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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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- Acts
of Assembly
- Those
bills passed by the General Assembly and signed
by the Governor. An act is given a number which
represents the numerical sequence in which the
bill was signed. This number refers to the "chapter" of
the Acts of Assembly, i.e. Senate Bill No.
79 became Chapter 23 of the Acts of Assembly,
being the twenty-third bill signed into law by
the Governor. After the session, all acts are bound
into volumes referred to as the Acts of Assembly.
Joint resolutions amending the Constitution
of Virginia are also assigned a Chapter number,
but are not signed by the Governor, and are placed
in the Acts of Assembly.
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- Adjournment
- Termination
of a session for that day, with the hour and day
of the next meeting being set prior to adjournment.
-
- Adjournment
Sine Die
- The
final adjournment of a legislative session. The
Latin translation is - without a day, an indefinite
period.
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- Amendment
- A
change made to legislation in committee or on the
chamber floor that adds to, revises, or deletes
language from the legislation.
-
- Amendment,
Constitutional
- A
joint resolution that affects the Constitution
and is passed by two General Assembly sessions
separated by a general election of the House of
Delegates. At the second session, a bill must also
be passed to place the proposal on a ballot. Final
approval is given by voters at a general election.
-
- Amendment
in the Nature of a Substitute
- A
substantive redrafting of legislation that incorporates
the changes in a new version referred to as a "substitute."
An amendment in the nature of a substitute may be
offered by a standing committee, on the chamber floor
by a member, by a conference committee, or by the
Governor.
- Biennium
- A
two-year term of legislative activity, usually
used in association with the budget.
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- Bill
- A
proposal to amend, repeal, or add sections to
the Code of Virginia or the Acts of
Assembly.
-
- Bill
Status
- The
database system for tracking legislation and
the daily activities of the House of Delegates
and the Senate.
-
- Budget
Bill
- Recommended
appropriations of state revenue presented by
the Governor to the General Assembly for its
consideration during the legislative session.
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- By
Request
- A
member may add "by request" to his
name when introducing a bill, which indicates
that the bill has been introduced at the request
of a constituent, a governmental agency, or an
organization.
-
- Calendar
- The
daily printed agenda of business for each house.
The Calendar also contains scheduled committee
meetings and public hearings.
-
- Caucus
- An
informal meeting of a group of members, most
often called on the basis of party affiliation
or regional representation.
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- Chapter
- A
bill passed and signed into law by the Governor.
The term also applies to Constitutional Amendments
passed by the General Assembly and to bills passed,
notwithstanding the Governor's objections or
amendments.
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- Charter
Bill
- Legislation
relating to powers of counties, cities, and towns
specifically granted by the General Assembly.
Charters and changes, thereto, are not codified
and are found only in the Acts of Assembly.
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- Code
of Virginia
- A
compilation of the laws of the Commonwealth that
is arranged alphabetically by subject, with each
subject heading being referred to as a "Title."
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- Committee
- A
group of legislators from the House of Delegates
or the Senate organized for the purpose of considering
and deciding on the disposition of a bill or
resolution.
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- Committee
Actions
-
- Carry
Over (Continue) - Action which removes
the measure from consideration during
an even-numbered year session and provides
for its reconsideration at the next regular
session of the General Assembly. No bill
may be carried over in an odd-numbered
year session. A carry-over bill retains
its assigned bill number in the odd-numbered
year session.
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- Fail
to Report (Defeat) - The committee
rejects a motion to report a bill to the
full house.
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- Incorporate
- The committee incorporates one or
more bills into another bill.
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- No
Action Taken - No motion is made on
the bill and it dies at the time of the
committee deadline.
Pass By Indefinitely (PBI) - This
action allows the committee to reconsider
legislation at a later meeting. If the
committee takes no further action, the
bill is "dead."
- Report -
The majority of the committee approves the
bill and it is reported to the floor. The
bill may be reported three ways: without
amendment, with amendment(s), or with an
amendment in the nature of a substitute.
A bill may also be reported and referred
to another committee.
