Lung Action Network
of Washington & Idaho

Glossary of Terms

APPROPRIATION - The amount of money that must be budgeted to pay for the activity or program described in the bill. A bill with an appropriation must be reviewed by the Appropriations Committee in the House and the Ways and Means Committee in the Senate, as well as by the policy committee according to subject matter.

BILL - A proposal to change the laws of the state, introduced in either the House or the Senate. Also a generic way to refer to any type of legislation.

BILL REPORT - A description of a bill prepared by committee staff. Includes the legislative history, background, summary, and testimony in committee.

CAUCUS - Both houses often recess for "caucus," which is a meeting of the members of that house who belong to the same political party. Caucuses are called to discuss the party's position on a bill or an amendment. "Caucus" also refers to the permanent staff, administrative aides, and administrative assistants who support the members of a particular party. Hence, there are four caucuses the House Democratic Caucus, the House Republican Caucus, the Senate Democratic Caucus, and the Senate Republican Caucus.

CHAMBER - The place in which the House or Senate meets. Also a generic way to refer to the House or Senate.

CHAPTER - Once the Governor has signed a bill, it is sent to the Secretary of State, who assigns a session law chapter number, (e.g. Chapter 35 of the Laws of 1995). Between the time the chapter number is assigned and the time the bill is incorporated into the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), the session law is the law of the state.

CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE - The chief administrative officer of the House, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the House.

CODE REVISER'S OFFICE - The central drafting agency of the Legislature and the organization responsible for the publication of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) and the Washington Administrative Code (WAC). Often referred to as the Statute Law Committee.

COMMITTEE - Before a bill is considered by the entire body, it is considered by a committee. Committees are usually organized by subject (e.g., Agriculture, Education, Transportation). Committees recommend to the entire body what action to take on the bill.

CONCURRENCE - If the second house has amended the bill (e.g., the Senate has amended a House bill), the first house can vote to accept those amendments. If this happens, both houses are said to be in concurrence.

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION - A type of bill that affects the business of the Legislature and that must be approved by both houses. For example, the bill that establishes the cutoff dates is a concurrent resolution.

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE - If the first house disputes the amendments from the second house and the houses cannot resolve their differences, either house can request a conference committee. The committee is made of members from both houses. They meet to reach some agreement and, having come to such an agreement, offer a conference committee report to both houses. The report must be adopted by both houses for the bill to pass the Legislature.

CONSENT CALENDAR - The Senate Rules Committee reviews the bills that are eligible for second reading. The Senate Rules Committee may place non controversial bills on the consent calendar to be passed by the Senate all in one action. The equivalent calendar in the House is called the suspension calendar.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT - The Legislature may propose a change to the State Constitution by means of a joint resolution. If a joint resolution passes the Legislature, it is placed on the ballot to be voted upon by the people.

COSPONSOR - Several members may sponsor any one bill. Sponsors other than the primary sponsor (the member whose name appears first on a bill) are referred to as cosponsors.

DIGEST - A summary of a bill, prepared by the Code Reviser's Office. Digests appear in the Daily Digest Supplement and the Digest and Histories Edition.

ENGROSSED BILL - The final copy of a bill as passed by one House with the floor amendments worked into it. Bills are engrossed before they go to the second house.

ENROLLED BILL - The final copy of a bill that has passed the Legislature is enrolled. A certificate proclaiming that it has passed is attached and, if necessary, the amendments from the second house or conference committee are incorporated into the body of the bill. The bill is signed by the Chief Clerk of the House, the Speaker of the House, the Secretary of the Senate, and the President of the Senate, then is sent to the Governor for his or her action.

EXTRAORDINARY SESSION - The State Constitution mandates regular annual legislative sessions. Under "extraordinary" circumstances, the governor can call the Legislature into session by proclamation. The Legislature can address only those matters listed in the proclamation. Extraordinary sessions, also called special sessions, can last no more than 30 days.

FIRST READING - Each bill must be read on the rostrum three times before final passage. In Washington, first reading takes place when the bill is introduced. Also referred to as "introduction."

