Glossary of common California government terms, part I

It probably does not come as a surprise, but those working in and around California’s Capitol use a number of terms or “lingo” to describe aspects of the legislative and executive branch processes. The following is the first of a two-part a compilation of some of the more common terms used in California state government:

2-year Bill – This is when a bill that did not pass out of its house of origin before the specified deadline in the first year of the two-year legislative session and is carried over to the second year of the Session. If the bill does not clear the second year deadline, then the measure has officially failed passage.

12-day Rule – The general rule for the number of calendar days the Governor has to act on a bill.

28.8 — This is a Senate Rule that allows the Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman to waive a hearing and report a fiscal bill out of committee and to the Floor because there is very little state fiscal impact for the bill.

29.10 — This is a Senate Rule that allows the Senate Rules Committee to refer a bill to a policy committee for a hearing if the bill has been substantially amended.

30-day Rule – The rule for the number of calendar days the Governor has to act on a bill sent at the end of Session.

41^st Senator — While there are 40 members of the Senate, due to the power of some staff in the upper house, there are a few of them who are viewed as being almost as powerful of the elected members of the Senate.

72-hour Rule – The voters adopted Prop. 54 which, among other provisions, requires a bill to be “in print” in its “final form” for a minimum of 72 hours before either house can vote on it.

77.2 — This is an Assembly Rule that allows the Speaker to refer a bill to a policy committee for a hearing if the bill has been substantially amended.

81^st Member — While there are 80 members of the Assembly, due to the power of some staff in the upper house, there are a few of them who are viewed as being almost as powerful of the elected members of the Assembly.

A-Pages – This is the term often used to refer to the Governor’s Budget Summary, which are the Governor’s Budget highlights.

Absence – When a legislator is not in attendance at an official legislative proceeding.

Absent Member – A legislator who is missing from a committee hearing or floor session.

Abstain – When a legislator chooses not to case an aye or no vote on a motion or measure.

Across the Desk — Bills when introduced and amendments to bills are placed “across the desk” which is an official act of introducing bills or making amendments to existing bills.

Act – An act is another word for a statute (e.g., the Budget Act).

Add – Making an addition to an existing bill, statute, or regulation.

Adjourn / Adjournment – When a meeting or session concludes. Adjournment sine die is November 30 of the even-numbered year when the 2-year legislative session concludes.

Adjourn in Memory – When the Assembly or Senate at a Floor Session expresses its remorse for the death of a constituent or other individual.

Adopt – Amendments to legislative measures are approved by a committee or on the Floor.

Advocate – Another term for a lobbyist.

AG Opinion – An official written decision issued by the Opinion Unit on behalf of the California Attorney General.

Agenda – The order of business for a committee of the Legislature.

ALJ – An administrative law judge who conduct administrative hearings in California.

Alternative Member – An individual who sits on a committee, board, or commission and can participate in discussion and debate, but who does not vote unless they are taking the place of the individual for whom they serve as an alternate member.

Amend – Making a change to an existing bill, statute, or regulation.

Amendment – A change to a legislative measure or motion.

Analysis – A committee or floor analysis is done for each legislative measure being considered which explained what the measure would do and generally arguments for or against the measure.

APA – The Administrative Procedure Act, which is contained in the California Government Code, provides procedural rules for executive branch agencies to follow when adopting regulations, unless specifically exempted by statute.

Appeal – Used to object or challenge a ruling of a committee chair or presiding officer.

Appeal the Ruling of the Chair – A procedural motion when a legislator objects to the ruling of the committee chair or presiding officer on the Floor.

Appointment – The Governor appoints certain positions in the executive branch of state government.

Apportionment – The establishment of legislative districts.

Appropriation – An appropriation is an amount of money and authorization for a specific agency to make expenditures for a specified purpose.

Appropriation Schedule – This is the detail of an appropriation showing where appropriations are made to each of program.

Appropriation Bill – This bill contains language that appropriates funds for expenditures by the state.

Appropriations Limit (“Gann Limit”) – The constitutional limitation on the maximum amount of tax proceeds that state or local governments may appropriate in a fiscal year. The limit is based on 1986-87 fiscal year appropriations, and is adjusted annually.

Approved by Legislature / Approved by Governor – When the Legislature passes a measure or the Governor signs a bill.

Assembly – The lower house of the California Legislature which is comprised of 80 members elected for 2-year terms.

