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Legislative Primer

Act:  The term "act" refers to a bill that has been passed by both House and Senate and becomes law.

Amendment:  Any alteration to be made in a bill or motion that adds, changes, substitutes, or omits.

Bill:   A bill is the constitutional designation of a proposed law introduced into either house.

Caucus:  A meeting of the members of a political party in the state legislature in which party policy on proposed legislation is discussed and refined.

 Companion bills:  Two bills with the exact same meaning.

"Considering a Bill”:  The Pennsylvania Constitution requires that each bill be considered on three different days in both the Senate and the House.  After agreeing to the bill on first consideration, it is advanced without debate to the calendar of bills on second consideration, where it may be amended further.  On third consideration, the bill is debated and voted upon.

Filibuster:  A filibuster refers to organized obstructive tactics in legislative bodies. It is the practice of deliberately delaying or preventing action on a measure.  A call for the “previous question” virtually eliminates the chance of a filibuster in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

Floor calendar schedule:  When a bill is supposed to appear (be considered).

House Officers:   A Speaker of the House and a Speaker Pro Tempore, who presides in the Speaker’s absence, are voted on by the House.

Lobbying:  Lobbying is a long-standing practice where both private and public groups attempt to influence government policy.  Since much of this work is done by personal contact, and since legislators may not be approached on the floor of either chamber while in session, the contact is often made in the offices and lobbies of the Senate and House.   Lobbyists who are compensated for their services must register with the Secretary of the Senate and Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Majority and Minority Leaders:  The Majority and Minority leaders of the Senate and House are not officers.  They are chosen by party caucuses.  In debate, members do not refer to Democrats and Republicans, but to the "Majority" and the "Minority", each of which has a leader. The party leaders head the debate and bring forward their respective party's programs or policies. The leader's advocacy for or opposition to proposed legislation indicates the party's stand.  The Majority Leader has enormous control over which legislative programs are discussed and when.

PN:  Printer #.  A bill gets a new printer number every time any language in it is changed, deleted or added, and it has to be reprinted. Numbers 1-10 are reserved for leadership and very important bills. 

"Previous Question”:  A motion for the previous question, if agreed to by a majority of the members present, cuts off all debate and brings the body to a direct vote on the immediate question.  In the Senate, the motion must be made by not fewer than four members. In the House, the motion must be made and seconded by 20 members.

Public Hearing:  A proceeding, open to the public, at which discussions are heard.

Quorum:  A quorum is a majority of elected members, sworn and living, whose membership has not been terminated by resignation or action of the body.

Referred to committee:  The Constitution requires that "no bill shall be considered unless referred to a committee" (Article III, Section 2).  Standing committees serve as the workshops of the Legislature.  It is their duty to carefully study all bills referred to them and to prepare bills to be reported with a favorable recommendation to each house.  A committee's failure to act on a measure spells usually means its defeat.

Resolution:  A resolution is a form of written proposal used to make declarations, state policies, or announce decisions when some other form of legislative action is not required. A statute, or law, cannot be enacted by resolution. 

Statute:  Written law as laid down by the Legislature.

Senate Officers:   The Lieutenant Governor is the President of the Senate.  The Senate elects a President Pro Tempore to preside in the President’s absence.  The Majority Leader is third in line.

Sunshine Act:  The "Sunshine Act" (Act 84 of 1986) makes all committee meetings in which bills are considered or testimony taken open to the public. This does not apply to party caucuses or any Senate or House Ethics Committee.

Sunshine Notice:  Notice of public of meetings.

“Whips”:  Party "Whips" originated in the British Parliament. For important debates, kings and ministers made a great effort to bring their followers together; this was referred to as "whipping them in."  Today, Whips are the eyes and ears of their respective party's floor leaders, and it is their task to gather and hold together the members of a party for united action when important votes are to be taken.