Glossary

A vote to end debate and vote immediately on the question in front of the House — usually the “rule” that sets how a bill will be debated.

The vote on passing the bill in the House. A majority of those voting decides it; a tie loses.

A vote to adopt a House resolution. Many are “special rules” — titled “Providing for consideration of…” — and adopting one sets the terms for debating a bill; it does not pass that bill.

A fast-track vote: the House sets aside its usual procedure and acts on the bill directly. It needs two-thirds of those voting, not a simple majority.

A vote, just before passage, on sending the bill back to committee instead of passing it now. It is offered by an opponent of the bill.

A vote to take a bill away from a committee that has not acted on it and bring it to the floor. It reaches a vote only after a majority of the whole House has signed a petition.

A vote on accepting the changes the Senate made to a bill the House had passed. If the House agrees, both chambers have passed the same text.

A vote to override a presidential veto. It needs two-thirds of each chamber; if both reach it, the bill becomes law without the President's signature.

How the vote was taken: every member's position was recorded by name. The two terms differ in how the vote was demanded, not in what it shows.

A recorded vote on a question that needed two-thirds of those voting to pass, not a simple majority — most often a motion to suspend the rules.

A vote to override a presidential veto. It needs two-thirds of each chamber; if both reach it, the bill becomes law without the President's signature.

A vote to end debate. It needs three-fifths of all senators — 60 when every seat is filled — so a measure with majority support can still be held up without it.

A vote on whether the Senate takes up a bill at all. A simple majority adopts it — but because it can usually be debated without limit, a cloture vote often comes first.

A vote to set the amendment or motion aside without debate. Read it backwards: a Yea to table an amendment is a vote to reject that amendment.

A vote on whether to add the amendment named on this page to the bill or resolution. It changes the text; it does not pass the bill.

The vote on passing the bill or joint resolution in the Senate. Both kinds go to the President if both chambers pass them in the same form.

The bill missed a deadline — for a committee to act on it, or for a final vote — and was automatically sent back to the Rules Committee. Most bills that reach this point go no further.

The House had not met for 31 days in a row, so every bill still pending was automatically sent back to the Rules Committee. It says nothing about this bill in particular.

This line is about an amendment, not the bill. When a bill is sent back to the Rules Committee, its pending amendments go with it.

Routine: every bill and every amendment filed in the House goes to the Rules Committee first, which decides where it goes next.

The bill was formally read, by title, for the first of the three times the Constitution requires in each chamber. Routine: it then goes to the Rules Committee (House) or Assignments (Senate).

The bill's second formal reading. In the House this is the stage at which floor amendments can be adopted; the vote on the bill comes at Third Reading.

The bill is now listed on the chamber's daily calendar at the stage named, so it can be taken up there. Being on the calendar does not mean it will be called.

The vote on passing the bill in this chamber. It passes only with a majority of all members elected — 60 in the House, 30 in the Senate — not just of those voting.

A vote on accepting changes the other chamber made to this chamber's bill. If both chambers agree on the same text, the bill has passed the General Assembly.

The bill passed the chamber it started in and has been delivered to the other one, where it starts again: three readings, a committee, and a vote.

The House Rules Committee voted to send this bill or amendment to the House floor, where it can now be taken up. The numbers are the committee's vote.

The Speaker moved this bill's deadline for a final vote to the date shown, so it was not automatically sent back to the Rules Committee when the original deadline passed.

Both chambers have passed the same text. The bill now goes to the Governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature.

The bill has been presented to the Governor, who has 60 calendar days to act. If the Governor does nothing in that time, it becomes law anyway.

The Governor signed the bill, so it is now law. When it takes effect is a separate date.

The bill became law and was given a Public Act number. In “Public Act 104-0613”, 104 is the General Assembly that passed it.

The day the new law starts to apply. Unless a bill says otherwise, one passed before June 1 takes effect on January 1 of the next year.

The chamber adopted this resolution. A resolution is not a law: it states the chamber's position, honors someone, or directs its own business, and it does not go to the Governor.

Both chambers adopted this joint resolution. It is not a law and does not go to the Governor; a proposed amendment to the Illinois Constitution adopted this way goes to the voters instead.

The bill was not reported out of committee by the Senate's deadline, so it was automatically sent back to the Committee on Assignments. Most bills that reach this point go no further.

The Senate had not met for 31 days in a row, so everything still pending was automatically sent back to the Committee on Assignments. It says nothing about this bill in particular.

Routine: every bill and every floor amendment in the Senate goes to the Committee on Assignments first, which decides where it goes next.

The bill was formally read, by title, for the first of the three times the Constitution requires in each chamber. Routine: it then goes to the Rules Committee (House) or Assignments (Senate).

The bill's second formal reading. In the House this is the stage at which floor amendments can be adopted; the vote on the bill comes at Third Reading.

The bill is now listed on the chamber's daily calendar at the stage named, so it can be taken up there. Being on the calendar does not mean it will be called.

The vote on passing the bill in this chamber. It passes only with a majority of all members elected — 60 in the House, 30 in the Senate — not just of those voting.

A vote on accepting changes the other chamber made to this chamber's bill. If both chambers agree on the same text, the bill has passed the General Assembly.

The bill passed the chamber it started in and has been delivered to the other one, where it starts again: three readings, a committee, and a vote.

The Senate Committee on Assignments cleared this amendment, motion or report for a vote on the Senate floor. Without that approval the Senate may not consider it.

The Senate President set this bill's deadline — for a committee to report it, or for a final vote — to the date shown. A bill that misses a committee deadline goes back to Assignments.

Both chambers have passed the same text. The bill now goes to the Governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature.

The bill has been presented to the Governor, who has 60 calendar days to act. If the Governor does nothing in that time, it becomes law anyway.

The Governor signed the bill, so it is now law. When it takes effect is a separate date.

The bill became law and was given a Public Act number. In “Public Act 104-0613”, 104 is the General Assembly that passed it.

The day the new law starts to apply. Unless a bill says otherwise, one passed before June 1 takes effect on January 1 of the next year.

The chamber adopted this resolution. A resolution is not a law: it states the chamber's position, honors someone, or directs its own business, and it does not go to the Governor.

Both chambers adopted this joint resolution. It is not a law and does not go to the Governor; a proposed amendment to the Illinois Constitution adopted this way goes to the voters instead.