Assembly Member – A member of the lower house, or State Assembly, of the California Legislature.

Assembly Rules – The rules adopted by the Assembly to govern its internal matters.

Augmentation – This is an increase in an appropriation previously made.

Author – In California’s Legislature, the legislator whose name is on the bill is the author.

Author Amendments – These are amendments made to a bill by the author of the measure either in committee or on the floor.

Author-sponsored Bill – This bill is the idea of the author, who is the official sponsor.

Authorized Position – In the Salaries and Wages publication as part of the Budget, it is the past year’s total authorized positions in state government.

Aye Vote – A positive vote or a vote in favor of a measure or motion.

Backed Bill – This bill is ready for introduction because it has a “backing” (formally called a jacket) that shows who the author is.

Balanced Budget Requirement – Under California’s Constitution, the Governor must propose a balanced budget by January 10 and the Legislature must pass a balanced budget by June 15.

Baseline Budget / Workload Budget – This is the “budget year cost of currently authorized services, adjusted for changes in enrollment, caseload, population, statutory cost-of-living adjustments, chaptered legislation, one-time expenditures, full-year costs of partial year programs, costs incurred pursuant to Constitutional requirements, federal mandates, court-ordered mandates, state employee merit salary adjustments, and state agency operating expense and equipment cost adjustments.”

Batching – In the Assembly, a procedural motion is made to approve a series of measures that both political parties agree can be passed by a single vote. It is usually for measures that do not have any opposition. It is similar to the Senate’s Special Consent.

BCP (Budget Change Proposal) – This is an acronym for the term “Budget Change Proposal” which is a document prepared by a state agency and the Department of Finance to propose and document budget changes to maintain the existing level of service or to change the level of service, propose new program activities not currently authorized, or to eliminate existing programs.

Bicameral Legislature – This is a 2-house legislature, like the U.S. Congress and 49 states (Nebraska is the only unicameral state legislature).

Biennium – Another term for the 2-year legislative session.

Big 3 – This term refers to the Assembly Speaker, Senate President pro Tempore, and the Governor, and often is used to describe their negotiating sessions.

Bill – A legislative measure to add, amend, or repeal a statute in California.

Bill Analysis – A floor or committee analysis done of a bill.

Bill Digest – Another term for the Legislative Counsel’s Digest of a bill.

Bill Signing Message – A statement made by the Governor when signing a bill.

Binding a Future Legislature – The courts have explained that a current Legislature cannot take any action that would bind or prevent a future Legislature from taking a different action.

Bipartisan – Something of a nature that enjoys support from both political parties..

Blue Pencil / Line-Item Veto — This is a term often used to refer to the Governor’s ability to line-item veto items of appropriation in the Budget Bill or appropriation bills.

Bond Measure – A bill to enacted a revenue bond or general obligation bond to incur debt by the state.

Budget – The state budget includes proposed expenditures of state moneys for the next fiscal year.

Budget Act – This is the Budget Bill after it has been enacted into law.

Budget Bill – This is the annual bill required by the constitution that sets forth the spending proposal for the next fiscal year, containing the budget submitted to the Legislature by the Governor.

Budget Bill Junior – One or more bills that make adjustments to the annual Budget Bill (the plural is budget bills junior).

Budget Stabilization Account – This is the “rainy day fund” created by the voters by Prop. 2 on the 2014 ballot.

Budget Year / Fiscal Year – The fiscal year addressed by a proposed budget, beginning July 1 and ending June 30. It is the 12-month period on which the state budget is planned. The federal fiscal year begins October 1 and ends September 30 of the following year.

Budget Year Plus One (or Plus Two) – This refers to the fiscal year following the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1. For example, the 2022-23 budget year begins July 1, 2022, while the Budget Year Plus One begins July 1, 2023.

Business Day – Working days of the week, excluding weekends and holidays.

Cabinet Unit – The group of individuals who work in the Governor’s Cabinet Unit as the liaison to the executive branch agencies.

Calendar – A term used to describe the agenda for a committee or floor session.

Calendar Day – Every day of the calendar, including weekends and holidays.

Call of the House – This refers to when absent Members are called to the Floor of the Assembly or Senate, usually in order to establish a quorum.

Capital Outlay – Generally, these are state expenditures to acquire or construct real property.

Carryover Bill – Another term for a 2-year bill.

