Home » Public Policy » Federal Legislative Terms

Federal Legislative Terms

• ACT
  Legislation (a BILL or JOINT RESOLUTION, see below) that has passed both chambers of Congress in identical form, been signed into law by the President, or passed over his veto, thus becoming law.
• ADJOURNMENT
  The end of a legislative day or legislative period (e.g. target adjournment for the summer is August 4, 2006.)
• AMENDMENT
  Proposal to change the language of a bill or a law by: (1) cutting some language, (2) inserting new language, or (3) both. An amendment can be offered in committee or on the floor of the House or the Senate.
• Appropriation
  Allows for spending from the U.S. Treasury for a specific purpose, such as the operation of a federal agency. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization (see AUTHORIZATION below) and then appropriation.
• Appropriations Act
  Legislation that provides funds for federal programs and agencies. There are three types of appropriations acts: regular, supplemental and continuing.
• Regular Appropriation
  Legislation that funds an agency or program for a full fiscal year.
• Continuing Appropriation (a.k.a. Continuing Resolution)
  Stop-gap measure that provides continued funding for federal programs and agencies once the federal fiscal year has ended. A Continuing Appropriations measure is usually used between the beginning of the fiscal year (October 1) and the date on which the President signs the regular appropriations bill into law. In the absence of Continuing Appropriations (referred to as a Continuing Resolution or CR), the government would shut down; there would be no authority to spend money without an Appropriations measure in place.
• Supplemental Appropriation
  Spending that is approved outside of the normal annual appropriations process for one of two reasons: (1) to pay for unanticipated expenditures (e.g., emergency relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina) or, (2) to provide supplemental funding during extraordinary times of need (e.g., additional funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) during an extremely cold winter).
• AUTHORIZATION
  Provision in law that establishes an agency or federal program, sets rules for that program, and allows for spending for that agency or program. An authorization may be effective for one year, a fixed number of years, or an indefinite period. An authorization may be for a definite amount of money or for "such sums as may be necessary." The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization and then appropriation (see APPROPRIATION above.)
• Bill
  The principal vehicle lawmakers use to introduce their proposals (enacting or repealing laws, for example).
• Clean Bill
  After a committee has amended legislation, the chairman may incorporate the changes into an original bill and then reintroduce everything as a “clean bill.” A clean bill may expedite Senate action by avoiding separate floor consideration of each committee amendment.
• Christmas Tree Bill
  Informal term for a measure that attracts many, often unrelated, floor amendments. The amendments which “adorn” the bill may provide special benefits to various groups or interests or include provisions from bills that members have failed to have considered during the year.
• Must-Pass Bill
  Informal term for a measure that Congress must enact, such as an annual spending bill to fund operations of the government. Because of their “must-pass” status, these bills often attract unrelated provisions called “riders.”
• BLOCK GRANT
  Federal money provided in a fixed sum to states or localities for a categorical purpose. Within the category (e.g. social services), states or localities usually have broad flexibility in determining activities to be funded under the block grant.
• Budget Authority
  Provision in law that permits federal funds to be spent, and designates the amount of funding to be spent.
• Budget Deficit
  The amount by which federal spending exceeds revenues from federal taxes and other sources.
• Budget Resolution
  An internal budget management tool or “blueprint” for establishing budget priorities for federal spending and taxation each year. The budget resolution sets targets for committees to meet in setting federal spending and may include reconciliation instructions (see RECONCILIATION) for designated House or Senate committees. The budget resolution does not hold the force of law and does not go to the President for signature.
• CHAIRMAN/CHAIRWOMEN
  The presiding officer of a committee or subcommittee, who is a member of the majority party.
• CLOTURE
  A procedure to close off debate. The Senate can vote to invoke a cloture, or time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter, and thereby overcome a filibuster (see FILIBUSTER). A cloture petition requires 60 votes to pass, unlike most motions or measures, which only require a majority to pass (51 votes).
• Committee
  A subdivision of the Senate or House that considers legislation, conducts hearings and investigations, or carries out other assignments as instructed by the chamber. Most Committees are divided into specialized subcommittees. For example, the House Appropriations Committee has a Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.
• Committee Report
  After a committee has approved a bill, the members of the committee issue a report describing their intentions in drafting the legislation. The Committee Report includes background on the need for the legislation and a section-by-section analysis of the contents of the bill. If some Members disagree with the bill or disagree with a section of the bill, their opinions may be included in an additional section called minority views, or additional views.
• Conference Committee
  A temporary panel composed of House and Senate Members, formed for the purpose of negotiating differences in legislation that has passed both chambers.
• Conferees
  Members appointed to serve on a joint House-Senate conference committee. They are also called "managers." Conferees are usually appointed from the committee or committees that reported the legislation being considered; they are expected to try and uphold their chamber’s position on measures when they negotiate with conferees from the other body.