FISCAL COMMITTEE - A committee that reviews state financial matters relating to appropriation of funds and revenue generation. In the House, the fiscal committees are Appropriations, Capital Budget, and Revenue. In the Senate, Ways and Means is the fiscal committee. If a bill requires an appropriation (that is, an expenditure of state funds), it must be reviewed by the Appropriations and Ways and Means Committees. If a bill proposes to raise revenue (i.e., fees or taxes), it must be reviewed by the Revenue and Ways and Means Committees.

FLOOR - Can refer to the House or Senate chambers. More generally, when a bill is before the entire chamber (as opposed to a committee), it is said to be on the floor. Also, when a house is in session, its members are said to be on the floor.

HEARING - A committee meeting at which the members discuss a bill and take testimony on the merits of the bill or discuss some other issue of interest. Committees may hold three types of hearings: (1) work session, at which the main issues will be outlined or members will ask questions; (2) public hearing, at which members of the public may offer testimony in favor of or against the matter being discussed; and (3) executive session, at which the members will decide how they want to report the matter at hand by a roll call vote.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - One of the two houses of the Washington State Legislature. Sometimes referred to as the "House" or the "lower chamber." Each of the 49 legislative districts is represented by two House members, for a total of 98 members. Members of the House serve two-year terms.

INITIATIVE - The people can propose legislation by means of an Initiative to the Legislature or an Initiative to the People. An initiative must be filed with the Secretary of State. Initiatives to the People must also be circulated in petition and the petition signed by eight percent of the votes cast for governor at the immediately preceding gubernatorial election. Initiatives to the Legislature are considered during session and cannot be amended by the Legislature. If the Legislature passes the initiative, it is considered enacted unless the Legislature has referred it to the People, in which case it is placed on the ballot. Initiatives to the People are placed on the ballot for approval or rejection by voters.

INTERIM - The period between adjournment (sine die-adjournment of the session for the year) of one session and the beginning of another. Special sessions notwithstanding, the legislative session generally ends the last week in April in odd-numbered years and the second week in March in even-numbered years.

INTRODUCTION - When a member decides to offer a piece of legislation and gives it to the chief administrative officer to be read on the rostrum, the bill is said to be introduced. Also referred to as "first reading."

JOINT MEMORIAL - A legislative measure that expresses the Legislature's opinion and is sent to Congress or the President of the United States. Must be adopted by both houses, but does not require the governor's signature.

JOINT RESOLUTION - A legislative proposal to amend the state constitution. Must be adopted by a two-thirds vote in each house, then passed by vote of the People at the following general election.

JOURNAL - Official record of action of legislative session.

LAW - Common law is law set by precedent in court and by interpretation of the constitution and statute law. Statute law is governing action or procedure approved by the legislature.

LEADERSHIP - The officers elected by their respective caucuses.

LEGISLATIVE INTENT - If the words of a law can be broadly interpreted, the court may refer to the journal to establish the "intent" of the legislature in passing certain bills.

LOBBYIST - A person who tries to persuade legislators to introduce or vote for measures favorable and against measures unfavorable to an interest that he or she represents.

MAJORITY PARTY - The political party numbering the most members in the legislative body.

MINORITY PARTY - A political party numbering less than a majority of members in the legislative body.

OFFICE OF PROGRAM RESEARCH (OPR) - The House research and committee staff located in the House Office Building. Equivalent to Senate Committee Services.

PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE - The Lieutenant Governor is the presiding officer of the Senate. Senate membership also elects a president pro tempore who sits in the chair in the Lieutenant Governor's absence.

QUORUM - A majority of members of the group concerned. This means a majority of those elected to either house; in a committee, this means a majority of members assigned to the specific committee.

READING - Each bill must be read on the rostrum three times before final passage. In Washington, first reading takes place when the bill is introduced. Second reading takes place when the bill has been reported by standing committee and is placed on the calendar by the Rules Committee. It is at second reading that the bills are debated and amendments are offered. Third reading takes place when the bill is before the chamber for final passage.

