Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Other Legislative Lingo 1st Floor—Generally refers to the governor's office, which is located on the first floor of the capitol building 2nd reading—The time when a bill is being considered by the committee of the whole of either legislative chamber. (See also Glossary of Legislative Terms) 3rd reading—The time when a bill is being considered by the entire legislative chamber for final passage. (See also Glossary of Legislative Terms) Annex—The State Annex Building, 1375 Sherman Street, where the Office of Legislative Legal Services, the State Auditor’s Office, and part of the Legislative Council Staff are housed. Billback—Colored stock paper (green for the House, beige for the Senate) enclosing a bill, which bears the bill number, sponsor, and dated history of the bill's action through the legislative process. Billpaper—Final version of bill that's ready for introduction. Chamber—Room in which the Senate or the House of Representatives meets. CDC—Capital Development Committee Chief Clerk of the House—The Chief administrative officer of the House of Representatives. Circle Parking (or "The Circle")—The parking lot surrounding the capitol. COLS—Committee on Legal Services, which is the joint legislative committee that oversees the Office of Legislative Legal Services. Conference Committee—Assigned members from each legislative chamber who meet to work out language acceptable to both chambers on a measure. A conference committee is appointed if a measure is amended in the second house and the first house refuses the second house amendments and asks for appointment of the conference committee. Conforming amendments—Amendments made to old law to make it conform or be consistent with the new law. Co-prime—Additional prime sponsor of the bill. There may be no more than two co-prime sponsors on any bill. Also referred to as “joint prime.” Co-sponsor—Sponsors who "sign on" after third reading of the bill with their endorsement of the bill. COW—Committee of the Whole. When either legislative chamber meets to debate bills calendared for second reading, the chamber is acting as a committee of the whole. Delayed Bill Form (Late bill form)—Form attached to bills ready for introduction that the Senate or House Committee on Delayed Bills has approved for a delayed introduction date or for a bill that exceeds a legislator's five-bill limit. Division (head count vote)—On second reading in the committee of the whole, a member may call for this type of vote, which means a standing count is taken of ayes and noes instead of a voice vote. Floor—House or Senate chamber. Floor Work—Legislative business conducted in the House or Senate, including second and third reading of bills. HCR—House Committee Room or House Concurrent Resolution (depends on context) IP—Introductory portion to a statutory section JBC—Joint Budget Committee. Joint Prime—Additional prime sponsor of the bill. There may be no more than two joint prime sponsors on any bill and joint prime sponsorship counts against a legislator’s five bill limit. Sometimes referred to as “co-prime.” LAC—Legislative Audit Committee LCS—Legislative Council Staff. LIS—Legislative Information Services L/O—Indicates that a bill or resolution has been laid over to later in the calendar or to another day Long Bill—The annual appropriations bill that allocates funding for state departments LSB—Legislative Services Building (south of the capitol - the old state museum) Memorial—Nonstatutory legislative document that expresses one legislative chamber's sympathy on the death of certain persons or requests the United States Congress to take a certain action. Old State Library—Original State Library on the second floor of the Capitol, numbered as Room 271 and used as a committee hearing room and meeting space for large groups. Old Supreme Court—Original Supreme Court chambers on the second floor of the Capitol, which is used as a committee hearing room and meeting space for large groups. OLLS or LLS—Office of Legislative Legal Services OSA—Office of the State Auditor PERA—Public Employees' Retirement Association PI—Postpone indefinitely (used in committee hearings) Prime—Prime sponsor of bill Resolution—Nonstatutory legislative document considered by a chamber that pertains to the transaction of the business of that chamber, establishes investigating committees composed of members of that chamber, or expresses the will or sentiment of that chamber on any matter. Safety Clause—The clause at the end of a bill that identifies the bill as necessary for the public peace, health, and safety and therefore exempt from the people's power of referendum. SCR—Senate Committee Room or Senate Concurrent Resolution (depends on context) SEBEC/Strike Below—"Strike everything below the enacting clause"- an amendment to a bill that deletes the entire contents of the bill and substitutes different language. Sergeant-at-arms—Persons who provide security and enforce House and Senate decorum. Sergeant delivery—Billback delivery from OLLS to a Sergeant-at-arms, who will deliver the billback directly to the bill sponsor (the bill sponsor must then submit the billback to the front desk so the bill can be introduced). Session Laws—Compilation of laws passed during a legislative session. Found in tan books or online. Settled question—House of Representatives' rule that once a question has been "settled" by the House of Representatives body, it cannot be given further consideration except through formal reconsideration. Sponsor—Additional sponsors of the bill who "sign on" before bill introduction and who are secondary to prime or joint prime sponsors. SRC—Statutory Revision Committee State Affairs—State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee (in the Senate) or State, Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee (in the House) TABOR—Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, article X, section 20 of the Colorado Constitution TLRC—Transportation Legislation Review Committee Tribute—Nonlegislative action that does not require introduction or floor action. Tributes usually take the form of expressing the congratulations, recognition, appreciation, greetings, or sentiment of the General Assembly. The well—In the House or Senate chamber, the area between the front desk and the first row of members' desks where the podium is located. WRARC—Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee
