GLOSSARY. Legislative bill drafters are known to use esoteric terms, jargon if you will, which are not always familiar to the

GLOSSARY Legislative bill drafters are known to use esoteric terms, jargon if you will, which are not always familiar to the uninitiated. The glossary which follows is an attempt to explain just what these people are talking about. Please notice, however, that this listing is primarily intended to supplement, and not duplicate, material found throughout this booklet. Terms which have more to do with legislative procedure than bill drafting per se are not covered. A glossary of these terms is included in material regularly published by the Office of the Clerk, Florida House of Representatives. 156

Act An act is a bill which has been approved by both houses of the Legislature and has become a law either with or without the Governor's signature. The acts adopted by each session of the Legislature are annually published in the bound volumes Laws of Florida. Acts of general application are compiled, edited, and published annually in the multivolume set Florida Statutes which the Legislature periodically reenacts as the official statute law of the state. Backs The colored jackets and folders that are attached to copies of proposed legislation in order to put them in proper form for introduction. Bubble Either of the two glass enclosed areas which flank the entrance at the rear of the chamber of the House of Representatives. Bubble people The glassy-eyed occupants of the southwest bubble, who are in reality mild-mannered staff persons from the House Bill Drafting Service. By request This designation is sometimes seen following the name of the sponsor of a particular bill. It is usually in parentheses and indicates that the member has introduced the bill at the request of a constituent, a governmental agency, or 157

an organization, and not necessarily on the member s own initiative. CAS Abbreviation for Chamber Automation System, the computer-generated system that displays amendments to bills currently under consideration on the floor of the House and Senate. "CS" Abbreviation for Committee Substitute and Council Substitute. Calendar The calendar is a published agenda of the order of business for the legislative day. Each house issues a calendar which contains a listing of all proposed legislation which has been reported favorably by each committee and is awaiting consideration on the floor of the respective house. Chapter law When an individual bill is enacted into law at a particular session of the Legislature it becomes a chapter law, so called because of the identifying number assigned to it, such as chapter 98-403 or 2000-178. Chapter laws are collected and published annually in the Laws of Florida. The substance of most general chapter laws is subsequently merged into the next edition of the Florida Statutes. 158

Citation As it relates to bill drafting, a citation is a specific reference to a section, subsection, or paragraph of the law (e.g., s. 11.242, Florida Statutes, or section 1 of chapter 94-85, Laws of Florida) or to another portion of the bill itself (e.g., section 5). Claim bill A claim bill, or "relief act," is a bill which compensates a particular individual or entity for injuries or losses which were occasioned by the negligence or error of a public officer or agency. It is a means by which an injured party may recover damages even though the public officer or agency involved may be immune from attack by an ordinary lawsuit. Clerk's manual The guidebook published every two years by the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives which contains pictures and biographical information about each member of the House and Senate and lists committee and council membership, phone numbers, and other useful information. Coding The underlining of proposed language and the striking through with hyphens of language in the present law, which is required in general bills, local bills, and joint resolutions by the House and Senate Rules, is often referred to as coding. 159

Committee substitute and council substitute A bill which a committee or council itself prepares and recommends in lieu of a bill originally referred to the committee or council for study and which embraces the same general subject matter as the original bill. Amendment of a bill at a committee or council meeting commonly prompts a motion that the resulting bill be regenerated, in a form which incorporates the amendments, as a committee substitute or council substitute. Companion bill When copies of the same bill are pending in both houses of the Legislature, they are referred to as companion bills. Bills must be substantially worded the same and identical as to specific intent and purpose in order to be considered as companions. Conference committee An ad hoc committee composed of members of both the House and the Senate appointed by the respective presiding officers for the sole purpose of resolving the differences between two different versions of the same bill which each house has indicated a desire to enact into law. Cut-off date The date provided by the House or Senate rules after which no further bills or joint resolutions may be introduced by a member. The phrase may also refer to the last day upon which the House Bill Drafting Service will accept requests to prepare legislation. 160

