Glossary of Terms
A
B
C
E
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
ad hoc
Brought together for a special purpose.
agenda
A group of bills and/or other items of legislative business listed in order of their intended presentation to a legislative chamber. The agenda informs anyone who is interested of the chamber's anticipated business.
amendment
A change or addition to a bill or motion--the change or addition must usually be germane to the subject matter.
appropriation
The setting aside by a legislature of a specific sum of public money for a particular public purpose. A lump sum may be appropriated, or an itemized appropriation may be made. The former allows for greater executive discretion. The latter permits expenditures only for narrow purpose specified by the legislative body.
bill
The form in which proposed laws are introduced into the legislature. Bills move by agreements (usually majority) through the various legislative stages--reference to committee; consideration within and amendment by committee; report to full body; debate and amendment on the floor of the house; passage by the chamber; similar action in the other chamber; signature by the executive (or passage over the executive's veto) to become law.
bill drafting
Expressing a proposed legislative objective in bill form. Care is required to prevent duplication of or conflict with existing law.
bottle up
To stop or impede the progress of a bill by confining it within a committee and preventing its due consideration.
budget office
Office in the Executive Branch which drafts the Governor's budget and monitors the adopted state budget.
caucus
The members of a legislature belonging to the same party, organized in a body to determine joint legislative action.
chamber
A place where legislators meet together as a body to consider legislation and conduct other business; also "the House".
consent agenda
An agenda of business including those bills that members agree should be brought before the full body for consideration; normally composed of noncontroversial measures.
coalition
An alliance, often temporary, among persons or factions interested in a common goal.
concurrent resolution
Resolutions concurred in by both houses of the legislature, and may be sent to the Governor, if it does not have the force of law.
committee
A grouping of members of a legislative body that gives special or detailed consideration to pending bills on a given subject. A standing committee of a legislature is essentially permanent. Joint committees are appointed by the two houses to consider matters together. Special, select, or ad hoc committees are appointed for special matters.
compromise
Reaching agreement by adjusting conflicting positions.
conflict of interest
A case in which an elected or appointed official has to vote on, decide on or administer some matter in which he has a private, often a pecuniary, interest.
controller general
The office which acts as the staff consultants for the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee.
debate
Legislative discussion and argument about the merits of a bill, a resolution or a parliamentary motion.
departmental request
A bill that is requested by a department of state government.
effective date
The date on which a law becomes effective. Emergency clauses are commonly employed to bring statutes into effect as soon as the executive signs the bill or a veto is overridden.
enacting clause
The clause at the beginning of every bill that states the authority by which it will be made into law. The exact words are often delineated in the state constitution.
executive
The executive officer of the state is the governor.
executive request
A bill proposed by the governor.
first reading
The formal reading of a bill by the clerk of a house before that house for the first time. Bills must be formally "read in" to be considered. This or her is usually done in a pro forma manner with only a reading of the title of the bill necessary.
fiscal note
A cost estimate which is attached to a bill to indicate its fiscal impact as determined by the Controller General's office.
floor
The area in which legislative members sit and from which they speak.
gallery
The area from which the public can observe a legislative chamber.
hearing
An occasion during which evidence and points of view on a specific bill or subject are brought before a legislative body.
house privileges
Benefits or rights granted by the legislative body to members, the public, the press, etc. In certain instances, such privileges may be withdrawn by the legislature.
house rules
The rules by which each legislative body conducts its business.
joint committee
A committee with members appointed by either house to consider matters of common interest. Such committees can speed up the legislative process by consolidating time for hearings.
joint resolution
Resolutions concurred in by both houses of the legislature and the Governor. It has the force of law while it is in effect.
lobbyist
A person, usually representing a special public or private interest, who visits the legislature to transact business with legislators in the hope of influencing the legislative proceedings.
legislative council
A body of members of the legislature, sometimes including administrative officers, which meet between sessions to investigate state needs and propose legislative programs and measures. Also, the research branch of the Delaware General Assembly.
legislative calendar
A digest of bills classified by subject, title, and current status. The digest is published either by legislative council to help people follow legislative business.
mark up
Drafting the state budget line-by-line.
majority leader
A member designated byythe caucus of the majority party to carry out party strategy on the floor of the house and lead the party during the session.
