ADJOURNMENTS, KINDS OF:

1.         Adjourn.

A motion of highest priority, which may be made at any time by any member.  It is not debatable, and must be voted upon at once.  Used to close each day's session with intent to resume on a given date and time.

2.         Recess.

A motion of similar priority used with intent to resume session at a later time that day.

3.         At Ease.

An announcement from the Chair indicating a short break in affairs, usually pending action by a Committee, etc.

4.         Adjourn sine die.

 A motion at the end of the Legislative Session to adjourn "without date" for resumption of Session.

5.         Rise and Report.

A motion to adjourn the Committee of the Whole.

CALENDAR:

A daily listing showing bills ready for each action today.

CALL OF THE HOUSE OR SENATE:

Action compelling all members to be present in the proper Chamber.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE:

A Committee of the Whole body.  Usually assembled by a move to consider bills on General File and to make amendments thereto, and to recommend action to be taken by the body.  Debate is not recorded in the Senate (S.R. 19-2), but is recorded in the House (H.R. 25-4) and the final recommendation of the Committee is entered in the Journal.

ENGROSS, TO:

To incorporate all adopted amendments into the text of the bill.  Done in the Legislative Service Office.

ENGROSSING CODING PATTERN 
This work is done by the Legislative Service Office. Like the amendment coding, the system is designed to be meaningful as to what stage the engrossing was done. 

For example: Analyze the amendment code of HB0012H3/eng: 
1. HB0012             = Bill name and number - House Bill 0012 
2.          H               = Initial of amending house - House amending action  
3.               3           = Order of business included - after 3rd reading 
4.                 /          = End of original name 
5.                  eng    = This is the engrossed bill - has all House amendments in place

ENROLL, TO:

To revise a bill after passage by both bodies of the Legislature, by incorporating therein all amendments adopted by both bodies. Done in the Legislative Service Office.  The Enrolled Act becomes Law after being signed by Presiding Officers of each body and the Governor.

FIRST READING:

Done when a bill is introduced.  Catch Title and the name(s) of the sponsor(s) are read.

GENERAL FILE:

Position of bills after having been considered by the Standing Committees to which they were assigned.  From this position, bills can go either to Committee of the Whole or back to Standing Committee.

INDEFINITELY POSTPONE, TO:

If the motion carries, its effect is to remove any future possibility for reconsideration of the bill in a session except by reintroduction as a new bill.  See discussion in Appendix A regarding the propriety of a motion to "indefinitely postpone" as a Standing Committee action on a bill.

INTRODUCE A BILL, TO:

The only way to pass a law is to introduce a bill for an act in its proper form for consideration, amendment and passage by both bodies and approval by the Governor.

JOINT CONFERENCE COMMITTEE:

Composed of three members from each body appointed by the Speaker and President respectively.  Its purpose is to reconcile the differences in the content of a bill which has been amended in the body last considering the measure, which amendments are not acceptable to the original body.  Its report goes back to both bodies for debate and vote on adoption.  NOTE:  Pursuant to J.R. 14-1(h)(2), joint conference committees on budget bills consist of five members from each house.  Each body votes on the JCC report simultaneously.

LAY BACK, TO:

A motion to lay back a bill may be made and must carry by a majority of a quorum.  The bill may be on General File in Committee of Whole, or on Second or Third Reading.  It may be laid back to a specified position for a specified time.

"QUESTION" (CALL OF):

An informal use of the motion "Previous Question".  Both are used to stop debate and force consideration of the main question and all amendments to it.

RECONSIDER, TO: 

A motion to retake a roll call.  Carried by voice majority vote of members present.  Must be made by a member who voted on the prevailing side and must be made and be acted on the same or the next legislative day.  Cannot be made once the bill in question has passed out of possession of the body.  Announcement of reconsideration holds bill in possession of the body until a new vote can be taken.  (See H.R. 24-12; S.R. 18-8.)

RECOMMIT, TO:

A motion made by any member to return a bill to the Committee which has already considered it.

REREFER, TO:

A motion made by any member to assign a bill to a Committee other than the one which has already considered it.

SECOND READING:

Usually is ordered at least a day after adoption of recommendation of Committee of Whole.  Catch Title of bill is read only.  This reading serves primarily as a notice to members that the bill will be up for Third Reading and final passage the following day. No action is required, but any action, including amendment, may be moved on the bill by any member.

THIRD READING:

Usually is ordered on the next legislative day following Second Reading.  Amendments may be offered only prior to the reading of the bill.  Catch title and the enacting clause are read, and roll call is taken for final passage.

WITHDRAW:

A motion to remove a bill from further consideration by the member who introduced the bill can only be made when the bill is in possession of the body, and must carry by unanimous consent of the members.

WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION:

A Committee may return a bill without recommendation, which indicates neither approval nor disapproval.

AMENDMENT NAMING PATTERN 

Names are designated by the Attorney or Chief Clerk and are applied to an amendment on receipt from sponsor. Design of the approach is such that the name is meaningful to anyone who knows the system as well as being a standardized computer code for the full text of the amendment. The name tells the reader when and where an amendment was acted upon and its disposition. 

ABBREVIATIONS USED FOR BILL STATUS