Directory (See pages 36 and 77) Draft number The number which appears in the upper left-hand corner of any bill prepared by either the House or Senate drafting service. Enacting clause The phrase "Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:" which appears between the title and body of every bill and which is required to be there by the Florida Constitution. Engrossed bill A bill which, in accordance with rules of the respective houses, has been regenerated to include any amendments that may have been adopted by vote of the membership on the House or Senate floor. Enrolled bill The final official form of a bill after having passed both houses and after having amendments of both houses, if any, engrossed into it. It is in this form that the bill is presented to the legislative officers and the Governor for signature. First reading This occurs when a bill is officially introduced into one of the houses of the Legislature and its title is published in the Journal. Since the amendment to Section 7 of Article III of the State Constitution in 1980, it is no longer 161

required that the reading clerk actually read the bill. The publication of "first reading" in the Journal also shows the committee or committees to which the presiding officer has referred the bill and any council references given. F.S. Abbreviation for Florida Statutes. Grandfather clause A provision that allows an exemption to a newly enacted requirement based upon a preexisting condition. It is most often used in legislation which regulates a profession or occupation; for example, an existing practitioner in a profession being regulated for the first time might be exempted from licensing requirements. Section 468.805, Florida Statutes, is an example. Interim The period of time between regular sessions of the Legislature. ITMS (Integrated Text Management System) This is the name of the mainframe computer program which, through the legislative computer maintained by the Office of Legislative Information Technology Services (OLITS), serves the various functions of the legislative process, including bill and amendment drafting. Jackets (See Backs) 162

Journal The official record of legislative proceedings. Each house issues a journal on a daily basis during the session and later a corrected bound volume of the entire session's proceedings. Journals of the Florida Legislature report only formal actions and do not include debate. Legal Research and Drafting Services of the Office of the Secretary of the Senate Senate Bill Drafting. Legislative Intranet The Florida Legislature s electronic repository for a variety of legislative information, including: House and Senate Rules; calendars; journals; administrative policies and procedures; session summaries; member and staff directories; Bill Information Citator ; lobbyist directory; online training registration; training calendars; Search and Browse program. Local bill See discussion under SPECIAL ACTS on page 9. Online Sunshine The official Internet site of the Florida Legislature, which provides: electronic access to the Florida Statutes and Constitution; member and committee information for the House and Senate; press releases; House and Senate Bills; search capability for bill texts; calendars; journals; Bill Information Citator ; subject index for bills; sponsor reports 163

by member; links to other legislative and state government sites. PCB A bill developed by a committee is a "committee bill." Prior to a bill being formally introduced as a committee bill, it is known as a proposed committee bill (PCB). PCS A proposed committee substitute or proposed council substitute, prepared by committee or council staff prior to the date the bill for which it will be offered as a substitute is heard by the committee. Prefiling The filing of bills by members with the Clerk of the House or Secretary of the Senate prior to the convening of the legislative session. Such bills are referred to committees meeting in the interim and are often ready for floor action by the first day of session. Preliminary draft A term employed primarily by the House Bill Drafting Service which essentially means "rough draft" or "first draft." It is a bill which is in technically complete form, but which is presented to a member for consideration and approval prior to being duplicated and jacketed for actual introduction. 164

Printed bill A photo-reduced printed version of a bill which is pending in the Legislature. These are the small 6" x 9" copies of bills, perforated with binder holes, which include a legislative summary of the bill's contents at the end. Copies of original House bills are tan; original Senate bills are white. Copies of House committee substitutes are blue; Senate committee substitutes are pink. Proof of publication A notarized statement which contains a copy of a newspaper advertisement indicating an intention to seek legislative approval of a special or local bill. Such a statement accompanies the bill when introduced and proves that the bill was advertised in advance as required by law. Reviser's bill A reviser's bill is a nonsubstantive bill passed by the Legislature for the purpose of removing inconsistencies, redundancies, and unnecessary repetitions in the Florida Statutes and for otherwise improving their clarity and facilitating their correct and proper interpretation. A reviser's bill is to be accompanied by revision and history notes, commonly called reviser's notes, which explain the changes being made in the statutes and the reasons therefor. A bill is not a "reviser's bill" simply because it may contain the explanatory comments of the sponsor. The only official reviser's bills are those prepared by the staff of the Division 165

