Glossary
Adjourn
To adjourn is to formally mark the end of a legislative session day or committee meeting.
Appropriations Bill
The appropriations bill is the official name of the annual state budget bill. The full bill is typically released from the House Finance Committee in June. After the bill is voted out of the House Finance Committee, it must be available for seven full days before it can go to the House of Representatives for a floor vote. Once the House approves it, the bill goes to the Senate Finance Committee. The Senate Finance Committee needs to give a minimum of 48-hours’ notice before scheduling a vote in committee.
Attorney General
The Attorney General is elected by the voters of Rhode Island to serve as one of the five General Officers mandated by the State's Constitution. The Attorney General is the state’s chief legal advisor and is responsible for prosecuting cases in the state. The position oversees Open Meetings Act compliance, Access to Public Records Act compliance, the State Bureau of Criminal Identification, and consumer protection related to utility and health care rates. The Attorney General may serve up to two consecutive four-year terms.
Bill
A bill is a draft of a proposed law, act, or resolution that is introduced by a state senator or state representative for formal debate.
- A bill that is intended to change a law must pass both the House and Senate and be transmitted to the Governor to either be signed or have no action to become law.
- A local act must pass both the House and Senate and be transmitted to the Governor to either be signed or have no action to become law.
- Some resolutions only need to be passed by the chamber they were introduced in while Joint Resolutions need to be passed by both chambers.
Chapter
A chapter is a group of sections, within a title of Rhode Island General Laws. The chapter number is the second number in a law citation. For example: Rhode Island General Law 29-1-3; the chapter is chapter number 1.
Committee
A committee is a group of legislators appointed to consider specific subjects of bills. Committees are created by House and Senate Leadership and laid out in the House Rules or Senate Rules at the beginning of each legislative session in January of odd-numbered years.
Committee Rooms
All committee rooms are in the State House. Some committees have designated rooms while other committees float to accommodate larger or smaller groups of people who may attend.
Companion Bill
Companion bills are when a Representative and Senator each introduce a bill with identical text. Rhode Island does not formally recognize companion bills; however, often both chambers introduce identical bills. While only one of these bills must go through the entire legislative process to become law, it is common for both the identical House and Senate version to be enacted into law.
Consent Calendar
A list of non-controversial bills all the members agree can be sent to the floor for a single vote rather than voting on each bill individually. Examples of consent calendar bills include renaming bridges, condolences, etc.
Co-sponsor
Co-Sponsors are listed when there are two or more legislators proposing a piece of legislation.
Decorum
Decorum is a socially accepted way of behaving. There is specific legislative decorum practiced in the State House, such as titles and the order in which elected officials are acknowledged in a formal, public setting. For more information, visit the State Library to see the latest edition of The Protocol Redbook.
Ease
Ease, typically referred to as being “at ease,” is a temporary pause in the legislature’s work. It is a less formal break than adjourning or going to recess.
Ex Officio
Ex Officio is a phrase used to indicate that a person has a place on a board, commission, or committee based on their title or position within an organization.
Floor
The floor, also known as the chamber, is where the House or Senate conducts its formal business, such as debating and voting on bills.
Floor Amendment
A floor amendment is a proposed change to a bill that is debated and voted on by the whole body and introduced during a legislative session without being heard in committee first.
Floor Calendar
The Floor Calendar is the day’s official agenda of bills to vote on for the House or Senate during their formal business in the House or Senate chamber.
Floor Vote
A floor vote is when a bill is voted on by the entire Senate or House during their formal business.
Types of Votes Required:
- Simple majority vote: A simple majority is half of the total number of senators or representatives, depending on the entity, plus one. For example, resolutions, bills, floor amendments, and other orders of business only need a simple majority vote.
- Two-thirds vote: Two-thirds of the members voting in the affirmative are required for certain floor votes. For example, the appropriation (budget) bill, impeachment, and appointments that require the Senate to confirm and consent, such as judges or directors of certain state agencies require a two-thirds vote. Other items of business that require a two-thirds vote are included in the House and Senate Rules.
General Assembly
The General Assembly is the formal name for the Rhode Island Legislature, referring to both the State Senate and State House of Representatives.
General Law
The General Laws, or Rhode Island General Laws, are the laws that govern Rhode Island. They are organized by Title, Chapter, and Section. General Laws are the codified (or broken up into appropriate sections of law) versions of the Public Laws. Use the General Laws to look-up current laws, and laws are cited using the General Laws.