Caucus — A caucus can refer to a group of legislators (e.g., the Democratic Caucus) or a private meeting of a political party.

Caucus Chair – The individual legislator who is selected by the leader of each party caucus in both houses to lead the members of the respective caucus.

CCR – The California Code of Regulations, which contains all of California’s regulations.

Censure – An official reprimand by a legislative body of one of its members.

Chair / Madam Chair / Mr. Chair – This is the appointed leader of a legislative committee.

Chamber – This refers to either the Assembly Chamber or Senate Chamber

Chaptered Bill – The version of a bill in its final (i.e., chaptered) form after approval by the Governor.

Chapter Number – The number assigned by the Secretary of State and Governor to an enacted bill.

Chapter Out — This is a phenomenon when a law’s provisions override any conflicting provisions in existing law, thereby chaptering out the earlier law.

Charter Law City – This type of city is governed by the voter-approved charter, rather than state law.

Check-In-Session – These are non-floor session days when legislators do not meet in formal legislative sessions.

Chief Clerk – The top staff member of the State Assembly.

Chief Sgt. at Arms – The top Sgt. in the Assembly and Senate who are elected officers of their respective houses of the California Legislature.

Civil Penalty – When a law is violated, there may be a civil (financial) penalty assessed for the violation.

Clean-up Bill – This bill “cleans-up” changes to a law following enactment of a prior bill that needs to be modified.

Clerk – This refers to the Chief Clerk of the Assembly.

Closed Session / Executive Session – This occurs under specified conditions when a committee meets in private without members of the public present.

Co-author – A legislator may add his or her name in support of a legislative measure by co-authoring the measure.

Code – California’s over 155,000 statutes are contained in a series of 29 Codes, which begin with Business & Professions and end with Welfare & Institutions.

Code Maintenance Bill – A bill used to update technical changes to California’s Codes.

Codified Statute – An enacted bill that adds, amends, or repeals a statute in one of California’s 29 Codes.

COLA – A cost-of-living-adjustment which likely occurs with ongoing payments to reflect an increase in inflation.

Commission on State Mandates – The official entity that hears and determines petitions from local agencies and school districts whether they should be reimbursed for the costs of a state-mandated local program.

Committees – The Assembly has 33 standing committee, while the Senate has 22 standing committees, which handle legislative measures and prepare analyses and conduct hearings.

Committee Amendments – These are amendments made to a bill by the standing committee that is acting on the bill.

Committee Analysis – An analysis of a legislative measure that is pending in an Assembly or Senate standing committee.

Committee Assignments – Each legislator in the Assembly and Senate are given assignments to serve on several committees throughout the legislative session.

 Committee Bill – This bill is authored by a majority of a committee; usually used for enacting non-controversial law changes.

Committee Chair / Vice Chair – The two leadership positions for each standing committee of the California Legislature.

Committee Consultant – This refers to the professional staff who work for legislative committees.

Committee Deadline – This is the deadline for bills to pass their policy or fiscal committee.

Committee of the Whole – When the two houses of the Legislature meet jointly. This is rarely used in California.

Committee Staff – The professional non-elected individuals who work for individual committees of the California Legislature.

Companion Bill — This is when two bills identical in wording are introduced in each house of the Legislature.

Concur / Non-concur – To concur is when the house of origin approves the amendments made to a measure in the other house and the measure returns for a final vote. Non-concur is when the house of origin refuses to approve the amendments made by the other house.

Concurrent Resolution – A resolution adopted by both houses of the Legislature.

Conferee – A member of a conference committee.

Conference Committee – A two-house committee that includes an equal number of Assembly Members and Senators (usually 3 persons from each house) that is comprised to resolve differences between the Senate and Assembly versions of a measure. It usually occurs after the house of origin refuses to concur in amendments adopted by the other house.

Conference Report – The finished document as a result of a successful outcome of a conference committee.

Confirmation – The State Senate is generally responsible for confirming gubernatorial appointees to their respective office.

Conflict – This term refers to when two or more bills would amend the same Code section.

Conflict of Interest – When an elected or appointed official, or their staff, have a personal, financial interest in an official matter coming before them.

Conformity Bill – A term used to describe a bill that conforms to federal or other law (e.g., conforms state tax law to federal tax law provisions).

Consent – A measure is usually placed on the consent calendar when there is no registered opposition to a measure and no “no” votes have been case.

