A

Absent – Not present for a chamber session.

Absent with Leave – Not present for a chamber session with permission.

Act – Bills approved by both chambers and enacted into law.

Adjourn – Close of a daily session. (See: Convene.)

Adjournment Sine Die – Close of an entire session. (Sine Die = "without day")

Administrative Rules – (See: Rules)

Administrator – Head of Senate's business operations.

Adoption – Approval/acceptance of amendment/resolution/motion.

Advice and Consent – What the Senate must provide on gubernatorial appointments.

AMENDMENT –

• Committee Amendment (HCA/SCA) – Changes proposed to bill by committee.
• Conference Committee Amendment (CCA).– Changes proposed to bill by joint conference committee
• Floor Amendment (HA/SA) – Changes proposed to bill during floor debate.

Appeal – Request that a point of order ruling be reconsidered.

Appropriation – Funds allocated by lawmakers for various departments of government.

B

Bill – Form all proposed laws take in the Legislature. (See: Prefile and Substitute)

C

CALENDAR –

• Consent Calendar – Order for chamber to take up non-controversial bills unanimously approved by committee.
• Formal/Perfection Calendar – List of committee-approved bills for chamber to take up (in order) for consideration.
• Informal/Perfection Calendar – List of committee-approved bills for chamber to take up (in any order) up that have already been debated, but not acted upon by the full body.

Call to Order – (See: Order)

Caucus – A coalition of lawmakers sharing a commonality, such as party affiliation, district locales/constituent demographics or a particular issue.

Chairman – Heads committee.

COMMITTEE –

• Conference Committee – Temporary group of members from each house selected to resolve differences in a bill as passed by each house.
• Interim Committee – Lawmakers impaneled to address/study a particular issue over the off-session.
• Joint Committees – Made up of Senators and Representatives to address a specific topic.
• Special Committees – Lawmakers impaneled to address particular issues during session.
• Standing Committees – Established by Senate and House to hear bills of various topics before they can be moved to a chamber.
• Statutory Committees – Established by Legislature and enacted by statute to address/oversee/study specific topics.

Committee Report – (See: Report)

Committee Substitute – (See: Substitute Bill)

Concurrence – When one chamber agrees to a proposal of the other chamber.

Conference Committee – (See: Committee)

Conference Committee Report – (See: Report)

Conference Committee Substitute – (See: Substitute Bill)

Conferees – Legislators assigned to conference committee.

CONSENT –

• Consent Bill – Non-controversial bills unanimously approved by committee. (See: Calendar, Consent.)
• Consent Calendar – Order for chamber to take up non-controversial bills unanimously approved by committee.
• Unanimous Consent – Suspends certain chamber rule for specific parliamentarian purpose.

Convene – Opening of a daily session. (See: Adjourn.)

Co-Sponsor – Lawmakers signing on to introduced bill/resolution. (See: Sponsor and Handler)

D

Daily Session – (See: Session)

Debate – Process of discussing a proposed bill's merits and flaws.

Deliberate – Process of considering a proposed bill's merits and flaws.

District – Geographic area represented by a lawmaker.

Division Vote – (See: Vote)

Do Not Pass – Committee's recommendation that a bill not be approved by the body.

Do Pass – Committee's recommendation that a bill be approved by the body.

E

Effective Date – When an enacted bill becomes law.

Emergency Clause – Places bills into effect on governor's signature.

Enacted – Status of legislation passing both chambers and clearing executive branch. Engrossed – Bill as passed by one house incorporating all changes.

Enrolled – Bill as passed by both chambers.

Executive Branch – One of government's three branches. (See: Legislative and Judicial branches)

Extraordinary ("special") Session – (See: Session)

F

Filibuster – Protracting (Senate only) debate to stall, alter or stop legislation.

Final Passage – Bills approved by a legislative chamber. (See: Third Read and Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed.)

First Read(ing) – (See: Read(ing))

Fiscal Year – Budget accounting period - in Missouri running July 1 to June 30.

Floor – Debate arena of each chamber.

Floor Substitute – (See: Substitute Bill)

G

Gallery –

Side Galleries – Areas flanking each chamber for member use.