General Officer
Rhode Island has five elected constitutional officers, which are often referred to as the general officers. These elected officials are the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, General Treasurer, and Attorney General. All of them, except the Attorney General, have offices in the State House.
General Treasurer
The General Treasurer, or more commonly just the Treasurer, is responsible for stewarding state funds and the processing of state disbursements. The General Treasurer manages and oversees the Employees’ Retirement System of Rhode Island, Crime Victim’s Compensation Program, Unclaimed Property Program, and CollegeBound 529 programs.
The Treasurer may serve up to two consecutive four-year terms.
Governor
The Governor is the chief executive for the state and is elected by the voters of Rhode Island to serve as one of the five General Officers mandated by the State's Constitution. The governor’s cabinet of offices that serve Rhode Island include, but are not limited to the Department of Administration, the Department of Education, the Department of Health, Department of Labor and Training, Department of Motor Vehicles, and Department of Revenue. The Governor has the power to sign or veto legislation. The Governor may serve up to two four-year terms.
Hearing
A hearing, or public hearing, is when members of the public are invited to give testimony on a certain topic.
House District
A house district is the specific area that one state representative represents. Rhode Island has 75 state house districts with approximately the same number of people per district. The districts are based on census population data and are re-drawn every ten years.
House Majority Leader
The House Majority is an elected state representative of the majority party. This person presides over all caucuses and conferences of the majority party and works with the Speaker and Minority Leader to establish a consent calendar of bills and resolutions. The Majority Leader proposes a consent calendar to the House in the form of a motion to move the consent calendar. The Majority Leader is an Ex-Officio member of all standing committees.
House Minority Leader
The House Minority Leader is an elected state representative of the minority party. This person represents the minority party interests on the House floor. The House Minority Leaders works with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Majority Leader to ensure the proper procedures of the House in accordance with the rules and serves as Secretary of the Joint Committee on Legislative Services.
House of Representatives
The House of State Representatives is often abbreviated as “The House.” This body makes up one-half of the legislative branch of government and consists of 75 representatives. The highest leadership position is the Speaker of the House.
House Rules
The House Rules outline how the House of Representatives conducts its daily business. The rules include rules for the House leadership, House Committee names, protocols for bills and petitions, committee meeting postings, and many more aspects of how the House of Representatives works. The House Rules are passed as a House Resolution at the beginning of each legislative session in odd-numbered years.
Joint Resolution
A joint resolution is a legislative matter presented as a bill that must pass both the House and Senate.
Journal
The House Journal and Senate Journal are the daily meeting minutes and actions on bills for each day the legislators are on The Floor. Copies are kept in the State Library and available on the General Assembly’s website.
Laws
Laws comprise the system of rules created by the legislative branch of government and are enforced by imposing penalties, such as fines or arrests.
Legislation
Legislation is the umbrella term for laws and bills.
Legislator
A legislator is a generic term that can mean a state senator or state representative.
Legislature
The legislature is the name of both the House and Senate; in Rhode Island, we also call this entity, “The General Assembly.”
Lieutenant Governor
The Lieutenant Governor is elected by the voters of Rhode Island to serve as one of the five General Officers mandated by the State's Constitution. The position's constitutional authority is to assume the role of governor if that position becomes vacant. The Lieutenant Governor may have legislation introduced on his/her behalf. The Lieutenant Governor may serve up to two consecutive four-year terms.
Lobbying
Lobbying is formally defined in Rhode Island General Laws § 42-139.1-3. It is when someone or an organization works to or asks others to influence any action or lack thereof of any legislative or executive branch official.
Lobbyist
According to Rhode Island General Laws § 42-139.1-3, there are three types of lobbyists:
(i) "Contract lobbyist" means any person who engages in lobbying as the appointed or engaged representative of another person; or
(ii) "In-house lobbyist" means any employee, officer, director, or agent of a corporation, partnership, or other business entity or organization whose job responsibilities include lobbying; and
“Government lobbyist” means a federal, state, or municipal level government employee who lobbies on behalf of their agency or department.
Local Acts
Local Acts are a type of legislation passed at the state-level by the General Assembly that only impacts a certain population, such as a municipality or fire district.
