DOVER — After two years of Zoom sessions and limited in-person participation, the Delaware House of Representatives announced Thursday that it will continue a hybrid meeting format.

House members outlined their plan, where members of the public have the option to attend virtually or in person. The hybrid format was implemented in committee meetings earlier this month, allowing participants to visit Legislative Hall, though the setting has limited seating.

Prior to that arrangement, committee meetings had been held via Zoom for both representatives and public attendees throughout the pandemic.

Those who choose to attend in person will be given the opportunity to provide public comment. Additionally, viewers can choose to tune in via livestream on the General Assembly’s website and will also have a chance to give input via a call-in number.

Online attendance numbers for House committee meetings increased dramatically with the hybrid format, said House deputy chief of staff for communications Drew Volturo. Though the numbers vary, he said they eclipsed 100 participants on multiple occasions.

The majority of General Assembly meetings throughout the pandemic occurred virtually and that remained the same for members of the public until just a few weeks ago, said House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, who added that, despite the challenges COVID-19 brought, it was important to return to this method to be transparent to the public.

“COVID reshaped many of our lives, but it also made us think outside the box about how we conduct business. One positive change was the increased transparency that has come from streaming our meetings and sessions online. Even as the House has resumed full in-person committee meetings, we have recognized the value of the virtual aspect and have decided to continue this practice,” he said.

In the Senate, lawmakers intend to continue their current virtual format, according to Senate director of communications Scott Goss. This requires committee members to attend via Zoom, and members of the public can attend virtually and provide comment via a show of hands.

Mr. Goss said this arrangement provides better audio quality and is a much more convenient format for public participation.

Those who wish to give input get priority for in-person attendance at House meetings and can submit their comments prior to the meeting at housecommitteecomment@delaware.gov.

For members of the public who cannot attend these committee meetings in person, a link to the meetings will be available here. Those who wish to give comment are required to use the call-in number and password provided on the page.

The House of Representatives and Senate return to session next week, with committee meetings announced for Tuesday and Wednesday.