Strike - The bill is removed
from the docket. This action frequently
occurs at the request of the patron.
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Committee
Docket
-
A
list prepared by the committee clerk of all legislation
pending before a standing committee or a subcommittee.
The order in which bills are taken up is determined
by the chairman of the committee.
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Conference
Committee
-
An
even number of legislators, half of them from
the House and half of them from the Senate, who
meet to resolve differences between versions
of a specific bill or joint resolution passed
by their respective bodies. This usually includes
three members from each body.
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Conflict
of Interest
-
A
position taken by a legislator on a matter that
threatens the legislator's ability to vote impartially
due to some personal interest in a legislative
issue (pursuant to House Rule 69 or Senate Rule
36).
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Constituent
-
A
citizen residing within the district of a legislator.
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-
Constitution
-
A
written instrument embodying the fundamental
principles of the state that guarantees powers
and duties of the government and certain rights
to the people.
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- Dillon
Rule
- Restricts
the authority of local governments with respect
to the enactment of ordinances. Local governments
only have powers granted by the Constitution
of Virginia and/or passed by the General
Assembly.
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- Division
- A
method of voting; a request that members stand
or raise hands to be counted when the outcome
of a voice vote is unclear or in dispute.
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- Docket
- A
list of all legislation that is pending before
a standing committee prepared by the committee
clerk. (See Committee Docket.)
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- Effective
Date
- Date
on which a Chapter of the Acts of Assembly becomes
a law. Laws become effective July 1 in the year
they are passed, unless otherwise specified.
Laws passed at a special session become effective
on the first day of the fourth month following
adjournment, unless otherwise specified.
-
- Emergency
Clause
- Due
to an emergency, the law becomes effective when
signed by the Governor.
-
- Engrossed
- A
stage in the legislative process when a bill
passes the second reading in the house of origin.
If amended, the engrossed version of the legislation
is printed incorporating all amendments that
are agreed to. If not amended, the introduced
version of the legislation becomes the engrossed
bill, and if an amendment in the nature of a
substitute is agreed to, the substitute becomes
the engrossed bill.
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- Enrolled
- Legislation
which has passed both the House of Delegates
and the Senate. It has been signed by the Speaker
of the House and the President of the Senate
and it has been sent to the Governor, but not
yet signed. If signed by the Governor, the bill
becomes a law and a Chapter of the Acts of
Assembly.
- Fiscal
Year
- A
12-month accounting period used in the State
Budget. In Virginia, the fiscal year begins July
1 and ends June 30 of the following year.
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- Floor
- That
portion of the chamber reserved for members,
staff, and other persons granted access during
the session.
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- Floor
Leader
- Refers
to majority and minority leadership in each house.
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- Gallery
- Balconies
of each chamber from which visitors may view
the proceedings.
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- Germaneness
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- The
relevance or appropriateness of amendments or
substitutes.
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-
Interim
The
interval between annual sessions.
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- Journal
- The
compilation of legislative actions and proceedings
of the House of Delegates and the Senate which
are published by their respective Clerk's office.
The Journal is the official record of each legislative
body.
-
- Leave
of Absence
- Permission
granted to a member to be absent for a day.
-
- Legislative
Intent
- The
purpose for which a measure is introduced and/or
passed.
-
- Legislator
- An
elected member of a legislative body.
-
- Legislature
(General Assembly)
- The
branch of state government responsible for enacting
laws.
-
- Lobbyist
- A
person who represents a particular interest or
group of interests before the General Assembly.
-
- Majority
Leader
- A
member of the majority party designated to be
its floor leader.
-
- Majority
Party
- The
political party having the greater number of
members in either house of the legislature.
-
- Mini
Journal
- A
document consisting of the condensed daily floor
actions of the House of Delegates, committee
reports, and referrals.
-
- Minority
Leader
- A
member of the minority party designated to be
its floor leader.
-
- Minority
Party
- The
political party having the fewer number of members
in either house of the legislature.
-
- Minute
Book
- A
document consisting of the condensed daily floor
actions of the Senate, committee reports, and
referrals.
