Glossary Flashcards
Act
a bill that becomes law
Adjournment
Ending a meeting or legislative session.
When the Legislature adjourns at the end of a session, it’s called adjournment sine die (sign-ee die)
Amend
To change an existing law or proposed bill
Amendment
A proposed change to a bill, such as an addition or deletion.
Appropriation
An authorization to spend state or federal money. The Legislature appropriates money by passing bills that authorize agencies to spend money for certain purposes.
Such bills must originate in the House of Representatives.
Biennial
Occurring every 2 years. The Montana Legislature meets biennially in odd-numbered years.
Bill
A proposal introduced in the Legislature to enact a new law or amend or repeal an existing law.
Caucus
A group of legislators with a common interest.
Although the term usually is used to describe the Democratic and Republican caucuses, it can also be used to describe other groups of legislators, such as an Indian Caucus.
As a verb, “to caucus” means to have a meeting.
Chamber
Either of the houses of a bicameral Legislature.
The term also can be used to refer to the room in which each house meets.
Chief Clerk of the House
An employee appointed by the Speaker of the House to supervise all House employees, oversee the handling of bills, and keep House records.
Committee of the Whole
The entire body of a chamber, such as the House or Senate, sitting as a committee for the transaction of business.
When the House or Senate considers a bill on second or third reading, it meets as a Committee of the Whole.
Concurrence
Agreement by one chamber to a proposal or action taken by the other chamber.
Conference committee
A committee consisting of members from each chamber.
The purpose of the committee is to resolve differences in a bill that has been passed in different versions by each chamber.
Constituent
A resident of the district that a legislator has been elected to represent.
Convene
To officially begin the meeting of a legislative body.
Daily agenda
A list of bills to be considered by each chamber during the day’s business.
District
A geographical area of the state from which a senator or representative is elected.
District boundaries are determined every 10 years following the completion of the census. Each district is designated by a number.
There are 50 Senate districts and 100 House districts.
Effective date
The date on which a law takes effect. Most laws take effect on October 1 following a session unless the bill specifically states otherwise.
Bills appropriating money take effect on July 1 following a session.
Bills providing for the taxation of or the imposition of a fee on motor vehicles take effect on January 1 following passage and approval.
Enact
To pass a new law
Engrossing
The incorporation of all amendments and all appropriate technical corrections into the text of a bill.
Enrolling
Preparing a bill in the final form that it passes the Legislature.
First reading
The point in the legislative process when a bill is assigned to a committee for a public hearing.
Fiscal note
A page or pages attached to a bill that estimates the financial impact of a bill on the government.
Floor sessions
That part of a legislator’s work day that takes place when the full House or Senate meets in its chambers to conduct business.
Gallery
The balcony area above a legislative chamber. The public can watch the floor sessions from here.
Hearing
Public discussion scheduled by a standing committee for the purpose of gathering information on a bill.
Interim committee
A group of legislators that meets during the months in-between sessions to study specific issues and consider whether to recommend new legislation.
Introduction
The formal presentation of a bill into the legislative process.
This is the point when each bill is given a number.
Joint committee
A group formed with members from both chambers.
Joint subcommittee
A group formed with members from both House and Senate standing committees.
Joint subcommittees of the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance and Claims Committee consider budget bills that appropriate money and give state agencies the authority to spend money.
Journal
The official record, in chronological order, of the proceedings in the House or Senate.
Legislature
The Senate and the House of Representatives collectively.
Lobbyist
A person, usually acting as an agent for an organized group, who seeks to bring about the passage or defeat of bills or to influence their content.
Majority leader
The leader of the party that has the most members in a legislative chamber.
Majority party
The political party with the most elected members.
Majority whip
A legislator selected by the majority party to help the majority leader and make sure party members are present for important votes.
Minority party
The party with the second-largest number of members in a legislative chamber.
Minority leader
The leader of the party that has the second-largest number of members in a legislative chamber.
Minority whip
A legislator selected by the minority party to help the minority leader and make sure party members are present for important votes.
Minutes
A record of the actions taken at a committee meeting. The minutes serve as the official record of the meeting.
Montana Code Annotated (MCA)
The official, published version of all the laws of Montana currently in effect.
Motion
A formal proposal offered by a legislator
Order of business
The established order of activities in floor sessions each legislative day.
Party
A political group organized around specific principles of government. Each party works to get its candidates elected.
Parties represented in the Montana Legislature in recent history include the Constitution, Democratic, Independent, Libertarian, and Republican parties.
President of the Senate
A senator selected by the majority party to preside over Senate proceedings.
President pro tempore
A senator who presides over the proceedings of the Senate when the President is absent.
Quorum
The minimum number of legislators required to be present before a legislative body can conduct business.
A quorum is one more than half the membership.
Reapportionment
A process carried out once each decade after completion of the US census to divide the number of state senators and representatives among the state’s population so that each legislator represents about the same number of constituents.
The federal government also reapportions congressional seats for each state.
Redistricting
A process carried out once each decade after each US census to determine the boundaries of congressional and legislative districts based on population. Each district must contain about the same number of people.
Regular session
The 90 days during each odd-numbered year when the Legislature is scheduled to meet.
Repeal
To get rid of an existing law
Resolution
A formal statement of the Legislature that expresses a desire, opinion, sympathy, or request of the Legislature, that governs the business of the Legislature, or that requests but does not require an interim study.
A resolution does not have the force of law.
Second reading
The point in the legislative process when legislators debate and vote on a bill during a floor session.
Secretary of the Senate
An employee who hires and supervises Senate employees, keeps the records of the Senate, transmits bills and resolutions to the House, and serves as parliamentary adviser to the Senate.
Sergeant at Arms
An officer appointed to purchase supplies and equipment and keep order within a legislative chamber.
Speaker of the House
A representative selected by the majority party to preside over House proceedings.
Special session
A session of Legislature convened outside the regular session schedule for the purposes of addressing a pressing issue.
The Governor or majority of legislators may convene a special session.
Sponsor
The legislator who introduces a bill and guides it through the legislative process.
Standing committee
A permanent group that continues from one session to another to consider and hold public hearings on bills in a specific policy area, such as transportation or agriculture.
Statute
A law included in the Montana Code Annotated
Table
A motion used in committees to set aside consideration of that bill. The committee may vote to take up consideration of a bill that has been tabled, but often this motion is used to quietly kill a bill.
Term limits
Constitutional limits on how long a legislator or other state official may serve in one office.
State senators and representatives may serve no longer than 8 years in a 16-year period.
Testify
To present evidence for or against a bill at a committee hearing.
Third reading
The point in the legislative process when lawmakers in each chamber take a final vote on a bill.
A bill may not be amended on the third reading.
Transmittal
The act of sending a bill to the second chamber for consideration after it has been passed by the first chamber.
Veto
The constitutional right of the Governor to reject a bill passed by the Legislature.
