October 13, 1926

Capitol building was mostly complete

68^th amendment 

providing for annual sessions of 105 days in odd-numbered years and 60 days in even-numbered years. Including Saturdays and Sundays. 

HB

abbreviation for House Bill; these are numbered starting with 1000 

at the beginning of each biennium

SB

abbreviation for Senate Bill; these are numbered starting with 5000 

at the beginning of each biennium 

Companion Bill

two identical versions of the same bill that are introduced in both the House and Senate . Companion bills start out with the 

same versions, but generally differ as they go through the process and as 

amendments are made 

Substitute Bill

 replace an original bill with a new bill in every way excluding the title . If a committee adopts amendments, it is common for these 

amendments to be rolled into the substitute bill. Cannot be done with opposite house bills. Instead striking amendment.

 S - abbreviation for substitute bill, (e .g . SSB 6043)

Engrossed Bills 

Engrossed Bills contain all amendments that have been added in the house 

of origin .

E - abbreviation for engrossed bill, (e .g . EHB 1405)

Enrolled bills 

Enrolled bills have passed both chambers and contain all amendments 

adopted by both houses and a certificate of enrollment, including the 

date passed, votes cast on the bill, and the certifying officers’ signatures .

Enrolled bills are ready to be sent to the Governor for consideration 

Title-only Bills 

Title-only Bills contain nothing more than a title and a number . In the past, 

title-only bills were introduced, and then the substance of the bill was 

amended at a later time . However, under current Joint Rules, title-only 

bills are prohibited; a bill must have at least one section .

Administration/Agency Request Bills 

Administration/Agency Request Bills are initiated by the executive branch or 

other agencies for consideration by the Legislature . These bills must still be 

sponsored by a legislator 

Joint Resolutions 

Joint Resolutions are proposed amendments to the state Constitution sent 

to the people to accept or reject in the next general election . They require 

a two-thirds affirmative vote by the House and Senate for passage 

Concurrent Resolutions 

Concurrent Resolutions relate to the internal operation of the Legislature, 

such as procedures or rules, in which one chamber concurs with the 

actions of the other . These can originate in either chamber 

Floor Resolutions 

Floor Resolutions commemorate or honor an individual, organization or 

event . These resolutions are generally noncontroversial and do not need to 

go to committee 

Gubernatorial Appointments 

confirm people who have been chosen by 

the governor to fill positions on boards or commissions . Gubernatorial 

appointments are confirmed only by the Senate . These “bills” are numbered starting with 9000 and are referred to as “gubers .”

Joint Memorials 

are petitions addressed to another state or federal agency, 

including the President and/or the United States Congress, and request 

consideration of some matter of concern to the state or region . They are 

often referred to as “Letters to Santa .”

Initiatives 

are a form of legislative power to which the people propose legislation through a petition that must contain the signatures of at least 8% 

of the number of voters who voted in the preceding gubernatorial election 

An Initiative to the People is legislation placed on the ballot that proposes 

a new law (or changes an existing law) without consideration by the 

Legislature .

An Initiative to the Legislature is legislation proposed by voters to the Legislature during the next regular session . If not acted upon, it is usually 

placed on the next general election ballot 

Referenda/Referendums 

are bills that pass the Legislature and are referred to the 

voters for their rejection or approval of enactment.

A referendum measure is an option given to the people to disapprove recently 

enacted laws by voters. This call back begins in the form of a petition where at 

least four percent of those signing the petition must have voted in the last gubernatorial election.

Bill Numbering

• below 1000 initiatives and referenda

• 1000-3999 House bills

• 4000-4199 House joint memorials

• 4200-4399 House joint resolutions

• 4400-4599 House concurrent resolutions

• 4600-4799 House resolutions

• 5000-7999 Senate bills

• 8000-8199 Senate joint memorials

• 8200-8399 Senate joint resolutions

• 8400-8599 Senate concurrent resolutions

• 8600-8799 Senate resolutions

• 9000 and above Senate gubernatorial appointments

Signature sheet

Bills are drafted by House or Senate staff or by the Code Reviser’s Office .

Once a legislator approves the draft, it is entered into the legislative system, and a signature sheet is attached . In the House, this is a blue sheet, 

and in the Senate it is pink . Members, lobbyists, and constituents will 

circulate these signature sheets to garner support and co-sponsorships for 

a bill before the draft is dropped in the hopper outside the Code Reviser’s 

Office

Prime Sponsor

whose signature appears first on the signature sheet

Short Titles & Referrals

Members also have an opportunity to sign on to a bill after it has been 

dropped in the hopper . An abbreviated description of bills being introduced is sent to members’ offices the day before the bill is scheduled for 

floor consideration . In the Senate, this list is known as 

Scope and Object

 “No amendment to 

any bill shall be allowed which shall change the scope and object of the bill” 

(Article II, Section 38) 

Effective Date

When a bill becomes a law

Emergency Clause

A bill may have an emergency 

clause, which allows it to take effect earlier than the standard 90 day 

period

Null and void clause

contain language specifying that a measure is invalid 

unless funding is provided in the budget by a specified time

Severability 

clauses

 indicate that if one section of an act is found unconstitutional by 

the courts, the rest of the act will remain intact . It is now common practice 6

for the Legislature to include severability clauses in all major bills to indicate legislative intent, although the clause is not binding in the courts 

Fiscal Notes

Bills generally have fiscal notes attached when the subject matter of the bill 

requires or is related to finances and/or funding . A fiscal note is an estimation of the expected fiscal impact a bill will have on state and/or local government within a specified timeframe .