of Statutory Revision of the Office of Legislative Services under the authority of s. 11.242, Florida Statutes. Search and Browse The browser-based search engine available on the Legislative Intranet which enables legislative staff to conduct simple and complex searches of: the Florida Statutes, Florida Statutes Index, Tracing Table, Table of Section Changes, Cross-References Table, and Table of Repealed and Transferred Sections; The Florida Constitution and Florida Constitution Index; current-year Laws of Florida and Laws of Florida Index; current-year House and Senate Enrolled Acts; the U.S. Constitution and U.S. Constitution Index; opinions; Title 3 of the U.S. Code. Session laws The Laws of Florida, a set of bound volumes, published each year, which contains the annual work product (acts, resolutions, and memorials) of the Legislature. Sponsor A member who introduces a bill into the Legislature, or any one of a number of members whose signatures appear as cointroducers of a bill. Statutory Revision The editorial staff which compiles and publishes the official Florida Statutes every year. The Division of Statutory Revision operates under the authority of s. 11.242, Florida Statutes. 166

Summary The brief description of the contents of a proposed bill, which is prepared for House and Senate bills by the respective drafting services and which appears at the end of each printed bill. Sunset A term which was used in the past to refer to the Regulatory Sunset Act (repealed in 1993) and is now incorrectly used in legislative vernacular to refer to the repeal of an act, section, or subdivision of a section. A person who wishes to sunset a provision in 2010 actually wants to repeal the provision in that year. Technical amendment Strictly speaking, this is an amendment submitted on a special amendment form, which is used in the House of Representatives to make technical amendments of a purely nonsubstantive nature. Such amendments are prepared by the House Bill Drafting Service and may only be introduced in the name of the Procedural and Redistricting Council. Amendments are sometimes introduced by members which are characterized as technical or "corrective" amendments, but these amendments are not submitted on the special technical amendment forms. Title amendment An amendment to the title of a bill. Title amendments are often necessary to conform the title to the 167

contents of the bill after an amendment to the bill itself has made a substantial change in the effect of its provisions. Traveling with the bill A phrase used to refer to an amendment or amendments to a bill which have been adopted in committee or council but have not been engrossed into the bill, and which instead accompany the bill to the House floor to be voted on by the House. 168

INDEX Act Glossary....................... 157 Administrative provisions Generally...................... 72 Advertisement........................ 9 Local bills, sample notice.............. 11 Age Specifying...................... 93 Amendment Coding........................ 35 Consecutive sections................. 84 Cross references................ 40, 70-71 Final checklist................. 101-102 Florida Constitution................ 13-16 Florida Constitution, sample joint resolution.... 109 General bill, sample................. 107 Introductory paragraph................ 81 Quality control checklist.............. 75 Repeals..................... 41, 72 Session laws..................... 37 Splitting statute sections.............. 84 Statute catchline.................. 39 Statute subdivisions................ 80-81 Statute subdivisions, sample bill.......... 108 Statute text.................... 34-36 Subdivisions, adding................ 82-84 Substantial rewording................ 37 Amendments Generally.................. 22, 125-137 Title........................ 22 And Use of........................ 98 Appropriation section................... 51 Backs Glossary....................... 157 Ballot statement Constitutional amendment............... 14 Bill requests...................... 73-76 Bills with special requirements............. 52-57 Bubble Glossary....................... 157 By request Glossary....................... 157 Calendar Glossary....................... 158 Capitalization Cross references................... 90 169

Generally..................... 89-91 Catchline......................... 95 See Section heading................ 39 Ceremonial resolutions See Simple resolution.............. 17-19 Chamber Automation System (CAS)............. 125 Glosary....................... 158 Chapter law Amending...................... 78-79 Generally...................... 77 Glossary....................... 158 Checklists Drafting...................... 59-60 Final...................... 101-102 Quality control................... 75 Citations Final checklist................... 101 Glossary....................... 159 Claim bills Compensation...................... 6 Excess judgments.................... 6 Glossary....................... 159 Procedural matters................... 7 Clerk's manual Glossary....................... 159 Coding Appropriation section................ 51 Effective date.................... 39 Generally..................... 36-38 Glossary....................... 159 Local bills..................... 37 New language..................... 38 Repeal section................... 72-73 Session laws..................... 37 Underlining..................... 36 Committee substitute Bill jacket..................... 104 Glossary....................... 160 Companion bill Generally....................... 8 Glossary....................... 160 Concurrent resolution Generally...................... 19 Sample........................ 110 Title........................ 28 Conference committee Glossary....................... 160 Constitution, Florida Joint resolution................... 13 Constitutional requirements Advertising special acts................ 9 170