Constituent – A citizen who lives in a designative legislative district.

Constitution – California’s highest level of law that was adopted by the voters in 1879.

Constitutional Amendment – A proposed change to the California Constitution either proposed by the Legislature through an ACA/SCA, or by the People through an initiative.

Constitutional Officer – The nine individually elected officials who are elected on a statewide basis.

Consultant – This refers to the professional staff who work for legislative committee or leadership policy staff.

Contingent Enactment – When the enactment of a measure is made contingent upon a specified occurrence or the enactment of another measure.

Continuing Appropriation – A specified appropriation that is available for more than one fiscal year.

Continuous Appropriation – This is a constitutional or statutory expenditure authorization that is renewed each year without further legislative action.

Control Sections – These are the sections of the Budget Act (e.g., 1.00 to the end of the Budget Bill) providing specific controls on the appropriations itemized in Section 2.00 of the Budget Act.

Convene – When a legislative committee or the Floors of the Assembly or Senate begin their official proceedings.

Corrections Bill – A bill that simply make Code corrections, such as fixing misspellings or incorrect cross-references.

Criminal Penalty – When a law is violated, there may be a criminal penalty assessed for the violation.

Cross-reference – When a statute refers to another Code section (e.g., when a definition for a term references the definition for that word in another Code section).

Current Year Budget – A term used in budgeting to designate the operations of the present fiscal year in contrast to past or future periods, as well as the fiscal or budget year.

Custom and Practice – A term used to describe the usually followed order established by precedent.

Daily File – The Assembly and Senate publish a File that contains valuable information including committee listings, bill introductions, committee hearings, and the measures pending on the floors.

Daily History – The Senate and Assembly publish daily the official actions taken on legislative measures.

Daily Journal – The Assembly and Senate publish daily official proceedings including floor actions and committee actions.

Dead Bill – When a bill has failed to move through the legislative process.

Deadline – A procedural date specified for actions to occur, such as when policy committees must conclude their hearings.

Debatable – When a motion is open to debate or discussion.

Debt Service – The amount of money required to pay interest on outstanding bonds and the principal of maturing bonds.

Declaratory of Existing Law – A provision or a bill or statute that provides the Legislature had intended this law change to apply retroactively to when the existing law was first adopted.

Decorum – Engaging in proper conduct in committee or on the Floor.

Deferral Clause – A deferral clause is used when one bill “defers” to another bill concerning which provisions will take effect.

Desk Staff – A term used to describe the staff who work at the Assembly or Senate Desks in their respective chambers.

Defined Term – A term in a bill or statute that has a definition in the bill or statute.

Definition – A provision in a bill or statute that provides a definition for a term.

Died in Committee – When a measure failed passage or was not taken up and moved forward in committee.

Delegation of Authority – The legal phrase describing when the legislative branch delegated some of its lawmaking authority to the executive branch for rulemaking purposes.

Desk – The area where the Floor staff work in the Assembly and Senate Chambers.

Desk Is Clear – A statement normally used in the Senate at the end of a floor session to announce that all of that day’s official business has been concluded.

Digest – This refers to the Legislative Counsel’s Digest which provides an objective, brief explanation of existing law and what a bill proposes to change in existing law.

Digest Keys – At the end of the Legislative Counsel’s Digest, there are four keys for each bill: Vote (the vote threshold required for passage); Appropriation (whether the bill appropriates funds); Fiscal Committee (whether the bill is to be re-referred to the Appropriations Committee); and Local Program (whether the bill would result in a state-mandated local program).

Digesting – When an attorney at the Office of Legislative Counsel drafts the Digest for a legislative measure.

Dilatory – The use of parliamentary procedure to intentionally delay proceedings.

Direct Democracy – The three political powers granted to the People of California under the state Constitution: initiative, referendum, and recall.

District – The legislative district of an Assembly Member or Senator.

District Bill — This is a measure that was introduced by a legislator for his or her district, generally affecting only that particular legislative district.

Disposition – This refers to the final action taken on a legislative measure.

Dissent – To voice disagreement on a procedural matter, or to speak against something.

Divide the Question – A procedural rule to break into two or more parts a motion or a vote, such as multiple confirmation votes.

DOF (Department of Finance or “Finance”) – The Department is a fiscal control agency that prepares the state budget and advises the Governor and state agencies on budget matters.

Do Pass – A motion to pass a legislative measure without any amendments.