Fiscal note requests are sent to a division of the executive branch called the 

Office of Financial Management (OFM), where they are directed to state 

agencies that would be impacted by the bill to determine the fiscal impact .

Bills affecting local governments are sent to the Department of Commerce 

for fiscal notes 

amendment

any modification to a bill, memorial, or resolution . Most 

bills are amended as they progress through the legislative process . Occasionally, members will even withdraw support for their own bill if it has 

been changed from its original intent 

Amendments can be proposed in committee meetings as well as on the 

floor by any member

 Committee amendments 

serve a purpose similar to 

substitute bills, and often when several amendments have been adopted 

in committee, they will be rolled into a single substitute bill . Since amendments can only officially be adopted by the entire body of a chamber, an 

amendment adopted in committee is technically only a recommendation 

to modify a bill 

Floor amendments

are introduced on the floor during the second reading of a bill 

Leadership Roles of the Senate

Lieutenant Governor/President of the Senate - not always  of majority 

Vice President Pro Tempore

Majority Leader

Majority Caucus Chair

Majority Floor Leader

Majority Whip

Senate and House Administration

Chief Clerk

Secretary of the Senate

Sergeant at Arms

Senate/House Counsel

Reading Clerk

Journal Clerk

Lobbyists

Any person who 

attempts to persuade legislators to introduce or vote for or against measures can be considered a lobbyist . Lobbyists represent business, unions, 

professional groups, concerned citizen groups, and others . State agencies 

and, in some cases, federal and local government agencies also employ legislative liaisons .

Lobbyists cannot introduce legislation, but they can be authorized by 

a member to work with the Code Reviser’s office to draft a bill on the 

member’s behalf

The Code Reviser’s office

s the official bill drafting arm of the Legislature, 

providing bill drafting service to legislators, committees, the Governor, 

state elected officials, and agencies

First Reading 

Often the First Reading occurs during Pro Forma sessions . Pro Forma is 

a Latin phrase that means “for sake of form .” In legislative terms it is a 

required process intended to move legislative business forward . Often 

the only legislators present on the floor during Pro Forma sessions are the 

President of the Senate/Speaker of the House and the Majority Leaders or 

Floor Leaders 

After First Reading

After a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a legislative standing committee . The Majority Floor Leader in the Senate and Majority Leader in the 

House determine to which standing committee bills will be referred 

Standing Committee

the main working committees of the Legislature 

as distinguished from joint select committees, task forces, and other committees deemed necessary by the House Speaker or the Senate Majority 

Leader The purpose of legislative standing committees is to examine a 17

measure and its potential effects more thoroughly than would be possible 

by the entire body of either chamber 

Fiscal committees 

typically deal with 3 types of bills: bills that appropriate 

money to state agencies (a bill that contains the operating budget, for 

example); bills affecting revenue sources (a bill that would increase the gas 

tax, for example); and bills that have a cost to state or local government 

(bills that usually go to policy committees first) 

Committee Meetings

Work Sessions

Public Hearings 

Executive session

Majority Report

a recommendation to the entire body of a chamber that is signed by 

the majority of committee members . This report contains a recommendation to the entire chamber that the bill “do pass” or “be referred without 

recommendation .”

Minority Report

may be filed on a bill, where dissenting 

committee members can officially voice their opposition to a measure 

Rules Committee

serve as a two-step process to determine which bills will be 

placed on the floor calendar for second and third reading . The members 

of the Rules Committee are determined by leadership. President of Senate Presides. 

Special Session

Special sessions can be called by the Governor or the Legislature . In 

1980 it became part of the state constitution to have annual sessions and 

to limit special sessions to 30 days

Sine Die

The session is over. 

Opposite Chamber

After a bill has passed its chamber of origin, it must repeat the same process in the opposite chamber

Third Reading

 is a discussion of a bill before final passage, where a final vote 

is taken . The voting procedure is the same as the second reading; however, 

once a roll call has begun there can be no interruptions, except by a call 

of the House or Senate

Second Reading

g is technically the first time a bill is read to the entire 

membership of a chamber.

the only time amendments can be offered on 

the floor . Technically, after second reading the bill must be returned to 

Rules; however, it is common practice in both chambers to “bump” the 

bill . This simply means that the bill will move to the 3rd reading and be 

available for a vote on final passage 

Calendars

The Cut-off Calendar

The Introductions Calendar

The Standing Committee Reports

The Rules Flash Calendar

The X-files

Concurrence Calendar

Dispute Calendar

Conference Calendar

Confirmation Calendar (Senate)