Legislative Session Cheat Sheet

Editor’s Note: All the talk of politics gets complicated pretty fast, so here’s a rundown of the most common terms encountered in legislative talk.

HB-House Bill, a law proposed in the state’s House of Representatives that must pass in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to officially become a law.

SB-Senate Bill, a law proposed in the state’s Senate that must pass in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to officially become a law.

HJM-House Joint Memorial, a measure used to make a request or express an opinion to be accepted by both the state’s House of Representatives and Senate. For example, HJM 1 proposed for this year’s legislative session requests that a working group be formed in the House of Representatives to study school district administrative reform. HJMs are proposed in the House but are adopted by both the House and the Senate.

SJM-Senate Joint Memorial, a measure used to make a request or express an opinion to be accepted by both the state’s House of Representatives and Senate. SJMs are proposed in the Senate but are adopted by both the House and the Senate.

HM-House Memorial, a measure used to make a request or express an opinion proposed in the state’s House of the Representatives. Proposed and adopted in the House.

SM-Senate Memorial, a measure used to make a request or express an opinion proposed in the state’s Senate. Proposed and adopted in the Senate.

HJR-House Joint Resolution, a measure used for proposing constitutional amendments, creating committees or authorizing expenditures out of the legislative budget. For example, HJR 1 proposed during this year’s legislative session asks for a continuance of a permanent fund for land grants. HJRs are proposed in the House of Representatives but are adopted by both the House and the Senate.

SJR-Senate Joint Resolution, a measure used for proposing constitutional amendments, creating committees or authorizing expenditures out of the legislative budget. SJRs are proposed in the Senate but are adopted by both the House and the Senate.

HR-House Resolution, a measure used by the state’s House of Representatives to take an action that would affect only its members, such as appointing a committee of its members.

SR-Senate Resolution, a measure used by the state’s Senate to take an action that would affect only its members, such as appointing a committee of its members.