REGULAR SESSION - The State Constitution mandates regular sessions, which last 105 days in odd-numbered years and 60 days in even-numbered years. During regular sessions, any matter of interest to the Legislature can be considered.

REQUESTER - Someone other than a member of the Legislature, for instance, the governor or an executive agency of state government, can request legislation. When that is the case, the requester will appear at the end of the list of sponsors in the heading of the bill.

RESOLUTION - A legislative measure that states the opinion of the house in which it is offered. Usually, resolutions congratulate individuals or groups or mourn the passing of an individual.

ROLL CALL - When a bill is up for final passage, a roll call vote is taken. In the House, this is accomplished by means of an electronic roll call machine; in the Senate, the reading clerk calls the roll and each Senator states how he/she wishes to vote. Roll calls are also taken on certain motions, on amendments when requested by a member and when one-sixth of the members present agree, and at the start of each session to determine the presence of a quorum.

SCOPE AND OBJECT - A member may ask the presiding officer to rule on whether an amendment is within the scope and object of the bill. The determining factor is the language in the title of the bill, that is that the amendment is attached to the appropriate bill or is related to the intent of the bill.

SECOND READING - Each bill must be read on the rostrum three times before final passage. In Washington, the second reading takes place when a bill has been placed on the calendar and is up for debate on the floor.

SECTION - The body of a bill is divided into sections. Each section notes which section of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) is being amended by the bill or indicates that a new section will be added. Changes to the existing RCW section are noted by double parentheses and strike-through for language that will be stricken, and by underlining for language that will be added.

SECRETARY OF THE SENATE - The chief administrative officer of the Senate, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Senate.

SENATE - One of the two houses of the Washington State Legislature. Sometimes referred to as the "upper chamber." Each of the 49 legislative districts is represented by one Senator. Senators serve four-year terms; half the Senate is up for election every two years, so the terms are staggered.

SENATE COMMITTEE SERVICES - The Senate research and committee staff organization (equivalent to OPR).

SESSION - Can refer to the daily meeting of the Legislature or to the entire period during which the Legislature is convened. The State Constitution mandates regular sessions, which last 105 days in odd-numbered years and 60 days in even-numbered years. Under "extraordinary" circumstances, the governor can call the Legislature into session by proclamation. The Legislature can address only those matters listed in the proclamation. Extraordinary sessions, also called special sessions, can last no more than 30 days.

SESSION LAW - When a bill has been signed by the Governor, it is sent to the Secretary of State, who assigns a chapter number (e.g., Chapter 333 of the Laws of 1994). Between the time that it receives the chapter number and the time the bill's effects are incorporated into the Revised Code of Washington, the bill is referred to as "session law" and is the law of the state.

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE - The presiding officer of the House as elected by the membership of the House.

SPONSOR - A member who introduces legislation and whose name appears on the bill is the sponsor.

SUBSTITUTE - When a bill is amended and adopted in committee, a new version of the bill is reported out as a substitute. A committee in the second house cannot report a bill out as a substitute. The entire body then deliberates on whether or not to adopt the substitute. If the substitute is adopted, it is that version of the bill that moves through the rest of the legislative process.

SUSPENSION CALENDAR - The House Rules Committee reviews the bills that are eligible for second reading. The House Rules Committee may place non controversial bills on the suspension calendar, to be passed by the House all in one action. The equivalent calendar in the Senate is called the consent calendar.

THIRD READING - Each bill must be read on the rostrum three times before final passage. In Washington, the third reading takes place when a bill is up for final passage.

TITLE - The part of the bill that briefly describes the effect of the bill and the sections of the RCW that it affects. It always begins with the words "AN ACT relating to." Amendments must be in the scope and object of the title, that is, they must be germane to the bill as introduced.

VETO - The governor indicates his/her disapproval of a bill or a section of a bill by applying a veto. In Washington, the governor can veto an entire bill, a section of a bill, or a line item in a budget bill. It takes a two-thirds vote in both houses to override a governor's veto.