No Action by the Governor
A bill will become law if the governor takes no action after the bill is transferred to the governor by the General Assembly, after passing in both the House and Senate chambers. The number of days it takes for the bill to become law depends on whether the General Assembly is at recess or formally adjourned. If the General Assembly is at recess, the bill will become law on the seventh day after it was transmitted to the Governor, minus Sunday. If the General Assembly formally adjourned, the bill will become law on the tenth day after adjournment, including Sunday.
Primary Sponsor
The Primary Sponsor is the legislator who initially introduces the bill or resolution.
Public Testimony
Public testimony is when a member of the public gives prepared remarks at a committee meeting.
Quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of members needed to make a meeting valid. The minimum number of senators or representatives needed to have quorum for the House or Senate to proceed with their formal business on the floor is defined in their rules.
Recess
Recess is a pause in the legislature's work and can be for any length of time. It is a less formal break than adjourning.
Representative
A state representative, often abbreviated as “Rep.,” is a member of the State House of Representatives. In Rhode Island, there are 75 state representatives. Every Rhode Islander has one state representative.
Resolution
A resolution is a type of legislation that will not have a legal effect on the population. Resolutions are typically congratulatory or commemorative in nature.
Rise of the House / The Rise of the Senate
Often you will see committee meetings scheduled for “The Rise of the House” or “The Rise of the Senate.” The Rise is when the House or Senate finishes with their formal business for the day in the chamber. The term comes from when they stand-up to leave.
- The formal business of the day typically starts around 4:00 p.m. To get an idea as to how long this will take, you can see the agenda on the Rhode Island Legislature’s website by clicking “Floor Calendar.”
Secretary of State
The Secretary of State is elected by the voters of Rhode Island to serve as one of the five General Officers mandated by the State's Constitution. The Secretary of State is the keeper of state records and is responsible for capturing and making available corporate and nonprofit business filings, lobbying registrations, public meeting agendas and minutes, and rules and regulations. The Secretary of State is also the chief election official and maintains the state’s Central Voter Registration System. The Secretary of State may serve up to two consecutive four-year terms.
Senate
The State Senate is often abbreviated as “The Senate.” This body makes up one-half of the legislative branch of state-level government. The highest leadership position is the Senate President. There are 38 members of the Rhode Island Senate.
Senate District
A senate district is the specific area that one state senator represents. Rhode Island has 38 state senate districts with approximately the same number of people per district. The districts are based on census population data and are re-drawn every ten years.
Senator
A state senator, often abbreviated as Senator, is a member of the State Senate. In Rhode Island, there are 38 state senators. Every Rhode Islander has one state senator.
Senate President
The Senate President oversees the proceedings in the Senate and ensures that the chamber is run according to the rules adopted by the members. The Senate President may vote on all questions. While generally a member of the majority party, any member may be elected to this position. The Senate President serves as an Ex-Officio member of all standing committees and controls the floor calendars.
Senate Majority Leader
The Senate Majority Leader presides over all caucuses and conferences of the majority party and is responsible for the assignment of legislation to committees and serves as an Ex-Officio member of all standing committees of the Senate.
Senate Minority Leader
The Senate Minority Leader presides over all caucuses and conferences of the minority party and nominates minority representation on committees to the Majority Leader.
Senate Rules
The Senate Rules outlines how the Senate conducts its daily business. The rules include rules for the Senate leadership, Senate Committee names, protocols for bills and petitions, committee meeting postings, and many more aspects of how the Senate works. It is passed as a Senate Resolution at the beginning of each legislative session in odd-numbered years.
Speaker of the House
The Speaker of the House, commonly referred to as The Speaker, oversees the proceedings in the House and ensures that the chamber is run according to the rules adopted by the members. The Speaker, as an elected representative, may vote on all questions. While generally a member of the majority party, any member may be elected to this position. The Speaker serves as an Ex-Officio member of all standing committees and controls the floor calendar.
Statute
Statute is another name for a law.
Sub Aa
Sometimes you’ll see a “Sub Aa” after a bill number. The lower case “a” indicates that the bill was amended during the floor debate prior to a full-chamber vote.
Sub A/Amendment; Sub B/Amendment; Sub C/Amendment
Often you will see “Sub A” after a bill number, and less frequently but occasionally there will be a Sub B/Amendment or Sub C/Amendment. This means that the bill was amended in a committee. The A, B, or C indicates where and how many times in the legislative process a bill is amended.