The legislative process and terms are provided in rough chronological order. If you are having trouble finding a specific term, use the search function (Ctrl+F) to search this page. The Washington Legislature hosts an alphabetized glossary with many of these terms but less commentary on the process, as well as a quick overview of How a Bill Becomes a Law. Legislative ProcessFirst reading: The first action taken on potential legislation, when the bill is introduced and read on the floor of the House of Origin. The leadership then refers the bill to a committee.
Referred to committee: When a bill is introduced, it first must be passed by a committee before it can be voted on by the chamber (i.e. the floor). After the first reading, the leadership decides the most relevant committee for the bill and refers it to that committee.
Passed out of committee/reported by committee: A bill is passed out of committee or reported by committee when a majority of the committee has voted to move the bill to the next step in the legislative process. A bill can be passed out of committee in three ways: 1) Do pass, or pass the bill as is; 2) Do pass as amended, or pass the bill as amended by the committee; or 3) Do pass substitute, in which the committee offers a substitute version of the bill. Committees can also refer bills to other committees, if they feel that it is warranted or if there are elements of the bill which are outside the purview of the committee.
Rules Committee:After a policy committee has reported a bill, they send it to the Rules Committee, which decides if and when the legislation will go to the floor for a vote. The Rules Committee is primarily a tool of the leadership, allowing them to exercise control over what bills do and do not get voted on.
Third reading: The third time the legislation is read on the floor. It is after the third reading that a floor vote is taken. If the legislation passes, it moves to the next step of the process; if it fails, the chamber has 24 hours to make a motion to reconsider the bill. Otherwise, the bill dies.
Passed off the floor: An action which refers to a bill which has been approved by the majority of the full House or Senate.
Opposite House / Second House: The second chamber to which a piece of legislation moves after it has been passed through its House of Origin. The same process described above is followed in the Second House. Once a bill has gone through both chambers, differences may need to be reconciled:
Passed the legislature: An action which refers to a bill which has passed through both Houses and has been signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate. The next—and final step—before the bill becomes law is to send it to the governor’s desk for signing. The governor can either approve the bill in its entirety, veto a section of the bill (called a line-item veto), or veto the entire bill. General Legislative TermsBill sponsors: The Representative or Senator who originally introduced a bill is the sponsor. Other members who sign on are called cosponsors. Motion:A proposal that the Senate or House take a certain action. Proposed amendment: An amendment which is still being considered and has not yet been approved. Proposed substitute: A substitute bill which is still being considered and has not yet been approved. Engrossed: A term to indicate legislation into which one or more amendments have been incorporated. Special session: A session of no more than 30 days, convened by the Governor or the Legislature, following adjournment of the regular session. The legislature, upon two-thirds vote of all members, may call itself into special session. The state constitution permits an unlimited amount of special sessions in any given year. Legislative AnalysisThe bill’s webpage: The bill information page on the state legislature website. You can search for a bill by bill number by going to the Bill Information page. Effect statement: A brief, non-partisan statement on what an amendment does. Often used with striker amendments. Fiscal note: A non-partisan analysis of the six year fiscal impact of a piece of legislation. Occasionally the period of impact is extended to ten years. Bill Report: A more comprehensive summary of background and effect of bills, prepared by committee staff. Bill Digest: A very brief summary of a bill, prepared by the Code Reviser’s office. Visit this page for a quick summary of the legislative process. For a more comprehensive explanation, go here. For a glossary of additional legislative terms prepared by the Washington Legislature, see this website. |