---

- Assembly Bill, a draft of a proposed law originating in the Assembly. Must be passed by both houses of the legislature and signed by the Governor to become law.

- A bill which has passed both houses of the Legislature, been enrolled, approved by the Governor or passed over the Governor's veto, and published.

- Approval of a motion, amendment, resolution, or joint resolution.

- Assembly Joint Resolution, a draft of a resolution amending the Wisconsin Constitution, changing the Joint Rules of the Legislature, or expressing the opinion of the Legislature by commending a person or event. This type of proposal originates in the Assembly but requires adoption by both the Assembly and the Senate. However, constitutional amendments need to be adopted by two consecutive legislatures in identical form to become law.

[ Back to Top ]

- When a change is made in a proposal, it is said to be amended. There are simple amendment and substitute amendment.

- Money set aside by formal action for a specific use.

- Assembly Resolution, a draft of a resolution changing the rules of the Assembly, or expressing the opinion of the Assembly by commending a person or event. This type of proposal originates in the Assembly and needs to be adopted only by the Assembly.

- The author or co-authors of a proposal are those who introduce it into the house in which they are members. Bills often have many co-authors.

- A draft of a proposed law presented to the Legislature.

[ Back to Top ]

- The Assembly or Senate agenda of bills, resolutions, joint resolutions, etc. scheduled for any legislative day.

- When a measure is passed in one house, it is sent to the other for concurrence (agreement, passage). A bill must pass both houses in identical form to become law.

- If the Assembly and Senate pass significantly different versions of a bill, it may be referred to a conference committee where members of both houses will attempt to work out differences.

- Proposals are researched and assembled into formal legal language by attorneys in the Legislative Reference Bureau.

- A proposal incorporating all adopted amendments and all approved technical corrections in the house of origin.

[ Back to Top ]

- Once a measure has completed the legislative process, its amendments are consolidated or enrolled and prepared to be sent to the governor for signature.

- An estimate of the change in state and local government revenues and expenditures that would be caused by passage of a bill.

- The discussion of a proposal on the "floor" of the Assembly or Senate.

- The time during which legislators formally debate proposals in the Assembly and Senate Chambers, which can range from a week to several months. 

- All amendments must be germane, that is, relevant and appropriate to the bill.

- In the Wisconsin Legislature bills are not "killed," they are indefinitely postponed, a maneuver that sounds less harsh but achieves the same end.

[ Back to Top ]

- A committee comprised of members of both houses of the legislature.

- Any bill introduced in either house of the Legislature appropriating money must be referred to this committee to qualify for passage.

- A proposal expressing the opinion of the Legislature, changing joint rules, or proposing an amendment to the state constitution, requiring adoption by both houses. 

- A bill passed by the Wisconsin Legislature and approved by the Governor.

- Joint Legislative Council Study committees are established by the Joint Legislative Council to examine major issues and problems identified by the Legislature. The study committees are made up of Legislators and citizens who are interested in or knowledgeable about the study topic. Study committee meetings are called Study meeting.

- The legislative support agency where proposed laws are researched and drafted into formal legal language.

- Member of the Wisconsin Legislature. The 99 members of the Assembly are called State Representatives and each represents about 56,000 people living within his or her Assembly district. Thirty-three Senators constitute the Wisconsin Senate and each represents a Senate district made up of three Assembly districts. 

[ Back to Top ]

- A unique four-digit number given each proposal by the Legislative Reference Bureau when a proposal is drafted and before it is officially given a proposal number at the time of introduction.

- A term of parliamentary procedure that requests something be done -  motion to adjourn, motion to postpone, motion to table, motion to suspend the rules, etc.

- The Legislature may pass a measure over the governor's objections by voting to override a veto by a two-thirds vote of the members present in both the Assembly and Senate.

- A committee meeting at which members of the public, lobbyists, legislators, and agency representatives speak or register for or against a proposal. 

- Any drafted piece of legislation to be acted on by the Legislature. Includes Assembly Bills (AB), Senate Bills (SB), Assembly Joint Resolutions (AJR), Senate Joint Resolutions (SJR), Assembly Resolutions (AR), and Senate Resolutions (SR).

[ Back to Top ]

- A number given to each proposal type numbered consecutively in the order of introduction for that particular type.

-  One of the following types of drafted proposals introduced in the legislature: AB, SB, AJR, SJR, AR and SR.

- When bills are sent to a committee or moved from one committee to another, they are said to be referred. 

- A brief description of the proposal.

- Legislators elected to two-year terms in November of even numbered years to the Assembly. Each of the 99 Assembly members represents a district containing about 52,000 persons. 

- At the beginning of each session, the Legislature adopts detailed rules of parliamentary procedure. Those rules have evolved slowly over generations from procedures devised by Thomas Jefferson and from those in use hundreds of years earlier in English Parliament. They are designed to promote fairness and deliberation in the legislative process.

[ Back to Top ]

- The Assembly standing committee responsible for scheduling bills for floor debate. Its counterpart in the Senate is the Committee on Organization.

- Senate Bill, a draft of a proposed law originating in the Senate. Must be passed by both houses of the legislature and signed by the Governor to become law.

- Legislators who serve four-year terms in the Senate and are elected in alternate even-numbered years. Those representing the 17 odd-numbered districts are elected in the years in which a governor is elected. Those from the 16 even-numbered districts are elected in Presidential election years. Each Senate district contains three Assembly districts.

- A proposal that makes changes in the original bill or a substitute amendment.

- Senate Joint Resolution, a draft of a resolution amending the Wisconsin Constitution, changing the Joint Rules of the Legislature, or expressing the opinion of the Legislature by commending a person or event. This type of proposal originates in the Senate but requires adoption by both the Senate and the Assembly. However, constitutional amendments need to be adopted by two consecutive legislatures in identical form to become law.

[ Back to Top ]

- Senate Resolution, a draft of a resolution changing the rules of the Senate, or expressing the opinion of the Senate by commending a person or event. This type of proposal originates in the Senate and needs to be adopted only by the Senate.

- Standing committees carry on much of the work of each house in the Legislature. Each legislator is assigned to several committees in his or her own house and, in addition, may serve on one or more joint committees.

- An amendment that completely rewrites and replaces a proposed piece of legislation.

- To uphold the governor's position when all or part of a bill of bill is vetoed.

- An element of parliamentary procedure that permits a body to lay a question aside temporarily and attend to other business.

-  If the Governor disagrees with a measure passed by the Legislature, he or she may reject, or veto it.

[ Back to Top ]