Upper Galleries – Area surrounding each chamber open to the public.

General Assembly – Collective meeting of the Senate and House.

H

Handler – Lawmaker handling in his/her chamber a bill /resolution from other chamber. (See: Sponsor and Co-sponsor)

Hearing – Public forum for discussion on a proposal before a committee.

House of Representatives – One of two legislative bodies. (See: Senate)

I

Initiative Petition – Allows citizenry to propose new laws by a ballot measure after obtaining requisite petition signatures from registered voters. (See: Referendum)

Interim – Interval between regular sessions.

Interim Committee – Lawmakers impaneled to address particular issues during the off-session.

Introduction – Formal presentation of a legislative proposal for consideration.

Introduction of Guests – Motion made from floor to recognize visitors.

J

Joint Committee – (See: Committee)

Joint Rules – (See: Rules)

Joint Session – (See: Session)

Judicial Branch – One of government's three branches. (See: Legislative and Executive branches)

Journal – Official record of daily chamber action and proceedings.

K

Kill – As into "kill" a bill by filibuster or amendment.

L

Legislative Branch – One of government's of three branches. (See: Executive and Judicial branches)

Legislator – Elected lawmaker.

Legislature – Collective Senate and House membership.

M

Move to the Previous Question – (See: Previous Question)

Majority Floor Leader – Elected by majority party members to schedule and manage floor debate.

Message – Communication from one chamber to the other, or from the governor, regarding action on bills, resolutions or executive appointments.

Minority Floor Leader – Elected by minority party members to chart party's legislative course and actions.

Motion – Proposition presented for action by a legislative body.

N

Nay – A vote in the negative. (See: Yea)

Nominee – Person appointed to executive or judicial office by governor subject to Senate confirmation.

O

Oath of Office – Performance/conduct pledge recited by legislators on taking office.

Officers – Legislative staff elected by legislators, including (in the Senate) pro tem, secretary, engrossing and enrolling director, sergeant-at-arms, doorkeeper and chaplain.

Order –

Call to Order – Initiates a daily session.

Order of Business – List of daily session's routine procedures.

Out of Order – Action contrary to parliamentary rules and procedures.

Point of Order – A question of an action's compliance with rules/procedures that is ruled on by the pro tem.

Out of Order – (See: Order)

Override – (See: Veto)

P

Parliamentary Procedure – Rules for running meetings and conducting business.

Passage – A chamber's approval on a bill or resolution.

Pending – A substitute bill, amendment or motion offered but not yet acted on.

Prefile – Filing of legislation in advance of session's opening day.

Perfected – Bills earning first of two chamber approval votes and thus cannot be amended. (See: Third Read)

Point of Order – (See: Order)

Point of Personal Privilege – Enables members to rise and speak on any matter.

Political Party – Group espousing like-minded governance principles/beliefs.

PRESIDENT–

• President – The lieutenant governor and any Senate member can preside over chamber proceedings and is addressed as "president" by the body.
• President of the Senate – The lieutenant governor is ex officio ("by virtue of one's office") president of the senate and can preside over daily sessions, debate matters and break tie votes.
• President Pro Tem – The Senate president pro tempore ("president for a time") is elected by the entire body to manage procedural functions, rule on parliamentarian matters and head the Senate's general operations.

Previous Question – Parliamentarian procedure used to end debate, typically a filibuster.

Pro Tem – (See: President Pro Tem)

Q

Question – Matter requiring a vote by the body.

Quorum – Number of members that must be present to conduct a vote.

R

READ(ING) –

• First Read(ing) – Introduction and printing of bill.
• Second Read(ing) – Bill is referred to committee.
• Third Read(ing) – Perfected bill readied for final passage vote. (See: Final Passage and Perfected)

Reapportionment (Redistricting) – Balancing legislative district populations.

Recede – Withdraw from a position on a matter.

Reconsideration – Motion allowing a previous vote to be annulled and a second vote taken.

Redistricting – Decennial process of balancing legislative district populations. (See: Reapportionment)

Referendum – Legislature's submission of a proposed law to a direct vote of the people. (See: Initiative Petition)

Referred – The sending of a bill to committee.

