The following is a listing of some of the most commonly heard words and phrases around the Senate.

A-Engrossed: An engrossed (meaning "to make a final fair copy of") bill is a bill that is printed with its amendments. If a bill is engrossed, it will be printed as "SB ____, A-eng.," meaning "Senate Bill ____, including its amendments." A bill may be amended more than once; in that case, the bill will be printed "B-eng.," and so on.

Administrative Rule: Any agency directive, standard, regulation or statement of general applicability that implements, interprets or prescribes law or policy, or describes the procedure or practice requirements of any agency. (ORS 183.310{8})

Agenda: The official work plan for a committee meeting.

A & R Tables: Officially known as the "Table of Sections Amended, Repealed, or Added To" printed in the Weekly Cumulative Rules of Civil Procedure (ORCP), session law, and Constitution provisions amended, repealed, or "added to" by introduced measures. These tables are useful when researching changes made to particular pieces of legislation over the years.

Act: A bill which has been made law by passing both houses of the Legislature, and which either has been signed by the Governor, filed without the Governor's signature, or passed by both houses of the Legislature over the Governor's veto.

Advance Sheets: The compilation of laws enacted and selected memorials and resolutions adopted during a single legislative session, before the publication of the "Oregon Laws"

Amendment: An alteration made or proposed to be made to a measure. Measures may be amended more than once.

Appropriation: A sum of money designated for a particular purpose by an Act. For example: an appropriations bill funds a state agency over the upcoming biennium.

Bar: The Bar is the railing along the sides of the Senate and House chambers which separates the chamber floor and the side aisle. Only legislators and certain legislative staff may be within the bar; only invited guests and staff may occupy the side aisles. The press is allowed both within the bar (in the press area) and in the side aisles.

Bicameral: A body made up of or having two houses, branches, or chambers. Oregon, for example, has a bicameral Legislature.

Biennial: Occurring every two years. The Legislature creates a biennial state budget.

Biennium: A two-year period.  Regular sessions convene twice per biennium: for 160 days in the odd-numbered year, and 35 days in the even numbered year. 

Bill: A measure that creates new law, amends or repeals existing law, appropriates money, prescribes fees, transfers functions from one agency to another, provides penalties, or takes other action.

Bill Back (blue/green back): The cover of the measure, showing the bill number, title, and sponsors. It is also used on resolutions and memorials. The covers are often green, and are sometimes referred to as "green backs." They have also been referred to as "blue backs."

Call of the Senate: A Call of the Senate is a means of compelling all members (unless they are excused) to present themselves to the chamber. The call empowers the floor staff to lock the chamber, preventing those present from leaving, and requires the Sergeant at Arms to bring in absent members. A call is usually requested just before a major vote is to take place or to bring a quorum to the floor to conduct other business.

Carrier: The Senator assigned by the Committee Chair to explain and speak in favor of a measure on the floor of the Senate and to answer questions about it.

Caucus: "Caucus" is used as both a noun and a verb. A caucus, n., is a group of people who share something in common (e.g. they are members of the same political party, such as the Senate Republican Caucus or the House Democratic Caucus, or come from the same area of the state, such as the Coastal Caucus or the Eastern Oregon Caucus, or share something else in common, such as the Freshman Caucus or the Women's Caucus). When these people caucus, v., they meet to address their group's policy questions and to select political candidates for office, or political party leaders.

Chief Clerk of the House: The chief administrative officer of the House of Representatives. The Chief Clerk is elected by the members of the House, and is responsible for keeping records of the proceedings of the House, supervising House employees, acting as parliamentarian of the House and advising members on parliamentary procedures, and preparing all House publications for printing.

Committee Administrator: The staff "manager" of a committee, responsible for bill management, meeting logistics, assembling background materials and information, and bill analysis.

Committee Counsel: Another name for a Committee Administrator who is an attorney.

Committee Reports: A one page report made to the President of the Senate by a standing, special, or conference committee, which recommends further action on a measure, or reports the measure without recommendation.