Amendment of statute text.............. 33 Bill structure and content.............. 76 Concurrent resolutions................ 20 Effective date.................. 42, 45 Enacting clause................... 33 General and special laws................ 2 Joint resolutions.................. 15 Local bill referenda................. 12 Notice, special acts.................. 9 Repeals....................... 41 Setting out in full................. 34 Severability clause................. 49 Special acts...................... 9 Subject....................... 28 Subject of bill................... 27 Title....................... 27-33 Council substitute.................... 25 Bill jacket..................... 104 Amendment to..................... 125 Glossary....................... 160 Created sections Generally...................... 70 Cross references Capitalization.................... 90 Draft preparation................ 70, 75 Final checklist................... 102 Repeals....................... 72 Statutory...................... 70 Cut-off date Glossary....................... 160 Dates Specifying...................... 93 Definitions Generally..................... 67-69 Directory amendment............... 23, 127, 137 Directory language Adding statute subdivisions............. 82 Amending chapter law................. 78 Amending consecutive sections........... 84-85 Amending statute subdivisions........... 80-82 Amending statute text.............. 36, 77 Creating statute sections.............. 86 Creating consecutive statute sections........ 87 Creating parts.................... 88 Creating statute chapters.............. 87 Effective date.................... 47 Final checklist................... 101 Generally..................... 35-36 Glossary....................... 161 Introductory paragraph................ 81 Renumbering statute subdivisions........... 84 171

Splitting statute sections.............. 84 Substantial rewording................ 37 Draft number Glossary....................... 161 Effective date Coding........................ 38 Constitutional amendment............... 16 Directory language.................. 47 Draft preparation.................. 76 Final checklist................... 102 Generally.................... 42-48 References...................... 71 Special considerations............ 43, 44, 45 Election Regular election................... 13 Special election................... 12 Enacting clause Constitutional requirements............. 33 Final checklist................... 101 Glossary....................... 161 Engrossed bill Glossary....................... 161 Enrolled bill Generally...................... 79 Glossary....................... 161 F.S. Glossary....................... 162 Felony penalty...................... 50 Final checklist Generally.................... 101-102 Findings and intent provisions............. 49 First reading Glossary....................... 161 Floor amendments See Amendments................... 22 Flush left........................ 96 Final checklist................. 101-102 Statute text..................... 34 Fractions Expressing...................... 94 General bills "Flush left" material................ 96 "May"........................ 94 "Shall"....................... 94 "Whereas" clauses.................. 48 Administrative provisions.............. 72 Age, specifying................... 93 Amendatory enactment................. 34 Amending chapter law................. 78 Amending session laws................ 37 Amending statute subdivisions........... 80-84 172

Amending statute subdivisions, sample........ 108 Appropriation section................ 51 Body of bill..................... 34 Capitalization................... 89-91 Checklist for preparation............ 58, 59 Coding........................ 36 Coding statute text................. 36 Concurrent resolution, sample............ 111 Creating consecutive statute sections........ 87 Creating new statute sections............ 86 Creating part of chapter............... 88 Creating statute chapter............... 87 Creating statute text.............. 83, 86 Cross references............. 40, 70, 73, 90 Dates, specifying.................. 93 Definitions.................... 67-69 Directory language........... 35-36, 47, 77-88 Effective date................... 42-48 Effective date references.............. 71 Final checklist................. 101-102 Format...................... 27, 35 Fractions, expressing................ 94 Germanity..................... 2, 35 House resolution of commendation, sample....... 110 Input........................ 103 Joint resolution proposing constitutional amendment, sample..................... 109 Memorial requesting Congressional action....... 112 New language..................... 38 Nonnumerical references............... 71 Numbering new statute sections............ 86 Numbers, expressing................. 94 Parallel expression................. 98 Penalty section.................. 50-51 Preparation.................... 58-76 Provisos....................... 69 Punctuation..................... 92 Repeals................... 41, 42, 72 Sample........................ 107 Severability clause................. 49 Short title..................... 52 Special session disclaimer.............. 80 Statute text, adding................. 82 Style and usage................... 89 Subdividing statute sections............. 95 Subdividing statute text............... 98 Subsections..................... 81 Substantial rewording of section........... 37 Time period, specifying............... 92 Title........................ 26 Underlining..................... 36 173

