A glossary is a collection of specialized words and their
meanings.
This glossary will help you understand some of the words used by the House
of Representatives.
Act: A bill passed by both the Pennsylvania
House of Representatives and Senate
Adjournment: The end of a legislative
session, a day’s session or a committee meeting
Amendment: A proposal to change the original terms of a bill
Appropriation: Authorization to spend state funds
Bicameral: Consisting of two houses (House and Senate)
Bipartisan: Having support of both the Republicans and Democrats
Bill: A draft of a proposed law
Brass rail: Runs behind the law row of members’ desks just below the visitors’ gallery; members standing behind the brass rail are not on the House floor and cannot speak in debate or vote on a question
Budget: A bill that states how much money will be spent on government programs and services
Calendar: A list of bills awaiting action
Caucus: A meeting of members of a group, usually but not always a political party, where plans are made concerning issues and agendas (used as a verb it means to have a meeting)
Chair: A legislator who presides over a committee meeting or a session
Chamber: The room in which the House of Representatives meets
Clerk of the House of Representatives: The person designated by the House to assist the members in the process of enacting laws and to record that history
Committee: A group of representatives appointed by the presiding officer to consider an issue or question and to submit a report on its recommendations for action by the House
Compromise: Settle differences of opinion through discussion
Constituent: A citizen who resides in the district of a legislator
Constitution: The written instrument embodying the fundamental principles of the state that establishes power and duties of the government and guarantees certain rights to the people
Convene: To meet in formal legislative session
Debate: To argue for and against the merits of a bill
Decorum: Appropriate behavior and conduct
District: That area of the state represented by a legislator; who must live in the district he/she represents
Gallery: The seating area for visitors located above the House floor on the balcony
Governor: The highest ranking state official, elected every four years
Journal: The official record of the proceedings of the House of Representatives
Law: The final product of the legislative process is a rule that all the people of a society must obey; it is the end result of the introduction of a bill, its passage by both houses and its approval by the governor (or the overriding of his/her veto by the legislature) and its recording by the secretary of state
Legislator: A member of the legislature
Lobbyist: A person who represents himself or herself, an individual, organization or entity, before the legislature; seeking to bring about the passage or defeat of legislative bills or to influence their content
Mace: The House symbol of authority, peace, order and respect for the law; it is made of carved mahogany capped by a brass globe engraved with the Pennsylvania coat of arms and topped by an American eagle
Mace bearer: This official precedes the speaker to the House rostrum before each day’s session, carrying the mace and at the end of a session, rises, removes the mace from its special pedestal and ceremoniously escorts the speaker from the chamber
Majority party: The political party having the most seats in the House of Representatives
Members: 203 state representatives elected for a two-year term by Pennsylvania residents; a representative must be a U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age, a Pennsylvania resident for at least four years and a resident of the legislative district for at least one year before the general election
Minority party: The political party having the least number of seats in a house
Motion: A proposal, usually oral, made to the presiding officer and relating to procedure or action before a legislative body
Murals: The House contains a colorful panorama of Pennsylvania history in the murals of Edwin Austin Abbey; the most commanding of the series hangs behind the speaker’s rostrum
Oath of Office: An oath or vow taken by a public official prior to taking up his or her official duties
Order of Business: The defined routine of procedure in the legislative body each day, it can be deviated from only by a waiver of the rules
Override: To pass a bill after the governor has vetoed it; this requires a two-thirds vote of each house
Pages: Young men and women who deliver messages, distribute paperwork and run errands for members
Passage: Favorable action on a measure before the legislature
Per diem: Daily expense allowance allowed for legislators when they are in session
Point of Order: Members use this phrase to question a procedure at any time during a debate, even if it means interrupting someone who is speaking
Quorum: The number of members required for the conduct of business in the House
Recess: A temporary pause in the proceedings
Roll call boards: Large tally boards flash on opposite walls of the House, reflecting in alphabetical order how members voted; members vote at their desks by pressing green or red buttons which light the respective “yea” and “nay” columns on the boards
Rules: Provisions for the procedure, organization, officers and committees of each house of the legislature
Seating arrangement: The chambers are divided so that members of each party sit together on a specified side of the center aisle
Sergeant at Arms: The person in each house who is responsible for the security of the legislative house and the maintenance of that house’s property
Session: The period during which the legislature meets
Sine die: Latin phrase for “without day” being set for reconvening; final adjournment
Speaker of the House: The presiding officer of the House who is designated as speaker by the majority party and then elected by the full membership of the house for a term of two years
Sponsor: Legislator who introduces a bill
Term of office: The period of time for which a person is elected to serve in an office
Veto: Formal disapproval of a measure by the governor
Vote: A decision on a question, either affirmative or negative
Whips: Assistant floor leaders who act as links between their party members and majority and minority leaders, keeping them informed and encouraging their votes along party lines