Definitions of Key Legislative Terms
Bill
Measures which begin with H.R. or S. and have provisions which would add new
law or modify or repeal existing law. If passed by both chambers in identical
form, bills are sent to the president for his signature.
Joint Resolution
Measures which begin with H.J.Res. or S.J.Res. Subject usually a single change
to existing law, a single appropriation, or board appointments. When passed in
identical form, joint resolutions typically are sent to the president.
Concurrent
Resolution
Measures which begin with H. Con. Res. or S. Con. Res. Internal measures that
require approval by both chambers to take or have effect and aren’t sent to the
president. Can express the sense of Congress, provide for recesses and
adjournments, create joint House-Senate panels and authorize technical or
other changes to legislation passed by both chambers.
Simple Resolutions
Measures which begin with H. Res. or S. Res. Deal with internal matters of one
chamber and aren’t sent to the other chamber for action. Generally used to
express the sense of the body, to amend or establish the rules of the chamber,
to convey messages on behalf of the chamber, or to elect members to standing
committees.
Authorization
A statutory provision that obligates funding for a program or agency. An
authorization may be effective for one year, a fixed number of years, or an
indefinite period. An authorization may be for a definite amount of money or
for "such sums as may be necessary." The formal federal spending process
consists of two sequential steps: authorization and then appropriation.
Appropriations Bill
The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent
law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified
purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps:
authorization and then appropriation.
Regular Order
Both the House and the Senate abide by their standing rules.
Roll Call Vote
A vote in which each senator or representative votes "yea" or "nay" so that the
names of members voting on each side are recorded.
Voice Vote
A vote in which the presiding officer states the question, then asks those in
favor and against to say "Yea" or "Nay," respectively, and announces the result
according to his or her judgment. The names or numbers of senators voting on
each side are not recorded.
Unanimous Consent
Used in the Senate and House to set aside the chamber’s rules in order to act
more expeditiously. A UC request can cover almost anything. The one standard
is that if even one person objects, the request isn’t granted. When a UC request
is made, it isn’t debatable. Once offered, the person in the chair listens for a
colleague to speak up then says either “Without objection it is so ordered,” or
“Objection is heard.”
Hotline
To make sure there are no objections to a unanimous consent request, each
party in the Senate checks with its membership ahead of time. The e-mails and
phone calls asking whether there are objections to bringing up a specific list of
bills are known as the legislation “hotline.” The word also is used as a verb as in
“They hotlined our bill.”
Cloture
The Senate invokes cloture when it wants to limit debate on an item under
consideration. The threshold for cloture on most bills and resolutions is 60
votes. When a group of senators wants to limit debate, they file a cloture
motion with the Senate. At least 16 members have to sign the petition. An
intervening day must pass before the Senate votes. After cloture is invoked,
debate continues for a specified period of time, 30 hours for bills.
House Rules
Committee
The House Rules Committee is the primary tool that the chamber’s leaders use
to keep the length of floor debates under control. The committee establishes
which version of a bill will be brought to the floor, how long it will be debated,
and whether amendments can be offered.
Closed Rule
When the House Rules Committee votes to prohibit any amendments allowed
on a measure during floor debate.
Open Rule
When the House Rules Committee permits an unlimited number of
amendments on a measure during floor debate.
Structured Rule
When the House Rules Committee permits only specific, predetermined
amendments on a measure during floor debate.
Suspension of the
Rules
Used House leaders to keep House sessions from dragging on. Legislation
considered under this procedure can’t be amended on the floor and a twothirds majority is necessary for passage. Debate is limited to 40 minutes. The
procedure is typically used for noncontroversial measures or those with wide
support.
Companion
Legislation
The same bill, with the exact same language, is introduced in both the House
and the Senate.
Preconference
An informal method for the House and Senate to resolve differences in a bill
through behind-the-scenes negotiations. Once the details are worked out, the
preconferenced language could come to the floor as an amendment to a
previously passed bill or it could be introduced as a brand new bill that the
leaders push through both chambers without allowing any further amendment.
Conference
Committee
When the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill, they can agree to
hold a conference where differences are hashed out in at least one public
meeting and through closed-door negotiations. The members of the committee
are chosen by party leaders and are usually drawn from the committees of
jurisdiction. Once an agreement is reached, the members of the conference
committee sign a conference report which typically includes proposed
legislative text and an explanatory statement. The conference report then goes
to the full House and Senate. Both chambers must adopt the conference report
for it to advance to the president’s desk.
Omnibus
A single document that is accepted in a single vote by a legislature but packages
together several measures into one or combines diverse subjects.
Policy Rider
An additional provision added to a bill or other measure under the
consideration by a legislature, having little connection with the subject matter
of the bill. Riders are usually created as a tactic to pass a controversial provision
that would not pass as its own bill.
Germane
Amendment
On the subject of the pending bill or other business; a strict standard of
relevance.
Nongermane
Amendment
An amendment that would add new and different subject matter to, or may be
irrelevant to, the bill or other measure it seeks to amend.
Passback
When the Office of Management and Budget passes back drafts of proposed
budgets for the next fiscal year to agencies and departments and begins a series
of negotiations in hopes of completing a final budget proposal.
Budget Resolution
Legislation in the form of a concurrent resolution setting forth the
congressional budget. The budget resolution establishes various budget totals,
divides spending totals into functional categories (e.g., transportation), and may
include reconciliation instructions to designated House or Senate committees.
Continuing
Resolution
Legislation in the form of a joint resolution enacted by Congress, when the new
fiscal year is about to begin or has begun, to provide budget authority for
Federal agencies and programs to continue in operation until the regular
appropriations acts are enacted.
Budget Authority
Forms of authority provided by law to enter into financial obligations that will
result in immediate or future outlays of government funds
Obligation
Orders placed, contracts awarded, services received, and similar transactions
during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future
period.
Outlay (Expenditure)
The issuance of checks, disbursement of cash, or electronic transfer of funds
made to liquidate a federal obligation.
For more definitions, see www.senate.gov/glossary.