-
- Morning
Hour
- A
period at the beginning of each day's session
when members may introduce distinguished visitors
to their colleagues or speak on any subject by
asking for a "Point of Personal Privilege."
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- Motion
to Reconsider
- A
motion which, if successful, returns the question
to its status before the vote.
- Parliamentary
Inquiry
- A
question posed to the presiding officer for clarification
of a point in the proceedings.
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- Patron
- A
legislator who introduces a specific piece of
legislation. Other legislators may show their
support by signing on as co-patrons.
- Reading
- The
presentation of a bill before either house requiring
the reading and printing of the bill number or
title. This formal procedure is required by the
Constitution and the Rules of each house and
indicates to the legislators and the public a
stage in the enactment of a measure. The Constitution
requires that bills receive three readings on
three different days or three printings by title
on three different calendars in each house, unless
the readings are waived.
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- Reapportionment
- A
redrawing of legislative district boundaries
to provide equality of representation according
to population.
-
- Recommital
- In
the Senate, this is the reassignment of legislation
to the last committee that considered it.
-
- Reconsideration
- A
motion which, when granted, results in another
vote annulling or reaffirming an action previously
taken. Such a motion may be offered only by a
member having voted previously on the prevailing
side.
-
- Reconvened
Session
- A
session held on the sixth Wednesday after adjournment
of each regular or special session when the legislature
meets to consider and act on the Governor's proposed
recommendations to legislation and vetoed bills.
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- Referendum
- A
method by which a measure adopted by the legislature
will be submitted to the voters.
-
- Referral
- The
assignment of legislation to a committee. In
the House of Delegates, referral is initially
done by the Speaker of the House. In the Senate
it is done by the Clerk of the Senate.
-
- Rereferral
- In
the House of Delegates, this is the reassignment
of legislation to the last committee that considered
it. Rereferral is initiated by a member from
the floor and a vote is taken. In the Senate
rereferral is the reassignment of legislation
to another committee. It is done by the committee
that is considering it or by a member from the
floor.
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- Resolution
-
- Legislation
which requests a study, or expresses legislative
opinion or sentiment on a particular issue.
Resolutions do not have the force of law
and do not require the signature of the
Governor. Constitutional amendments, however,
are signed by the presiding officer of
each house and are assigned chapter numbers.
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-
-
The
period of time for which the legislature meets.
In even-numbered years, the session meets for
60 days; in odd-numbered years it meets for 30
days. The session may be extended for a maximum
of 30 days. The odd-numbered year sessions are
usually extended to 46 days.
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Standing
Committees
-
Regular
committees of the legislature set up to perform
certain legislative functions and to consider
legislation regarding certain areas of the law.
For example, the Transportation Committee considers
legislation regarding highways.
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Subcommittee
-
A
group of legislators who are members of a standing
committee selected by the committee chairman
to consider certain categories of bills. Subcommittees
make recommendations to the full committee.
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Sunset
-
The
expiration date of a legislative measure.
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-
Suspension
of the Rules
-
Parliamentary
procedure whereby actions can be taken which
would otherwise be out of order. A 2/3 vote is
required to suspend the rules.
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-
- Veto
- Action
by which the Governor refuses to sign legislation
passed by the General Assembly. The Governor
returns the vetoed bill to its house of origin.
A 2/3 vote of each body is required to overturn
a veto.
-
- Vote
- Formal
expression of the will or decision by the legislative
body.
-
- Vote,
En Bloc
- The
disposition of several items, such as a series
of bills or amendments, by taking one vote.
-
- Vote,
Recorded
- A
roll call vote in which each member electronically
votes yea, nay, or abstain. The vote is recorded
in the Journal of each legislative body.
-
- Vote,
Voice
- Oral
expression of the members when a question is
submitted for their determination. Response is
given by "yeas" and
"nays," and the presiding officer states
his decision as to which side prevails. Only the
result is recorded, i.e. the amendment is agree
to.
- Yield
- The
relinquishing of the floor by one member to another
member to speak or ask a question during debate.
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