Regular Session – (See: Session)

Remonstrance – Formal statement of protest.

Re-referred – Reassigning a bill from one committee to another.

RESOLUTIONS –

• Resolution (SR/HR) – Used to change rules/operations of the Senate and House, and as such do not require joint approval. (Both the Senate and House issue "courtesy resolutions" recognizing the contributions of individual citizens. Written by legislative research, resolutions can be ordered printed in the journal of the sponsoring lawmaker's chamber.)
• Joint Resolution (SJR/HJR) – Joint Senate/House submission (not requiring governor's approval) of a specific issue, typically constitutional, to voters.
• Concurrent Resolution (SCR/HCR) – Joint Senate/House expression of opinion, such as calling on Congress for an action; or will, such as formation of a committee.

Report –

Committee Report (CR) – Reports a conference committee’s recommendations on a bill.

Conference Committee Report (CCR) – Reports a conference committee's recommendations on a bill.

Revised Statutes – State laws of Missouri, as revised by the Legislature.

Roll Call – Polls all members to ascertain presence in chamber.

Roll Call Vote – (See: Vote)

RULES –

• Administrative Rules – Rules developed by a department to implement provisions enacted by the General Assembly.
• Joint Rules – Govern the relationship and affect matters between the two chambers.
• Standing Rules – Adopted by each chamber.

S

Second Read(ing) – (See: Read(ing))

Secretary of the Senate – Chief administrator of legislative operations.

Senate – One of two legislative bodies. (See: House)

Senate President – (See: President)

Senate Revision Bill (SRB) – Repeals obsolete/expired state statute sections.

Sergeant at Arms – Maintains chamber order.

SESSION –

• Daily Session – Each day's meeting.
• Extraordinary ("special") Session – Can be called at any time by Legislature or governor to address certain topic(s).
• Joint Session – Attended by Senate and House members.
• Regular Session – Runs from January to mid-May each year.
• Veto Session – Three days each September for Legislature to consider overriding veto(es).

Side Gallery – (See: Gallery)

Sine Die – "Without day" (See: "Adjournment Sine Die")

Special Committee – (See: Committee)

Special Session – (See: Session)

Sponsor – Lawmaker introducing bill/resolution. (See: Co-sponsor and Handler)

Standing Committee – (See: Committee)

Standing Rules – (See: Rules)

Statutes – Missouri's state laws.

Statutory Committee – (See: Committee)

SUBSTITUTE BILL –

Floor Substitute (SS/HS) – Bill substitute offered during floor debate.

Committee Substitute (SCS/HCS) – Bill substitute drafted by a chamber committee.

Conference Committee Substitute (CCS) – Bill substitute drafted by a conference committee.

Sunset Date – When laws expire.

Suspension of Rules – Allows action that would otherwise be out of order.

T

Table – To lay a matter aside for (possible) future discussion.

Title – A bill's concise statement of subject and sections.

Third Read(ing) – (See: Read(ing))

Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed – Bills approved by both legislative chambers. (See: Final Passage.)

U

Upon Adjournment – Commonly given time for committees to meet.

Upper Gallery – (See: Gallery)

V

Veto – Governor's rejection of a bill passed by the legislature.

Veto Override – Legislature's reactivation (by a 2/3 or more vote in both houses) of a vetoed bill.

Veto Session – (See: Session)

Voice Vote – (See: Vote)

VOTE –

• Division Vote – When (Senate) members stand to be counted when the outcome of a voice vote is unclear.
• Roll Call Vote – Member-by-member polling of the body.
• Voice Vote – Where the most stridently voiced "Yea" or "Nay" carries the question.

W

Whip – Elected by party to rally support/opposition and build consensus.

Withdraw – Taking back an introduced bill or offered substitute bill/amendment.

Without Day – English translation of "Sine Die."

Witness – Person testifying before a legislative committee.

X

Ten, in Roman numerals – the number of years between each redistricting cycle. (See: Redistricting)

Y

Yea – A vote in the positive. (See: Nay)

Yield – A member recognized to speak "yields" to another for questioning but retains the floor.

Z

Zero – The number of other entries identified for "Z."