Glossary

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Amendment: Modification or revision of a bill. Amendments may be as minor as adjusting punctuation, or they may change the meaning of the bill significantly.

Author: The senator or representative who first introduces a bill in the house of origin.

Bicameral legislature: "Bicameral" means "two chambers." Indiana's lawmaking body consists of two chambers, the House of Representatives (100 members) and the Senate (50 members).

Bill: A proposed law. Bills may address new areas that current law does not cover, or may attempt to amend current law.

Caucus: A group of legislators who have certain interests in common and who may vote together on matters affecting that interest. Most often, the Democratic and Republican parties are meant when referring to a caucus. "Caucus" is also used as a verb, meaning "to meet with the members of" a group specified above, usually to discuss legislation.

Committee: A sub-group of House or Senate legislators (usually 8-12 members) which considers and can amend legislation within its jurisdiction (for example, public health) and votes whether or not to send a bill to the full chamber for further consideration. View standing committees of the Indiana House and Senate.

Committee chair: A legislator appointed to preside over a legislative committee. The chair is usually the member of the majority party with the most seniority on the committee.

Concurrent resolution: A statement from both chambers of the legislature that asserts the opinion of the legislature, creates a new joint committee, or anything else that takes action on behalf of both chambers.

Conference committee: A group of four legislators—two House and two Senate members—which meets to create a compromise on a bill that has passed both chambers in different forms.

Division of the house: A method of voting where members stand or raise hands to be counted when the outcome of a voice vote is unclear or in dispute.

Filibuster: The prolonged discussion of a bill to delay legislative action.

Germane: Relevance of a proposed amendment to subject matter of the bill. If, for example, a legislator tries to add a clause about public schools to a bill dedicated to license plate renewals, it will likely be questioned and ruled not germane (and therefore will not be voted on).

Gerrymandering: Drawing the boundaries of legislative districts in order to benefit a specific political party or faction.

Governor: Head of the executive branch of state government.

Grandfather clause: Clause in a new law which exempts persons presently practicing in a profession from having to comply with enhanced or additional qualifications for the profession made by that new law at the time the law is made. Grandfather clauses can be written with expiration dates or with circumstances under which the clause would no longer apply.

House of origin: The legislative chamber (House or Senate) in which a bill was first filed. Each year in the Indiana General Assembly, Senate Bills are numbered 1-999 and House Bills start at 1001.

Joint resolution: A legislative measure passed by both chambers of the legislature. Joint resolutions are used to ratify amendments to the Consitution of the United States, to request that Congress call a constitutional convention to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and to amend the Constitution of the state of Indiana.

For the Indiana Constitution to be amended by joint resolution, two separately elected General Assemblies must approve the resolution (meaning it must be passed by both chambers in any given year, and then again in a legislative session following the next election), and it must also be approved by a majority of Indiana voters in a statewide general election.

Majority / Minority parties: The political party which holds the most seats in a chamber is called the majority party, while the party which holds fewer seats is called the minority party. It is possible for the majority and minority parties in each chamber to be different.

President of the Senate: The lieutenant governor is the president of the Senate, the presiding officer of that body. S/he has full voting rights in the Senate but generally only casts a vote to break a tie.

President Pro Tempore (or Pro Tem): Literally, the phrase translates as the president "for the time being." The President Pro Tem acts as the presiding officer in the Senate in the absence of the lieutenant governor. He or she is elected by the majority party in the Senate, and has the power to assign bills to committee and appoint members and chairs of Senate committees.

Presiding Officer: the person designated to conduct the business (ie, call bills, oversee debate, conduct votes) of a legislative body.

Quorum: The number of members required to conduct legislative business. Two thirds of each House constitutes a quorum.

Ranking Member: Member of the majority party on a committee who ranks first in seniority after the committee chair.

Ranking Minority Member: The most senior member of a committee from the minority party.

Resolution: A statement from only one chamber of the legislature that asserts the opinion of the chamber, changes the procedure of the chamber, or creates a new committee within the chamber.

Roll call vote: A vote in which every legislator's vote is recorded, usually by electronic tabulation. Unlike a voice vote or division of the house, this is the only voting method that records each individual legislator's position, allowing her constituents to hold her accountable.

Second chamber: The second legislative body to consider a bill. If a bill originates in the House, the Senate is the second chamber, and vice versa.

Session: The period during which the legislature convenes during a given year. The Indiana General Assembly meets for "long sessions" of 60 days in odd-numbered years and for "short sessions" of 30 days in even-numbered years. Budgetary issues are usually reserved for long sessions. Special sessions may also be called by the governor for no more than 30 days.

Speaker of the House: This is the presiding officer in the House of Representatives. He or she is elected by the majority party in the House, and has the power to assign bills to committee and appoint members and chairs of House committees.

Sponsor: Legislator who guides a bill through the legislative process in the second chamber.

Subcommittees: A sub-group of a larger committee that is composed of members from both parties appointed by the committee chair. Subcommittees are even narrower in focus than committees. They makes recommendations to the full committee regarding the legislation referred to it.

Veto: From the Latin for "I forbid." If the governor doesn't like a bill passed by both the Senate and the House, s/he may veto it. Once the governor rejects a bill, it can only become a law if a majority of senators and representatives vote to override the veto.

Veto override: Passage of a bill over the Governor's veto. The vote of the majority of members of both houses is required.

Voice vote: Members of the House or Senate determine the fate of most amendments by voice vote. They respond by calling out "ayes" and "nays," and the presiding officer states her decision as to which side prevailed. If the outcome is questionable, a legislator may ask for a division of the house or even a roll call vote to clarify.

Withdraw: To recall or remove a bill, resolution, or motion from further consideration for that legislative session.