General bills Style and usage................. 89-100 General laws........................ 1 Constitutional requirements............ 2, 5 Local application................... 4 Population act..................... 5 General law of local application Constitutional requirements.............. 5 Population act..................... 5 Subject........................ 5 Glossary......................... 156 Grandfather clause Glossary....................... 162 House Resolution See Simple resolution............... 17 Interim Glossary....................... 162 Introductory language Statute text..................... 34 Introductory material Final checklist................... 102 Introductory paragraph Amending.................... 34, 81-82 Jacketing bill Generally................... 103, 104 Joint resolutions Ballot statement................... 14 Coding........................ 35 Constitutional amendment............... 13 Constitutional amendment, sample proposal...... 109 Generally..................... 13-17 Special election................... 15 Title........................ 29 Journal Glossary....................... 163 Laws of Florida See Session laws.................. 37 Legalese......................... 99 Local bill Advertisement..................... 9 Claim bills..................... 5-7 Coding........................ 38 General law of local application distinguished..... 5 Glossary....................... 163 Notice of legislation, sample............ 11 Referenda...................... 12 Referendum....................... 5 See Special acts................... 9 May Use of....................... 94-95 Memorial 174

Congressional action, sample memorial requesting... 112 Generally...................... 21 Title........................ 29 Misdemeanor penalty.................. 50-51 Multiple effective dates........... 46-47, 72, 134 Notice Effective date................... 42-43 Local bill advertisement, sample........... 11 Publication..................... 10 Special acts.................... 9-10 Subject....................... 29 Title....................... 28-30 Numbering Final checklist................... 102 Numbers Specifying...................... 94 One subject See Subject.................... 2-3 Online Sunshine...................... 138 Glossary....................... 163 Or Use of....................... 98-99 PCB (Proposed Committee Bill) Glossary....................... 164 PCS (Proposed Committee Substitute or Proposed Council Substitute) Glossary....................... 164 Penalty section Generally..................... 50-51 Plural.......................... 100 Population act....................... 5 See General law of local application........ 4-5 Prefiling Glossary....................... 164 Preliminary draft Glossary....................... 164 Present tense....................... 100 Printed bill Glossary....................... 165 Proof of publication Glossary....................... 165 Provisos Generally..................... 69-70 Publication Notice of local legislation, sample......... 11 Notice, special acts................ 9-10 Time, special acts.................. 10 Public necessity statement............... 55-57 Public records and public meetings exemptions...... 54-57 Punctuating subdivisions................. 97 Punctuation 175

Fractions...................... 94 Generally...................... 92 Numbers....................... 94 Parallel expression................. 98 Singular or plural.................. 100 Subdivisions..................... 97 Redesignating paragraphs............. 82-83, 142 Referenda Local bills.................... 12-13 Special acts..................... 10 Regular election Local bill referenda................. 13 Relief act See Claim bill................ 5-7, 159 Repeals Cross references................. 40, 73 Drafting....................... 72 Generally..................... 41-42 Resolving clause Generally...................... 33 Memorial....................... 21 Reviser s bill Glossary..................... 165-166 Sample bills Claim bill, general................. 113 Claim bill, local.................. 114 Concurrent resolution................ 111 General bill amending Florida Statutes........ 107 General bill amending subdivisions of Florida Statutes............... 108 Generally...................... 106 House resolution of commendation........... 110 Joint resolution proposing constitutional amendment. 109 Memorial requesting Congressional action....... 112 Notice of local legislation............. 11 Search and Browse.............. 40, 70-71, 75, 78 Glossary....................... 166 Section heading..................... 39-40 Section numbers Generally...................... 86 Session laws Amending...................... 35-36 Coding........................ 36 Glossary....................... 166 Setting forth {showing} statute text........... 34 Severability clause................... 49-50 Shall Use of........................ 94 Short title........................ 52 Simple resolution "Whereas" clauses................. 48-49 176

