝗗  𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗗 (𝟯𝗥𝗗)𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗘𝗫𝗧𝗥𝗔-𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦, 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 (𝟭𝗦𝗧) 𝗦𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟱𝟱𝗧𝗛 𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗦𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖 𝗢𝗙 𝗟𝗜𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗔.

The body is expected to reconvene on January 13, 2025. Representatives will gather in the chamber, where the Sergeant-at-Arms is set to announce the sitting. The session, which commenced on January 15, 2024, concluded on January 6, 2025.

Below is a comprehensive statistical report of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Liberia’s activities during the first session of the 55th Legislature, covering the first, second, and third quarters, including extraordinary sittings.

House Sitting Overview

During this session, the House conducted a total of 146 sittings, broken down as follows:

•   Regular (Open) Sittings: 76
•   Secret Sittings: 32
•   Special Sittings: 7
•   Leadership Sittings: 31

Legislative Achievements

The report highlights notable legislative accomplishments, with a total of 32 bills and resolutions passed:

•   House Bills Passed: 10
•   Senate Bills Concurred With: 2
•   Executive Bills Passed: 16
•   Petitions Passed: 0
•   Resolutions Passed: 2
•   Certificates of Extension/To Reconvene: 2

Pending Legislation

In addition to the bills passed, there are currently 33 items in the committee room awaiting discussion:

•   House Bills: 23
•   Senate Bills: 2
•   Executive Bills: 6
•   Petitions: 2
•   Resolutions: 0

Engagement and Communication

The House saw significant participation, with 41 appearances recorded:

•   Appearances in Plenary: 27
•   Appearances in Leadership: 14

Furthermore, the House received a total of 291 communications from various sources, including:

•   From Lawmakers: 214
•   From the Executive: 20
•   From Institutions: 45
•   From Foreign Bodies: 2
•   From Individuals: 10

Presiding Figures

The report also noted the leadership structure during the sittings:

•   Speaker Presiding: 50 times
•   Deputy Speaker’s Presiding: 32 times
•   Other Lawmakers Presiding: 9 times

Grand Total

In total, the House of Representatives engaged in 634 recorded activities during this session, reflecting a proactive approach to governance and legislative duties.