Summary Writing - Bill Summary Sheet Terms
Stage
- Bill: The most common form of legislation that serves as a proposal for deleting, supplementing, or amending state law.
- PVS Terminology: Legislation
- Resolution: The role of a resolution differs by state, but typically it will be taken up by only one chamber, and they often don't carry much weight, issuing no substantive amendments to the law. They are frequently used to recognize an individual's contribution to something, make a political statement, censure a member of the legislature, etc. However, in some cases they will garner significant attention, such as when a resolution is introduced to impeach a member of the Executive branch.
- PVS Terminology: Legislation-Resolution
- Joint Resolution: This is a resolution taken up by both chambers of the legislature, and is frequently used to introduce a constitutional amendment. These will usually carry more weight than a simple, non-binding resolution, thus undergoing the same process as a bill. However, upon passage by both chambers, it will usually not be submitted to the Governor. Sometimes a Joint Resolution will take on a similar form as a Resolution, except that it is received by both chambers of the legislature.
- PVS Terminology: Legislation-Joint Resolution
- Executive Nomination: Governors, like the President, have appointment power over the various state agencies they oversee. When a Governor takes office or a cabinet position becomes vacant, the Governor's appointee must be confirmed by the Senate, provided that the state constitution specifies that a confirmation is necessary.
- PVS Terminology: Nomination
- Amendment: This differs from other types of legislation in that it is not something that is introduced in the same manner as a bill or resolution, but rather it is trying to amend legislation that has already been introduced. An amendment is introduced in committee ("mark up") or during second reading, both of which you will read about shortly. This is an attempt to change the legislation in some form. It could be a relatively insignificant and uncontroversial change, or it could change an crucial aspect of the legislation. It could also replace the entire text of the legislation ("substitute amendment").
- PVS Terminology: Amendment
Key Votes Homepage | Training Guide | Summary Writing Guide | Vote Entering Guide | Congress Guide | Status Update Guide | Web Check Guide
