THE WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE

Washington has a bicameral legislature of members of the House both during which convenes in regular session annu- the duration of session and the interim ally. Regular sessions begin the second between sessions. In the event of illness, Monday in January of each year and are death, or inability to act, the Speaker constitutionally limited to 105 days dur- Pro Tempore, who is also elected at the ing odd numbered years and 60 days in commencement of each regular session even years. Special sessions are called shall hold office during all sessions until by the Governor’s proclamation in which the convening of the succeeding regular reason for the call must be stated, or by a session. two-thirds vote of the Legislature. Chief Clerk: The Chief Clerk of the The Senate has 49 members and there House, like the Secretary of the Senate, are 98 representatives in the House. Dis- is an administrative officer. Neither is a tricts from which legislators are elected member of the Legislature, but both are are subject to redistricting and reappor- the Senate; has charge of and sees that elected by the bodies. The Chief Clerk tionment on the basis of population after all officers, attaches, and clerks perform selects and removes employees with each decennial census. their duties. These duties are prescribed approval of the Speaker of the House, State Representatives are elected to a by rules of the Senate, and pass, in the supervises preparation of the journal, two-year term and all Representatives absence of the President, to the Presi- performs other duties of this office, and stand for re-election at the general elec- dent Pro Tempore, who is elected by is responsible at all times for the acts of tion held in even-numbered years. Mem- fellow Senators. The Senate also elects assistants. bers of the State Senate are elected for a Vice President Pro Tempore to serve four-year staggered terms with about one in the absence of the President Pro Tem- Deputy Chief Clerk: The Deputy Chief half of the membership being up for re- pore, in the event the Lieutenant Gover- Clerk is elected by the House and assists election at general election in even-num- nor may be acting as Governor. the Chief Clerk in all duties. In the event bered years. You can find out precisely Other Legislative Officers: All other of the death, illness, or inability of the who is up for re-election in the Senate officers are elected in each house by its Chief Clerk to act, the Deputy Chief Clerk on the Legislature’s website at www.leg. members. In the Senate, the President Pro shall assume duties and powers of the wa.gov/senate/senators. As provided by Tempore, Vice President Pro Tempore, Chief Clerk. the State Constitution, each house is the Secretary of the Senate, and Sergeant at Sergeant at Arms: The Sergeant at Arms judge of the election and qualifications of Arms are elected immediately after the is elected by the body to administer its own members. oath of office is administered to the mem- services and security needs of the mem- The Legislature is the branch of gov- bers, roll is called, and temporary rules bers. It is his or her specific duty to keep ernment which establishes governmental have been adopted. At the same time, order, to summon members to their seats policy and determines services people the House of Representatives elects the upon call of the House or Senate, and to want and need from government. Thus Speaker of the House, Speaker Pro Tem- see that the legislative premises are kept the Legislature, as the policy forming rep- pore, Chief Clerk, Assistant Chief Clerk, clean and comfortable. The Sergeant at resentative of the people, fulfills its part in and Sergeant at Arms. Arms also supervises all other support the American system of government. Secretary of the Senate: The Secretary of services persons: tour guides, garage, Officers of the Legislature the Senate is the administrative officer of parking, shuttle bus, cafeteria, pages, the Senate. He or she selects and removes door keepers and building security per- With the exception of the Lieutenant sons. Governor, who serves as the President employees, subject to approval of the Sen- ate, supervises all procedural details, and of the Senate, the Constitution pro- The Committee System vides that each house shall elect its own performs other duties of the office during With the introduction of well over a officers. As President of the Senate, the the session and until the election of a suc- thousand bills during a regular legislative Lieutenant Governor presides over the cessor at the next session. session, and the limited time for consid- Senate, and the Constitution gives him Speaker of the House: Duties of the eration, it would be an almost impossible the deciding vote in the case of an equal Speaker of the House include presiding task for the entire legislative body to give division of the members on a question, over the House, preserving order and proper consideration and study to each except on final passage of a bill; has the decorum, referring bills to committees, proposed piece of legislation in detail. right to name any Senator to perform the speaking to points of order, deciding Therefore, the committee system has duties of the chair in the absence of the questions of order, naming any member been developed to facilitate the detailed President Pro Tempore; preserves order, to perform the duties of the chair dur- study of bills. The entire body of each controls the chamber and lobby, signs ing a temporary absence, appointing all house is divided into small groups or in open session all acts and resolutions; standing and special committees, signing committees, each of which has a special decides all questions of order without all bills, resolutions and memorials in field, and each of which considers pro- debate. The Lieutenant Governor may open session and, when necessary, sign- posed legislation dealing with particular speak to points of order in preference ing all acts, orders and proceedings of subjects falling within the purview of the to members, and signs all writs, war- the House. He or she also performs such committee. The same rules of procedure rants, and subpoenas issued by order of other duties as may be assigned by action that govern the conduct of business in the House and Senate apply where appli- House Order