Committee Glossary | Legislative Glossary

LEGISLATIVE GLOSSARY RELATING TO

SECOND OR THIRD READING FLOOR WORK

ADOPTED	"Adopted" is synonymous with the term "carried".
AMENDMENT	A change made in a bill, resolution, or memorial offered by an individual member either in committee or on the floor of the legislative house. Amendments made to a bill or resolution by a committee are contained in the committee report on the bill or resolution
CALENDAR	A listing of the bills, resolutions, and memorials ready for introduction or for floor consideration on second or third reading. The calendar for the Senate also includes board or commission confirmations ready for Senate action. The calendar also lists meetings of committees scheduled for that day or for the next several days, as well as conference committees that are to report.
CALL OF THE HOUSE	A request that all members of the legislative house be present for action on a pending motion. While a call is on, no member of the legislative body may leave the chamber, and the sergeant-at-arms are requested to bring absent members back to the chamber. A call may be raised by a majority of those members present in the chamber.
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE	When either legislative house meets to debate bills calendared for second reading, the house is acting as a committee of the whole.
COMMITTEE REPORT	A statement by a committee of reference on its recommendation concerning a bill. A committee can recommend that a bill be reported favorably, with or without amendments, or be postponed indefinitely.
DIVISION	A vote taken by having those members in the affirmative on a question first rise and be counted and then having those members in the negative rise and be counted. A division may be used when the chair is in doubt on a voice vote or when called for by any member.
ENACTING CLAUSE	The phrase "Be It Enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado" that is required under the Constitution to be at the beginning of every act. An amendment or motion to strike the enacting clause "kills" a proposed law.
ENGROSSED BILL	A bill that has passed second reading in the legislative house of origin.
GENERAL ORDERS	Another name for Second Reading.
JOURNAL	The official record of the proceedings of each legislative house during the session. The journals record only formal actions of the General Assembly and its committees, as well as the titles of bills introduced and considered by committees and the voting history of members on bills that passed on the floor. The journal is not a verbatim record.
LAID OVER	A parliamentary procedure whereby consideration on a measure is postponed to a later time.
QUORUM	A majority of the members elected to a legislative house. The Constitution requires a quorum for the transacting of legislative business; however, a smaller number may adjourn from day to day and compel the attendance of absent members
RECORDED VOTE	A vote taken by machine or roll call and recorded in the journal. The constitution requires the "yeas" and "nays" of the individual members to be recorded on third and final passage of all legislation.

REENGROSSED BILL	A bill that has passed third reading in the legislative house of origin.
REREVISED BILL	A bill that has passed third reading in the second legislative house.
REVISED BILL	A bill that has passed second reading in the second legislative house.
SEBEC	An acronym for "strike everything below the enacting clause", which is a reference to an amendment that strikes everything in the current version of the bill and replaces it with a new version of the bill.
SECOND READING	The time when a bill is being considered by the committee of the whole of either legislative house.
SPECIAL ORDERS CALENDAR	A list of bills that are given priority over other bills for consideration on second reading. Near the end of the legislative session, a special orders calendar supplements the bills on the daily calendar to make a fuller agenda. Unless otherwise stated, the special orders calendar is good for one day, but, in recent sessions, a bill placed on the special orders calendar has retained its place until reached or passed over by motion.
THIRD AND FINAL READING	The time when a bill is being considered by the entire legislative house for final passage. Passage is determined by a recorded vote of the members.
VOICE VOTE	A vote taken orally. A voice vote will be used for adoption of amendments and some matters, although a roll call can be obtained even on these if five members, by a show of hands, demand a recorded vote.
VOTE	An expression of the collective judgment of the House or the Senate. A voice vote will be used for adoption of amendments and some matters, although a roll call can be obtained even on these if five members, by a show of hands, demand a recorded vote.