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PETITION: A formal request made by an individual or group of persons to Parliament. If a bill obtains a majority at third reading, it is deemed passed. When a bill is passed by the House where it was drafted, the bill is further developed and a new copy of the bill, containing all corrections and amendments, is prepared and sent to the opposing House for consideration. In the second chamber, the bill follows essentially the same steps as in the first chamber. If the bill is passed by the opposite House, it is sent back to the original House, with any adopted amendments simply attached to the bill. Oath of office: An oath taken by elected members of the Legislative Assembly before they sit and take office. A member of Parliament or a senator has an idea for a bill by listening to the people he or she represents and then working to solve his or her problem. A bill may also result from the recommendations of an interim committee study conducted when the Legislative Assembly is not sitting. The idea is being explored to determine which state law should be changed or created to best address this problem. A bill is then drafted by the legislature, often with legal support from the Texas Legislative Council, a legislative agency that provides bill drafting services, research assistance, computer support, and other services to legislators. When the president signs a law, the law receives a number in the order in which it is signed. A quote about a public law looks like this: P.L.107-101, where 107 states that this law was used during the 107th century.

101 is the numerical designation he received. A private law is also designated, but uses the term private law instead of public law. MEMORIAL: The method by which the legislature addresses Congress and other governments or government agencies or implements a petition; A method by which the legislator congratulates or honours groups or individuals. REGISTRATION: The most common is the process of amending a bill passed by both houses in its final format for submission to the governor. VETO WAIVER: Vote by the legislature to pass a bill on a governor`s veto. MEMBERSHIP: A stage of the parliamentary process in which one chamber of the Legislative Assembly sticks to its previous action in response to a contradictory action by the other chamber. INTERIM: The interval between regular legislative sessions. Contact Brenda Erickson at (mailto:legislatures-info@ncsl.org?subject=[rules]) RESOLUTION: A document that expresses the feeling or intent of the legislature or a house, that governs the business of the legislature or a house, or that expresses the approval of the legislature or a chamber.

STATUTE: A formal decree of the legislator of a more permanent nature. The term “law” is used to refer to written law, as opposed to unwritten law. SENATE: A legislative body; As a rule, the body has the smallest number of members in a bicameral legislature. LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT: Statutory review of leadership and performance programs. BICAMERAL: A legislature composed of two separate chambers, each designed to control the power of the other. State legislatures make laws in each state. State courts can review these laws. If a court decides that a law is not in conformity with the state constitution, it can declare it invalid. SESSION: (1) period during which the legislature meets; (2) the daily session of the Senate or the House. MAJORITY PARTY: The political party with the largest number of members in the Legislative Assembly or in either house. BUDGET: (1) A proposal for the appropriation of public funds submitted for consideration by the Legislative Assembly; (2) a formal document reflecting expenditures approved by the government. MAISON: generic term for a legislative body; usually the body of a bicameral legislature with the largest number of members; Abbreviation for House of Representatives or House of Representatives.

BILL: Bill to be submitted to the legislator for consideration. In both Houses, a bill may be passed by a recorded vote or division. In the House of Representatives, votes by recording are counted by an electronic voting board controlled by buttons on each member`s desk. In the Senate, recorded votes are taken by appeal of the list of members. Once the rules are adopted, the legislator begins to consider the bills. CONVOCATION: When the members of a House meet daily, weekly and at the beginning of a session for the session of the legislature, as provided by the Constitution or the law. INDEFINITE CARRY-OVER: A form of adverse provision of a proposal for this legislature. ACT: Laws that have come into force. A bill that has been passed by both houses of the legislature has been inscribed, ratified, signed by the governor or delivered by the governor`s office and printed. It is a permanent measure that has the force of law until it is repealed. GALLERY: Balconies of the hemicycle from which visitors can follow the work of the legislature.

When a bill is passed in identical form by the Senate and the House of Representatives, it is submitted to the President for signature. When the president signs the law, it becomes law. Laws are also known as Acts of Congress. Status is another word used interchangeably with the law. COMMITTEE OF the WHOLE: Each House of the Legislative Assembly meets in its entirety in committee to consider bills or matters. The first thing the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor ask of their respective Houses of the Legislative Assembly is to decide what rules legislators will follow during the session. Some legislative procedures are provided for in the State Constitution, but additional rules may be adopted by a house of the legislature if approved by a majority vote of its members. After receiving a bill, the governor has 10 days to sign it, veto it, or pass it without signing it. If the governor vetoes the bill and the legislature is still in session, the bill is sent back to the house in which it originates with an explanation of the governor`s objections. A two-thirds majority in each chamber is required to override the veto. If the governor does not veto or sign the bill within 10 days, the bill becomes law.

If a bill is sent to the governor within 10 days of the final adjournment, the governor has up to 20 days after the final adjournment to sign the bill, veto it, or pass it without signature. The legislature meets every odd-numbered year to draft new laws and find solutions to the problems of the state. This session, which begins on the second Tuesday of January and lasts 140 days, is called the regular session. The Governor may instruct the legislature to meet at other times. These sessions, called special sessions, cannot last more than 30 days and deal only with topics chosen by the governor. The Senate consists of 100 senators, 2 from each state. Until the ratification of the 17th Amendment in 1913, senators were elected by state legislators, not by popular vote. Since then, they have been elected by the people of each state for six years.

Senate terms are phased so that about one-third of senators are re-elected every two years. Senators must be 30 years old, U.S. citizens for at least nine years, and residents of the state they represent. LEGISLATIVE INTENT: The purpose for which a measure is passed. CONSTITUTION: A written instrument that embodies the fundamental principles of the State, guarantees the powers and duties of government, and guarantees certain rights to the people. The Senate retains several powers for itself: it approves the ratification of treaties by a two-thirds majority and confirms the appointment of the president by a majority of votes. House approval is also required for ratification of trade agreements and confirmation by the Vice President. MEASURE: A generic term for a bill, resolution or monument. The chair then considers the bill. The president can approve and sign the law or not approve a law (veto). QUORUM: When a legislative body is constituted, the minimum number of members required to conduct its work.

When the bill reaches the President, he or she may: APPROVE and PASS. The President signs and approves the law. The bill has the force of law. Regulations are published by federal agencies, agencies and commissions. They explain how agencies want to implement laws. Regulations are published annually in the Code of Federal Regulations. YES and NO: Recorded vote of members on a topic. ELECTION: The act of choosing a person to hold office.

SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDERS: Parliamentary procedure for taking otherwise incorrect action. Congress creates and passes laws. The president can then sign these laws. Federal courts can review laws to determine whether they are constitutional. If a court finds that a law is unconstitutional, it can repeal it. ARTICLE VETO: Action taken by the governor to prevent the passage of an allocation bill; May also be called a veto of a budget item. Part of the exercise of legislative power by Congress is to prepare an annual budget for the government. To this end, Congress imposes taxes and tariffs to fund basic government services. If not enough money can be raised to fund the government, Congress can also approve loans to make up the difference. Congress can also order spending for specific items: Legislated spending, commonly referred to as “allocations,” indicates funds for a specific project rather than for a government agency. ITEMS: A line of numbers in a budget or budget account. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: an untenable position that threatens a legislator`s ability to vote impartially on the basis of a private interest in a legislative matter.