GLOSSARY OF TERMS
House
Legislative Calendars
The Union Calendar
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A list of all bills that address money and may be considered by the House of
Representatives. Generally, bills contained in the Union Calendar can be
categorized as appropriations bills or bills raising revenue.
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A list of all the public bills that do not address money and maybe considered
by the House of Representatives.
The Corrections Calendar
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A list of bills selected by the Speaker of the House in consultation with the
Minority leader that will be considered in the House and debated for one hour.
Generally, bills are selected because they focus on changing laws, rules and
regulations that are judged to be outdated or unnecessary. A 3/5 majority of
those present and voting is required to pass bills on the Corrections Calendar.
The Private Calendar
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A list of all the private bills that are to be considered by the House. It is
called on the first and third Tuesday of every month.
Types
of Legislation
Bills
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A legislative proposal that if passed by both the House and the Senate and
approved by the President becomes law. Each bill is assigned a bill number. HR
denotes bills that originate in the House and S denotes bills that originate in
the Senate.
Private Bill
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A bill that is introduced on behalf of a specific individual that if it is
enacted into law only affects the specific person or organization the bill
concerns. Often, private bills address immigration or naturalization issues.
Public Bill
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A bill that affects the general public if enacted into law.
Simple Resolution
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A type of legislation designated by H Res or S Res that is used primarily to
express the sense of the chamber where it is introduced or passed. It only has
the force of the chamber passing the resolution. A simple resolution is not
signed by the President and cannot become Public Law.
Concurrent Resolutions
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A type of legislation designated by H Con Res or S Con Res that is often used
to express the sense of both chambers, to set annual budget or to fix
adjournment dates. Concurrent resolutions are not signed by the President and
therefore do not hold the weight of law.
Joint Resolutions
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A type of legislation designated by H J Res or S J Res that is treated the same
as a bill unless it proposes an amendment to the Constitution. In this case,
2/3 majority of those present and voting in both the House and the Senate and
3/4 ratification of the states are required for the Constitutional amendment to
be adopted.
Other Terms
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A procedure in the House of Representatives during which each standing
committees may bring up for consideration any bill that has been reported on
the floor on or before the previous day. The procedure also limits debate for
each subject matter to two hours.
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A motion generally used in the Senate to end a filibuster. Invoking cloture
requires a vote by 3/5 of the full Senate. If cloture is invoked further debate
is limited to 30 hours, it is not a vote on the passage of the piece of
legislation.
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A committee including all members of the House. It allows bills and resolutions
to be considered without adhering to all the formal rules of a House session,
such as needing a quorum of 218. All measures on the Union Calendar must be
considered first by the Committee of the Whole.
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A member or members that add his or her name formally in support of another
members bill. In the House a member can become a co-sponsor of a bill at any
point up to the time the last authorized committee considers it. In the Senate
a member can become a co-sponsor of a bill anytime before the vote takes place
on the bill. However, a co-sponsor is not required and therefore, not every
bill has a co-sponsor or co-sponsors.
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A petition that if signed by a majority of the House, 218 members, requires a
bill to come out of a committee and be moved to the floor of the House.
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An informal term for extended debate or other procedures used to prevent a vote
on a bill in the Senate.
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Relevant to the bill or business either chamber is addressing. The House
requires an amendment to meet a standard of relevance, being germane, unless a
special rule has been passed.
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Box on House Clerk's desk where members deposit bills and resolutions to
introduce them.
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A 90 minute period on Mondays and Tuesdays in the House of Representatives set
aside for five minute speeches by members who have reserved a spot in advance
on any topic.
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A motion that requests a bill be sent back to committee for further
consideration. Normally, the motion is accompanied by instructions concerning
what the committee should change in the legislation or general instructions
such as that the committee should hold further hearings.
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A motion that is not debatable and that can be made by any Senator or
Representative on any pending question. Agreement to the motion is equivalent
to defeating the question tabled.
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The number of Representatives or Senators that must be present before business
can begin. In the House 218 members must be present for a quorum. In the Senate
51 members must be present however, Senate can conduct daily business without a
quorum unless it is challenged by a point of order.
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An informal term for an amendment or provision that is not relevant to the
legislation where it is attached.
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The original member who introduces a bill.
Substitute Amendment
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An amendment that would replace existing language of a bill or another
amendment with its own.
Suspension of the Rules
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A procedure in the House that limits debate on a bill to 40 minutes, bars
amendments to the legislation and requires a 2/3 majority of those present and
voting for the measure to be passed.
Veto