Ceremonial..................... 17-19 Generally...................... 17 House resolution of commendation, sample....... 110 Purpose....................... 17 Title........................ 29 Single subject See Subject.................... 2-3 Singular......................... 100 Sovereign immunity See Claim bills................... 6 Special acts Advertisement................... 9-10 Constitutional requirements............ 9-10 Criteria........................ 9 Generally..................... 9-13 Notice........................ 10 Notice of local legislation, sample......... 11 Subject........................ 9 Title........................ 28 Special election Joint resolutions.................. 15 Local bill referenda................ 12-13 Special session disclaimer................ 80 Sponsors Bill jacket................... 103-104 Cosponsor...................... 105 Glossary....................... 166 Statute text "And"....................... 98-99 "Flush left".................... 96-97 "May"....................... 94-95 "Or"........................ 98-99 "Shall"....................... 94 Adding subdivisions................ 82-83 Administrative provisions.............. 72 Age......................... 93 Amending...................... 77-85 Amendment..................... 34-35 Capitalization................... 89-91 Chapter law.................... 78-80 Citation....................... 78 Coding........................ 36 Consecutive sections, amending........... 84-85 Creating...................... 86-88 Creating chapters.................. 87 Creating consecutive sections............ 87 Creating, generally................ 86-87 Creating parts.................... 88 Creating sections and section numbers........ 70 Cross references................. 40, 70 Dates........................ 93 177

Definitions.................... 67-69 Drafting checklist................. 59-60 Effective date................... 42-45 Effective date references............. 71-72 Enrolled bill................... 79-80 Final checklist................. 101-102 Flush left...................... 34 Fractions, expressing................ 94 General bill amending subdivisions, sample...... 108 General bill amending, sample............ 107 Introductory language................ 34 Introductory paragraph............... 81-82 Legalese....................... 99 New language.................... 38-39 Numbering sections................. 86-87 Numbers, expressing................. 94 Parallel expression................. 98 Plural or singular.................. 100 Present tense.................... 100 Provisos...................... 69-70 Punctuation..................... 92 Quality control checklist............. 75-76 Repeals.................. 41-42, 72-73 Section heading.................. 39-40 Setting forth.................... 34 Sources...................... 77-80 Splitting into multiple sections........... 84 Style and usage................... 89 Subdividing.................... 95-98 Subdivisions, amending............... 80-81 Subsections, renumbering............... 82 Substantial rewording.............. 37, 39 Time, expressing................... 92 Title................... 27-28, 66-67 Statutory Revision.................. 70, 78 Glossary....................... 166 Style and usage...................... 89 "And"....................... 98-99 "Flush left".................... 96-97 "May"....................... 94-95 "Or"........................ 98-99 "Shall"....................... 94 Legalese....................... 99 Parallel expression................. 98 Plural........................ 100 Present tense.................... 100 Singular....................... 100 Subdividing statute text.............. 95-98 Subject Constitutional requirements......... 2-3, 27, 29 General law of local application........... 4-5 178

Germanity.................... 2-3, 35 Notice........................ 29 Single or one subject................ 2-3 Special acts...................... 9 Title.................... 2-3, 27-33 Substantial rewording Generally...................... 37 Summary Glossary....................... 167 Technical amendment.................... 143 Glossary....................... 167 Terminology...................... 157-168 Text Setting forth.................... 34 Time period Specifying...................... 92 Title Amending statute subdivisions............ 81 Amending statute text............... 77-85 Amendment..................... 22-23 Ballot........................ 14 Bill jacket................... 103-104 Concurrent resolution................ 29 Constitutional requirements............ 2, 28 Creating consecutive statute sections........ 87 Creating parts.................... 88 Creating statute chapters.............. 87 Creating statute text............... 86-88 Defective..................... 28-29 Directories..................... 76 Final checklist................... 101 Generally..................... 27-33 Germanity...................... 35 Joint resolution................... 29 Memorial....................... 29 Notice....................... 28-30 Preparation.................... 66-67 Resolutions..................... 29 Simple resolution.................. 29 Single subject.................... 35 Special acts................... 10, 28 Subject................... 2-3, 27-33 Subsections, adding................. 82 Sufficiency.................... 28-31 Title amendment Glossary..................... 167-168 Traveling with the bill Glossary....................... 168 Trust fund bills.................... 52-54 Typing or input Generally...................... 103 179

Whereas clauses................. 48-49, 142 180