• Conference Report
  The compromise bill negotiated by the conference committee. The conference report must be approved by the House and Senate in order to be forwarded to the President for his signature to become law.
• CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
  A verbatim account of daily proceedings on the House and Senate floor. It is printed daily when the House or Senate is in session.
• Discretionary Programs
  Programs that require Congress to appropriate funding each year. For example, Head Start is a discretionary program that requires an annual appropriation.
• Discretionary Spending
  Spending controlled in annual appropriations acts.
• Discretionary Spending Cap
  The overall limit on the dollar amount permitted for discretionary programs.
• Entitlement/Entitlement programs
  A federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• Capped Entitlement
  Capped entitlements are entitlements with spending ceilings (“capped spending”). However, because they are still entitlements, and anyone who is eligible can participate, lawmakers create very stringent eligibility requirements for these programs to limit participation to the number of people for which funds are available.
• FILIBUSTER
  A tactic in which a Senator holds the floor for an extended period of time in order to delay or prevent a vote on an issue. A filibuster cannot occur in the House of Representatives since speaking time is limited.
• FISCAL YEAR
  The fiscal year is the accounting period for the federal government which begins on Oct. 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006. Congress passes appropriations legislation to fund the government for every fiscal year.
• HEARING
  A meeting of a committee or subcommittee -- generally open to the public -- to take testimony in order to gather information and opinions on proposed legislation, to conduct an investigation, or review the operation or other aspects of a federal agency or program.
• MANDATORY SPENDING
  Spending (budget authority and outlays) controlled by laws other than annual appropriations acts. Funds are not appropriated annually, but rather are set in legislation authorized for a period of several years. For example, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF) is mandatory spending. TANF spending might be set for a five-year period in an authorization bill.
• MARK-UP
  The process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation.
• OVERSIGHT
  Committee review of the activities of a federal agency or program.
• RANKING MEMBER
  The highest ranking (and usually longest serving) member of the minority party on a committee or subcommittee.
• Reconciliation Bill
  A bill containing changes in law (often program cuts) recommended by committees. The recommendations are in compliance with reconciliation instructions (see below) from a budget resolution.
• Reconciliation Instruction
  A provision in a budget resolution directing one or more committees to submit to the Budget Committee legislation that changes existing law. The changes are designed to conform spending or revenues to the budget resolution. The instructions specify the committees to which they apply, indicate the appropriate dollar changes to be achieved, and usually provide a deadline by which the legislation is to be reported. If the instructions pertain to only one committee in a chamber, that committee reports the reconciliation bill. If the instructions pertain to more than one committee, the Budget Committee takes other committees’ reports, and creates an “omnibus” reconciliation bill taking all of their recommendations into consideration, but it may not make substantive changes in the recommendations of the other committees.
• Reconciliation Process
  A process by which Congress changes existing laws to conform tax and spending levels to the levels set in a budget resolution. Changes recommended by individual committees are incorporated into a single reconciliation bill. In the Senate, reconciliation bills are subject to special rules when they are considered on the Senate floor. Debate time is strictly limited, amendments must be germane, and the bill cannot be filibustered.
• RESCISSION
  The cancellation of funding previously provided by Congress.
• Concurrent Resolution
  A legislative measure, designated "S. Con. Res." generally used to address the sentiments of both chambers, to deal with issues or matters affecting both houses (such as a concurrent budget resolution), or to create a temporary joint committee. Concurrent resolutions are not submitted to the President and thus do not have the force of law.
• Continuing Resolution
  Legislation, in the form of a joint resolution enacted by Congress, when the new fiscal year is about to begin or has begun, to provide budget authority for Federal agencies and programs to continue in operation until the regular appropriations acts are enacted.
• Joint Resolution
  A legislative measure, designated "S. J. Res." and numbered consecutively upon introduction, which requires the approval of both chambers and is submitted (just as a bill would be) to the President for possible signature into law.
• RIDER
  A provision added to a bill so it may “ride” to approval on the strength of the bill. Generally, riders are placed on appropriations bills, but they may be added to any bill.
• SURPLUS
  The amount by which revenues exceed spending—or left-over money.
• UNFUNDED MANDATE
  Any provision in legislation, a statute, or a regulation that imposes a responsibility on a state, locality, or tribal government for which adequate funding to carry out the responsibility is not appropriated.
• VETO
  The procedure established under the Constitution by which the President refuses to approve a bill or joint resolution, and thus prevents its enactment into law. A regular veto occurs when the President returns the legislation to the house in which it originated. The President usually returns a vetoed bill with a message indicating his reasons for rejecting the measure. The veto can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House.