Do Pass as Amended – A motion to pass a legislative measure with amendments.

Double Jointing — This refers to language added to a bill that makes its passage contingent upon another bill’s passage to avoid one bill chaptering out the other bill.

Dropped Bill – When the bill’s author chooses not to proceed with his or her bill.

Dual Referral / Double Referral – This refers to when a measure has been referred to two policy committees by the Rules Committee.

Early Action – A relatively new term to signify budget actions that occur prior to the normal June actions.

Effective Date — This is the date that a measure takes effect. It is January 1 of the following year, unless the bill has an urgency clause or a different specified date.

Election – When voters cast their ballot to elect individuals to public office.

Emergency Rulemaking – The process for a regulatory project undertaken by an executive branch entity to address an immediate emergency. The procedural requirements are set forth in the Administrative Procedure Act in the Government Code and apply for a limited period of time.

Enacted into Law – The process of a bill completing the legislative process.

Enacted Bill – The final version of the bill after passage through the Legislature and approval by the Governor.

Enacting Clause – Each bill is required by the Government Code to contain the phrase: “The People of the State of California Do Enact as Follows:”

Enactment Date – The day that the bill is approved by the Governor.

Engrossed Bill – A bill that has been reviewed and determined to have been properly amended.

Engrossing — This is the processing of a bill by the clerk of the house either after an amendment is made, or before the bill is sent to the governor for action and refers to when the text of the bill is checked for errors.

Enrolled Bill – The final form a bill that is presented to the Governor for final action.

Enrolled Bill File – This is the file compiled by the Governor’s Office for each bill that reaches the Governor’s Desk and it has relevant information for the Governor’s consideration.

Enrolled Bill Report – This is a report done by the Department of Finance, relevant state agency, and Office of Legislative Counsel (when appropriate) to the Governor’s Office regarding a bill that has reached the Governor’s Desk.

Enrolled Bill Rule – A judicial doctrine that essentially says a court will not second-guess whether a bill met all of the relevant procedural rules when reaching the Governor’s Desk.

Enrolling — This is the point where the bill is sent to the governor.

Excused Absence – When a legislator is not in attendance at an official legislative proceeding, but his or her absence is excused by legislative leadership.

Executive Order – An official order from the Governor.

Executive Session / Closed Session – This occurs under specified conditions when a committee meets in private without members of the public present.

Existing Law Section – The part of the Legislative Counsel’s Digest to explains what existing law does in relation to what the bill proposes to change to that existing law.

Ex-officio Member – An individual who serves on a board or commission because of their regular position, and usually has the authority to vote.

Expel a Member – The Legislature may by a 2/3 vote expel a Member from the Assembly or Senate by a Floor vote.

Express Repeal – When a court determines that a statute or part of a statute has been repealed by the language found in the statute.

Expunge the Record – A procedural motion to delete from the official proceedings an action that was previously taken.

Extraordinary Session / Special Session – The Governor may call the Legislature into special or extraordinary session to consider legislation proposed in the gubernatorial proclamation.

Fellow – An individual who receives a Senate, Assembly, Executive, or Judicial Fellowship and works in an office in one of the three branches of state government.

File – The Assembly and Senate publish a Daily File that contains valuable information including committee listings, bill introductions, committee hearings, and the measures pending on the floors.

File Notice – The Joint Rules require either a 4-day or 2-day Daily File Notice for committee hearings, absent a rule waiver.

File Number – The number assigned to a legislative measure pending on the Floor and listed in the Assembly or Senate Daily File.

Final Recess – This begins upon adjournment of the second and final year of the 2-year Legislative Session.

Finance Letter – These are the revisions to the Budget Bill or current year expenditures that are proposed by the Department of Finance and addressed to the Legislature.

Findings and Declarations – Made by the Legislature in a bill, usually in uncodified language, to provide a basis for the measure.

First Reading – When a bill is introduced, it is read the first time.

Fiscal – Whether a bill has been “keyed” fiscal by the Office of Legislative Counsel.

Fiscal Bill – This bill must go through the fiscal committee after it has passed the policy committee.

Fiscal Committee — This is the term that usually refers to either the Senate Appropriations Committee or the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

Fiscal Committee Deadline – This is the deadline for bills to pass their fiscal committee.

Fiscal Emergency Special Session – Prop. 58 from 2004 authorizes the Governor to proclaim a special session for specified fiscal emergencies.

