CALENDAR—A list of bills or resolutions that is scheduled or eligible to be taken up for consideration on a specified date by the members of a chamber.

CALENDAR DAY—A day of the year on which the legislature may be in session.

CALLED SESSION—See SESSION.

CAPTION—A statement that gives the legislature and public reasonable notice of the subject of a bill or resolution. For bills and joint resolutions, the first sentence of the text that summarizes the contents of the bill or resolution. For other types of resolutions, a brief description of the contents of the resolution.

CHAIR—A legislator appointed to preside over a legislative committee. A traditional designation for the member currently presiding over a house of the legislature or one of its committees.

CHAMBER—The place in which the senate or house of representatives meets. Also a generic way to refer to a house of the legislature.

CHIEF CLERK—The chief administrative officer of the house of representatives, who supervises the legislative departments of the house. The chief clerk is the custodian of all bills and resolutions in the possession of the house and is responsible for keeping a complete record of their introduction and all subsequent house actions taken on them throughout the legislative process.

COAUTHOR—A legislator authorized by the primary author to join in the authorship of a bill or resolution. Both the senate and the house of representatives allow an unlimited number of coauthors on a bill or resolution. A coauthor must be a member of the house in which the bill was filed.

COMMITTEE—A group of legislators, appointed by the presiding officer of the house or the senate, to which proposed legislation is referred or a specific task is assigned.

COMMITTEE REPORT—The text of a bill or resolution and its required attachments that is prepared when the measure is reported from a committee for further consideration by the members of the chamber. The committee report includes the recommendations of the committee regarding action on the measure by the full house or senate and generally is necessary before a measure can proceed through the legislative process.

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE—A complete, new bill or resolution recommended by a committee in lieu of the original measure. A committee will report a committee substitute rather than a bill with a large number of individual amendments when the committee wishes to make a substantial number of changes to the original measure. The committee substitute must contain the same subject matter as the original measure.

COMPANION BILL—A bill filed in one chamber that is identical or very similar to a bill filed in the opposite chamber. Companion bills are used to expedite passage as they provide a means for committee consideration of a measure to occur in both houses simultaneously. A companion bill that has passed one house then can be substituted for the companion bill in the second house.

CONCURRENCE—When the originating chamber votes to accept, or concur in, the amendments made by the opposite chamber.

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION—A type of legislative measure that requires passage by both chambers of the legislature and generally requires action by the governor. A concurrent resolution is used to convey the sentiment of the legislature and may offer a commendation, a memorial, a statement of congratulations, a welcome, or a request for action by another governmental entity. (Concurrent resolutions are used also for administrative matters that require the concurrence of both chambers such as providing for adjournment or a joint session. These types of concurrent resolutions do not require action by the governor.)

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE—A committee composed of five members from each house appointed by the respective presiding officers to resolve the differences between the house and senate versions of a measure when the originating chamber refuses to concur in the changes made by the opposite chamber. Upon reaching an agreement, the conferees issue a report that then is considered for approval by both houses.

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT—The text of a bill and its required attachments that is issued when a conference committee has completed its work in resolving the differences between the house and senate versions of a measure.

CONGRATULATORY AND MEMORIAL CALENDAR—A list of congratulatory and memorial resolutions scheduled by the House Committee on Rules and Resolutions for consideration by the house that must be distributed to the members 24 hours before the house convenes.

CONSTITUENT—A citizen residing within the district of an elected representative.

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT—A change to the state constitution. A constitutional amendment may be proposed by the legislature in the form of a joint resolution that must be adopted by both houses of the legislature by a two-thirds vote and be approved by a majority of the voters to become effective.

CONVENE—To assemble or call to order the members of a legislative body.

COSPONSOR—A legislator who joins with the primary sponsor to guide a bill or resolution through the legislative process in the opposite chamber. A cosponsor must be a member of the opposite chamber from the one in which the bill was filed.

COUNCIL DOCUMENT NUMBER—The unique number assigned to a bill or resolution draft prepared by the Texas Legislative Council. If a filed bill or resolution has been prepared by the council, the number will appear in the lower left-hand corner of the document.