Concurrent Resolution: A measure of affecting actions or procedures of both houses of the Legislature. A concurrent resolution is used to express sympathy, commendation, or to commemorate the dead.

Conference Committee: A committee usually consisting of two or three members of each house, appointed by their respective presiding officers. A conference committee is appointed when one house refuses to concur with amendments to a measure adopted by the other house. Its goal is to prepare a version of the measure acceptable to both houses. A conference committee does not actually have to meet.

Desk: The station of the Secretary of the Senate and staff at the desk below the main podium in the Senate Chamber.

Digest: The brief measure summary found at the top of a bill. The Digest is written by Legislative Counsel.

Do Pass: The recommendation by a committee for passage, abbreviated "DP." "DPA" means "do pass with amendments."

Drop: Refers to submitting a committee report to the appropriate desk, as in "I dropped the bill at the desk at 6:20 p.m."

Effective Date: In accordance with ORS 171.022, "Except as otherwise provided in the Act, an Act of the Legislative Assembly takes effect on January 1 of the year after passage of the Act."   Some bills contain a clause which specifies a particular effective date. Still others may have emergency, sunset, or referendum clauses attached.

Emergency Board: The joint committee of Senators and Representatives that meets during the interim periods to address state fiscal and budgetary matters.

Emergency Clause: A statement added to the end of a measure which causes the Act to become effective before the accustomed date (on January 1 of the year after passage of the Act). An emergency clause either sets a specific date or is effective immediately, which means that the measure will take effect on the date of its signature into law.

Engrossed Bill: A measure that is printed with its amendments included.

Enrolled Bill: A final copy of a bill which has passed both houses of the Legislature and has been specially reprinted in preparation for the signatures of the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House. After these confirmatory signatures, the enrolled bill goes to the Governor.

First Reading: The recitation on the chamber floor of the measure number and title by the Reading Clerk upon introduction of a measure in either house.  After the first reading, the measure is referred to committee by the Speaker or President.

Floor: The area within the bar in both the Senate and House Chambers.

Floor Personnel: This term refers to the Sergeant at Arms and Pages who work on the floor of the Senate and House Chambers.

Interim: The period of time between two sessions of the Legislative Assembly.

Joint Committee: A legislative committee composed of members of both houses. NOTE: Committees may also meet jointly: that is, two committees may meet simultaneously, for example, to hear testimony on matter of interest to both committees.

Joint Legislative Schedule: A document published daily during Legislative sessions identifying planned committee meetings, locations, and bills scheduled to be discussed.

Joint Memorial: A measure adopted by both houses and used to make a request of or to express an opinion to Congress, the President of the United States, or both.

Joint Resolution: A measure used for proposing constitutional amendments, creating interim committees, giving direction to a state agency, expressing legislative approval of action taken by someone else, or authorizing a kind of temporary action to be taken. A joint resolution may also authorize expenditures out of the legislative expense appropriations.

Journal: The edited record of all the proceedings on the floors of both houses, published after each legislative session.

Legislative Counsel/LC: The bill drafter for and legal adviser to the Legislative Assembly, and the chief administrative officer for the Legislative Counsel Committee. The Legislative Counsel office also publishes and distributes Oregon Laws and edits, indexes, annotates, and publishes the Oregon Revised Statutes.

Legislative Fiscal Officer: The statutory fiscal adviser to the Legislative Assembly, and chief administrative officer for the Emergency Board, the Joint Ways and Means Committee, the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and the Joint Information Management and Technology Committee. In addition, the Legislative Fiscal Office prepares fiscal impact statements for all proposed bills.

Legislative Leadership: The presiding elected officers of each house: the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House.

Legislative Revenue Officer: The statutory chief revenue analyst for the Legislative Assembly and chief administrative officer for the interim revenue committees and the separate standing Senate and House Committees on Revenue. In addition, the Legislative Revenue Office prepares revenue impact statements for all proposed bills.