Fiscal Estimate / Fiscal Note – The term often used to describe the estimate provides by an executive branch agency to the Legislature’s fiscal committees regarding the estimated costs of a bill.

Fiscal Year – California’s fiscal year is July 1 through June 30 of the following year, which is different than the federal government’s fiscal year of October 1 through September 30.

Floor – The term used for the floors of the Assembly and Senate Chambers where the two houses meet.

Floor Alert – A written document sent by an interested party in support of or opposition to a legislative measure on the Senate or Assembly Floor.

Floor Analysis – An analysis of a legislative measure that is pending on the Assembly or Senate Floor.

Floor Manager / Floor Jockey – The legislator in the second house who will take up a measure from the house of origin (e.g., a Senator who takes up on the Senate Floor an Assembly Bill).

Floor Session – This refers to an Assembly or Senate Floor session when they meet in their respective chambers.

Floor Unit – This refers to the staff who staff who work for the four legislative leaders during the Assembly and Senate Floor Sessions.

Form 700 – Also known as a Statement of Economic Interest, which must be annually filed by elected and appointed official disclosing economic interests that could present a potential conflict of interest.

Former Member – A previously-serving Senator or Assembly Member.

Friendly Amendments — These are amendments that are proposed by another Member in Committee or on the Floor that are supported by the bill’s author.

Fund Balance – For budgeting purposes, this is the amount of the excess of a fund’s resources over its expenditures.

Gallery – The area above the Assembly and Senate Chambers where members of the public can sit and observe Floor proceedings.

“Gann Limit” / State Appropriations Limit – The constitutional limitation on the maximum amount of tax proceeds that state or local governments may appropriate in a fiscal year. The limit is based on 1986-87 fiscal year appropriations, and is adjusted annually.

Gender-neutral Drafting – The modern method of drafting legislation without include gender (e.g., changing policeman to police officer).

General Fund (GF) – This is the state’s main account for revenues, primarily from the personal income tax, sales and use tax, and corporation taxes.

General Law City – This type of city is governed by state laws.

General Statute – A statute that applies generally to all those similarly-situated. It is a law that has uniform operation.

General Tax – A tax imposed for generally (e.g., on personal income). The opposite of a special tax.

Germane Amendments – Amendments that are related to the subject matter of the current legislative measure.

Gift of Public Funds – A determination under the state Constitution that the change in law would be providing a gift of taxpayer dollars to an individual or group that is prohibited from taking place.

GO Bond – A debt obligation secured by the state’s General Fund, usually used for funding infrastructure projects.

Goldenrod – An official written communication, such as a drafting request, from the Office of Legislative Counsel.

Governor – The chief executive of the State of California who is elected on a statewide basis.

Governor’s Budget Summary – This is a companion publication to the Governor’s Budget that outlines the Governor’s policies, goals, and objectives for the budget year.

Governor’s Proclamation – An official statement of the Governor, such as to call a special election.

Governor’s Reorganization Plan (GRP) – The formal process by which the Governor can reorganize executive branch departments, which is approved or not disapproved by the Legislature.

Grandfathered – This refers to when current conduct is not included in the bill’s provisions so that the current conduct continues to be unaffected by the prospective change in the law.

Gut and Amend — This refers to when amendments to a bill remove the current contents in their entirety and replace them with different provisions which are unrelated to the original contents of the bill.

Heading – A name or short phrase before a statute, but does not dictate the substance of the provision.

Hearing – This refers to a committee hearing of a standing, special, select, or joint committee of the Legislature.

Held in Committee — This is when a measure was not voted upon because it was likely to fail passage, and a vote is not taken on the measure.

Held under Submission – When a bill is heard, but no motion is made on the bill.

Hijacked Bill — This refers to when a member takes over another member’s bill in the legislative process, amends different language into the bill, and uses it as their own vehicle.

Histories – Senate or Assembly Daily and Weekly Histories contain all legislative measures with details of their respective histories of legislation action,

Hostile Amendments — These are amendments that are proposed by another Member in Committee or on the Floor that are not supported by the bill’s author.

House – This refers to either the Assembly or Senate.

House of Origin – The first or original house in which a legislative measure is introduced.

House Resolution – A single house resolution, either HR (Assembly) or SR (Senate).

House Rules – The individual rules adopted by the Senate or the Assembly.