minority leader
A member designated by the caucus of the minority party to carry out party strategy on the floor of the house and lead the party during the session.
motion
A proposal formally made before any deliberative body, such as a legislature. Under parliamentary rules, certain kinds of motions have precedence over others. All legislative business is moved through the legislative process by motions.
ninety-eight percent
Under law, only 98 percent of the money appropriated for an annual budget can be spent. The 2 percent balance is rule saved in case there is a shortfall in revenues. If there is no shortfall, the money is carried over and included in the next fiscal year's budget.
opposition
Those who take an opposite or contrary position on a particular issue or issues.
options
Different courses of action that may be taken.
order of business
The order in which business is transacted before the legislative body or its committees. Under the rules, changes in the order of business may be made.
pocket veto
Failure of a governor to sign a bill within the time specified for executive signature; done after the legislature has adjourned.
point of order
An objection made by a member of a deliberative body to the chair that a question, motion or measure cannot be considered because it conflicts with the rules, orders or proceedings already established by the legislature.
proviso
Language included in or added to bills, often appropriations bills, which requires certain things to be done or which limits the application of certain parts of the bill.
quorum
The number of members established by rule who must be present in a deliberative body before business can lawfully be transacted. In certain instances, any members present may constitute a quorum. Usually, however, it is a majority of the members.
rainy day fund
Each year, money equal to 5 percent of the state's budget is put into the fund. The fund, created in the late 1970s, never has been tapped. Earned interest from the fund is put into the state's general fund.
reassignment
The return of a bill by a house to a committee. A bill may be recommitted at any time before it final passage.
reconsideration
Even after defeat of a measure it is subject to reconsideration. This opens the entire bill for further action. Upon adoption of a motion for reconsideration the presiding officer can again put the bill to a vote. Legislatures have specific rules for reconsideration including time limits within which the motion must be made and who may make such a motion. In Delaware, three legislative days is the time limit.
report
Both a verb and a noun. A committee that approves a bill reports its findings and discharges it for floor action. This process is called reporting a bill. A report is the document setting forth each committee's explanation of its action and intent and, therefore, constitutes an important part of the legislative bill. Most reports favor a bill's passage. When a committee disapproves a bill, it simply fails to report it at all. When a committee report is not unanimous, the dissenting committee members report a bill out as unfavorable. Sometimes a bill is reported without recommendation or on its merits.
resolution
A motion of a single branch of the legislature which deals with the internal affairs of that body only.
roll call
The calling of names of members of the body to determine if a quorum is present and if business may be transacted.
rule
A regulation controlling action or procedure of a legislative, administrative or judicial body. In the case of the legislature, the rules secure order and provide for the regular processing of legislative business in a predictable way.
second reading
Bills receive a second reading after having been reported from their subject committees to the full house.
speaker
The presiding officer, usually of the more populous house. The lieutenant governor is often the presiding officer of the upper house or senate. The speaker is usually elected by the majority party in the house. In acting as speaker he must be impartial.
sponsor
A legislator who introduces a bill or resolution before the legislature.
substitute bill
A bill introduced in place of an original bill. It usually represents compromise and avoids floor amendments to the parent bill, thus facilitating passage.
table
The motion to "lay on the table" is not debatable in either house, and is usually a method of killing a bill or amendment.
third reading
The formal reading of a bill before a chamber votes on its passage.
title
A heading or preliminary part of a bill that briefly designates its subject and purpose, and states what laws the bill may amend. Legislative and constitutional provisions usually require the body of a bill to include only the general subject that has been indicated in its title.
transportation trust fund
A fund designed to fund transportation projects for the Department of Transportation.
two percent fund
That percentage of appropriate money saved from the state's yearly budget.
veto
The return by the governor to the legislature of a bill without his or her approving signature, which is necessary for a bill to become law. The legislature may override an executive veto by a vote--a three fifths majority--specified in the state constitution.
voice vote
An oral vote conducted by the presiding officer, as distinguished from an individually recorded or tallied vote. The presiding officer judges the outcome by the sound of the voices.
walk a bill
The actual carrying of a proposed committee report on a bill from member to member to get signatures; to sign a bill from committee without the benefit of a committee hearing.
whip
The name given to the legislator designated by his or her party caucus to keep, or attempt to keep, account and control of party members on party issues.