Kansas Politics Glossary

As with many industries, politics and the legislative process has its own special vocabulary. If you’ve ever wondered what people mean when they say Sine Dai or Engrossed Bill or “The Line,” this page is the resource for you!

A

Adjournment

The formal end of a legislative session or meeting. Sine die (Latin for "without day") refers to the final adjournment of a session without setting a date to reconvene.

Amendment

A proposed change to a bill or resolution. Amendments can be made in committee or on the floor of the House or Senate.

Appropriations

The legal authorization for state government to spend money. The Appropriations Committee in the House and the Ways and Means Committee in the Senate oversee budgetary matters.

B

Bill

A proposal for a new law or a change to an existing law. Bills are introduced in either the House or Senate and must pass both chambers to become law. (Hot tip: BillBee.ai retrieves and summarizes all bills proposed in the Kansas legislature.)

Bicameral

A legislature with two chambers. The Kansas Legislature consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Budget Bill

Legislation that allocates state funds for government programs and services. The Kansas budget is developed annually.

C

Caucus

A meeting of members of a political party or faction within the Legislature to discuss strategy, policy positions, or upcoming votes. (e.g., the Republican Caucus)

Chamber

Refers to either the House of Representatives or the Senate as a legislative body.

Committee of the Whole

A procedural move where the entire House or Senate meets as a single committee to debate and amend legislation before a final vote.

D

District

A geographic area represented by a legislator. Kansas has 125 House districts and 40 Senate districts.

Division Vote

A method of voting where members stand to indicate their position, often used when a voice vote is unclear.

E

Effective Date

The date when a law officially goes into effect, typically upon publication in the Kansas Register or on a specified future date.

Engrossed Bill

A bill that has been passed by one chamber with amendments incorporated.

F

Filibuster

A prolonged debate used to delay or block legislation. The Kansas Senate has rules that allow for extended debate but not unlimited filibusters like in the U.S. Senate.

Fiscal Note

An estimate of the financial impact a bill will have on state revenues or expenditures, prepared by legislative staff.

G

Gallery

The seating area in the House or Senate chamber where the public can observe legislative proceedings.

General Orders

The stage in the legislative process where bills are debated and amended before a final vote in the House or Senate.

H

Hearing

A public meeting where legislators gather testimony from experts, advocates, and the public on a bill or issue.

Hopper

The box where legislators place bills to be introduced for consideration.

I

Interim Committee

A legislative committee that meets between regular sessions to study issues and make policy recommendations.

Introduced Bill

A bill that has been formally submitted for consideration in the House or Senate.

J

Joint Committee

A committee with members from both the House and Senate that addresses specific issues.

Journal

The official record of daily legislative proceedings.

L

Lame Duck Session

A session held after an election but before newly elected officials take office.

Line-Item Veto

The Governor’s power to veto specific provisions (usually spending items) in a bill without rejecting the entire measure.

The Line

A reference to how bills are scheduled for debate in the Kansas Legislature. ”Above the Line” means a bill is scheduled for floor debate and is likely to be considered by the full chamber. ”Below the Line” refers to bills that are not yet scheduled for debate and may not receive a vote unless moved up by legislative leadership.

M

Majority Leader

The elected leader of the majority party in the House or Senate, responsible for setting the legislative agenda.

Minority Report

A report from members of a committee who disagree with the majority's recommendation on a bill.

O

Omnibus Bill

A large bill that combines multiple unrelated measures, often used for budget legislation.

Order of Business

The established sequence in which legislative activities are conducted during a session.

P

Parliamentary Inquiry

A question raised by a legislator regarding procedural rules.

Prefiling

The submission of a bill before the Legislature officially convenes for the session.

Pro Tempore (Pro Tem)

A legislator elected to serve as presiding officer in the absence of the Speaker of the House or President of the Senate.

R

Reading

A formal stage of bill consideration. Bills typically go through three readings before passage.

Reapportionment

The redrawing of legislative district boundaries based on population changes after the U.S. Census. Reapportionment occurs once per decade.

Reconciliation

A process used to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a bill.

S

Sine Die

Latin for "without a day." Refers to the final adjournment of a legislative session.

Speaker of the House

The presiding officer of the Kansas House of Representatives, elected by the majority party.

Special Session

A legislative session convened outside the regular schedule, usually by the Governor or legislative leadership.

T

Turnaround

The deadline in the Kansas Legislature, typically in late February, by which most bills must be passed out of their chamber of origin to remain eligible for consideration, except for those from exempt committees.

V

Veto

The Governor’s rejection of a bill. A two-thirds vote in both chambers is required to override a veto.

Voice Vote

A method of voting where legislators verbally express "aye" or "nay," with no individual record of votes.

W

Whip

A legislator responsible for party discipline and vote counting.

Ways and Means Committee

The Senate committee responsible for budgetary and fiscal matters.

This glossary is a living document and will be updated as needed to reflect changes in Kansas politics and legislative terminology.