Majority Leader: A legislator elected by his or her peers to lead the party having the majority in his or her house. The majority leader is responsible for the development and implementation of the caucus agenda.

Mason's Manual: The source document for legislative parliamentary procedures. It is used in Oregon only in instances which are not provided for in the Oregon Constitution or the rules of either house.

Measure: A written document used by the Legislative Assembly to propose a law or to express itself as a body. A measure may be a bill, a memorial, or a resolution.

Measure Status Report: A document published daily during a Legislative Session listing the measures introduced to date, the action taken on each measure, the dates of hearings and work sessions, and other legislative information. After adjournment, a compilation of every measure introduced during the session is published in the Final Legislative Measures--Status Report.

Memorial: A measure adopted by either the Senate or House (a measure adopted by both is a joint memorial) to make a request of or express an opinion to Congress or the President of the United States, or both.

Minority Leader: A legislator elected by his or her peers to lead the party in the minority in his or her house. The minority leader is responsible for the development and implementation of the caucus agenda.

Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR): A compilation of the administrative rules of Oregon state agencies, compiled, indexed, and published by the Secretary of State's Office.

Oregon Laws: The collected laws and selected memorials and resolutions of a legislative session.

Oregon Revised Statutes: The codified laws of the State of Oregon. The ORS is published every two years to incorporate each session's new laws. The most recent version of the ORS will have the date of the most recent Legislative session.

Original Bill Folder: The file folder that contains the official bill documentation: a copy of the bill, committee reports, staff measure summary, and fiscal and revenue impact statements. The original bill file is distributed to committee staff when the bill is referred to committee and is returned to the desks with official documentation when the bill is reported out of committee. The Senate uses yellow folders and the House uses blue folders for original bill folders.

Page: A person who works on the chamber floors, and occasionally in committees, to distribute materials, open doors, deliver messages, and generally facilitate the legislative work flow. Honorary pages are guests of members who serve as pages for a day.

Parliamentary Inquiry: An inquiry of the Committee Chair, in committee, or of the presiding officer on the floor, concerning parliamentary process.

Point of Inquiry: A motion from the floor or from a committee member in order to ask a question. Typically, such questions are about such issues as parliamentary procedures or agenda items under consideration.

Point of Order: A motion from the floor or from a committee member calling attention to a breach of order or a breach of rules.

Point of Personal Privilege: A way in which a legislator can get the attention of the presiding officer on the floor of either chamber. It is used, for example, when a legislator wants to introduce a guest or acknowledge someone.

President of the Senate: The presiding officer of the Senate, elected by a majority of  members of the body when the Senate organizes for a regular Legislative session.

President Pro Tempore: President "for a time": a Senator elected to serve as the temporary President in the absence of the President of the Senate.

Propositions and Motions: A customary, traditional order of business on the floor where legislators may make a motion if they wish.

Reconsideration: Taking a second vote on a measure after a motion to do so. A bill may be reconsidered by a committee after being voted out of committee, if it has not yet been dropped at the Desk. A vote on a bill may also be reconsidered on the floor.

Refer: To direct a bill to a committee: HB 2000 was referred to the Ways and Means Committee.

Relating-to Clause: The clause found just underneath the title of a bill identifying its subject matter: for example, HB 2000, relating to charter schools. In Oregon, a bill may only address one subject, and for this reason the relating-to clause becomes an important element of the bill.

Remonstrance: A protest. It is a Constitutional right of legislators that "any member of either house shall have the right to protest, and have his protest, with his reasons for dissent, entered on the journal." (Oregon Constitution, Article IV, Section 26)

Report Out: To return a measure from a committee to the Senate or House Desk with or without recommendation as to further action.

Resolution: A measure used by the Senate or House (a measure used by both would be a joint resolution) to take an action that would affect only its own members, such as appointing a committee of its members, or expressing in opinion or sentiment on a matter of public interest.