of Business: Business shall Bills, Resolutions cable in committee meetings, where the be disposed of in the following order: and Memorials chair or, in his or her absence, the vice 1. Roll Call, Presentation of Colors, A bill is a written proposal to enact a chair presides. Prayer, and Approval of the Journal of law. It may propose to enact an entirely After a bill is introduced and read the the preceding day. new law or make an addition to change first time, it is assigned to an appropriate 2. Introduction of Visiting Dignitaries. an existing statute in order to add clar- committee by the President of the Sen- ity. It may correct an error in statute, ate or the Speaker of the House. When 3. Messages from the Senate, Governor, or adjust it to changing circumstances. the bill is reported out of committee, the and other state officials. A bill is born as an idea in the mind of committee report or reports must carry 4. Introduction and First Reading of a legislator, a department or agency of signatures of the majority of the mem- Bills, Memorials, Joint Resolutions and government, or an individual citizen or bers on the committee. The rules of each Concurrent Resolutions. group. However, it must always be spon- house require that a bill be reported back 5. Committee Reports. sored by a member or committee of the with one of the following recommenda- Legislature, and be approved or drafted tions: that the bill “Do Pass;” that it “Do 6. Second Reading of Bills — Calendar of by legislative bill drafters. The sponsor Pass As Amended;” that it be rereferred the Day. is responsible for placing the bill in the to another committee; or “With No Rec- 7. Third Reading of Bills. “hopper” for introduction. ommendation.” A bill may be reported 8. Floor Resolutions and Motions. Resolutions and memorials are writ- back with both a majority and a minority 9. Presentation of Petitions, Memorials ten motions expressing the wishes and recommendation if disagreement on the and Remonstrances addressed to the recommendations of the Legislature, and measure arises. A completely new bill Legislature. some resolutions have the effect of law may be drafted by the committee on the for a temporary period. same subject, who then recommends that 10. Introduction of visitors and other A Joint Memorial is a message or “The Substitute Bill be Substituted There- business to be considered. petition addressed to the President and/ for.” 11. Announcements. or Congress of the United States, or the The committee often calls in representa- Senate Order of Business: After the roll head of any other branch of federal gov- tives of various state agencies, holds joint is called and Journal read and approved, ernment asking for consideration of some meetings with their counterpart in the business shall be disposed of in the fol- matter of concern to the state or region, other house, and holds public hearings in lowing order: or of universal interest. order to obtain information regarding bills A Joint Resolution may propose an referred to it. 1. Reports of Standing Committees. amendment to the Constitution for refer- 2. Reports of Select Committees. Committee Functions: Each of these ence to the people for acceptance or rejec- committees is important to the legisla- 3. Messages from the Governor and other tion, or it may formulate a legislative direc- tive process and to the functioning of state officials. tive to state administrative officers and all departments of state government, 4. Messages from the House of agencies. Joint resolutions which propose but the most important committees — Representatives. to amend the Constitution must receive a those upon which membership is highly 5. Introduction, First Reading and two-thirds affirmative vote of all members esteemed in both houses of the Legis- References of Bills, Joint Memorials, elected in each house to pass. lature — are those on Rules, Ways and and Joint Resolutions. A Concurrent Resolution is a state- Means, Transportation and Judiciary. The ment of policy concurred in by both 6. Second Reading of Bills. most important of these is the Committee houses. It may relate to the joint rules, to on Rules because it determines what bills 7. Third Reading of Bills. internal operations of the Legislature as a shall be brought before the respective 8. Presentation of Petitions, Memorials, unit of government, or it can create and houses for consideration. A simple major- Resolutions, and Motions. assign duties to an interim committee. ity of members present in the Senate can A Floor Resolution relates only to the take a bill from the Rules Committee and The order of business established by business of the house in which it origi- place it on the calendar. In the House, an this rule may be changed and any order nates. It is not considered by the other affirmative vote by a majority of elected of business already dealt with may be house, it is treated as a written motion, members is necessary to bring a bill out reverted or advanced to by a majority of and may be adopted by a voice vote. of the Rules Committee and place it on those present. Joint memorials and joint resolutions the calendar. In actual practice, however, All questions relating to the priority of are subject to all procedural rules govern- such floor action to place bills on the cal- business shall be decided without debate. ing the course of bills. Concurrent resolu- endar is seldom, if ever, taken by either Messages from the Governor, other state tions require a roll call vote only when house. officers, and from the House of Repre- they authorize investigating committees sentatives may be considered at any time and/or allocate or authorize expenditure Daily Order of Business with the consent of the Senate. of any funds; otherwise, they may be Each house follows a prescribed order of Any standing rules of order or business treated as motions and adopted without business, as provided by its rules, which may be suspended temporarily by a two- a roll call. is the standing agenda for each day of thirds vote of the members present. session.

If you are a person with a disability and need a special accommodation, contact the House at (360) 786-7271, or the Senate at (360) 786-7189. TTY 1-800-833-6388. For further legislative information, call the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000, or check the internet at www.leg.wa.gov (revised 10/17)