Revenue Impact Statement: An analysis of a bill done by the Legislative Revenue Office which identifies any potential state or local revenue changes that might result from the bill's passage.

Roll Call: A recitation by the Reading Clerk of each legislator's name, done at the beginning of a floor session, during a Call of the Senate or House to identify those present, or during a vote of the Senate.

Rules: The guidelines by which the Senate, the House of Representatives, or a committee governs its meetings. Rules are formally adopted at the first convening of the Legislative Assembly or of a committee, and require a vote (with at least a quorum of members present) for official adoption.

Second Reading: Like the First Reading, a recitation of the measure's number and title by the Reading Clerk.  Second Reading occurs after the measure has been referred to committee, worked on, and reported back to the floor for a vote.

Secretary of the Senate: The chief administrative officer of the Senate. The Secretary of the Senate is elected by the members of the Senate, and is responsible for keeping records of the proceedings of the Senate, supervising Senate employees, acting as parliamentarian of the Senate and advising members on parliamentary procedure, and preparing all Senate publications for printing.

Senate: The legislative body consisting of 30 members, called Senators, each representing districts of approximately 127,000 Oregon citizens.

Sergeant at Arms: Staff appointed by each house to maintain order within that chamber.

Session: The period of time in which the Legislative Assembly officially convenes. Regular sessions convene each February and may last 160 days in odd-numbered years, and 35 days in even numbered years.  Special sessions may be convened at the call of the Governor or of a majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly.

Session Laws: Officially called the "Oregon Laws," the session laws are a compilation of laws are a compilation of laws enacted and selected memorials and resolutions adopted during a single session. They are published in bound volumes with tables and an index.

Sine Die: "Without fixing a day for a future meeting"--the last day of a legislative session.

Speaker of the House: The presiding officer of the House of Representatives, elected by the members of the House.

Speaker Pro Tempore: A representative elected to serve as the temporary Speaker in the absence of the Speaker of the House.

Special Session: A convening of the Legislature called by the Governor or a majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly, at a time other than during a regular session. Typically, special sessions of the Legislature are called for the purpose of addressing a specific state problem or issue.

Sponsor: The legislator(s), state agency, or legislative committee which introduces a measure. The name of this person or committee is printed at the top of the measure.

Subsequent Referral: When the President or Speaker designates a bill to go to two committees, one after the other: for example, a tax measure might first be referred to a committee to consider the substantive issues, and then to the Revenue committee to consider the revenue issues.

Substitute Measure: A measure submitted by a standing committee as a substitute for a measure referred to it. It is treated in the same manner as is an amendment if it is germane to the title and subject of the original measure.

Summary: The measure summary or digest found printed near the top of a bill.

Sunset Clause: A statement added to the end of a measure which causes the act to "sunset," or become ineffective, after a certain date.

Third Reading As in First or Second Readings, a recitation of a measure's number and title by the Reading Clerk on the floor before a final vote by either chamber.

Third Reading Calendar: A publication devoted exclusively to listing all measures on the agenda for Third Reading and final passage on a given day. It lists the measures in subject order, and includes measures scheduled for consideration under Propositions and Motions and, in the Senate, action on Executive Appointments.

Veto: An action of the Governor in disapproval of a measure that has passed both houses. After a veto, the bill is returned to the house of origin with written objections. A Governor's veto may be reconsidered by both houses, and if it is again passed by two-thirds of the members present, it is considered overridden and becomes law. It is reconsidered upon a motion from the floor, and must be reconsidered at the very next Legislative session following the veto.

Vote Explanation: On occasion, a legislator may wish the official record to reflect the reason why he or she voted yes or no on particular bill. This vote explanation is found in the Journal, following the vote record of a bill.

Whip: A term used at the federal level to refer to the Deputy Majority Leader. It derives from the British fox-hunting term "whipper-in," which described the person responsible for keeping the foxhounds from leaving the pack. Some, but not all, of the caucuses in the Oregon Legislature use the term "whip" in reference to the deputy majority or minority leader.

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