The purpose of the legislature is accomplished by getting formally drafted ideas enacted into law. That idea is most frequently a bill. Ideas may be drafted as resolutions or memorials if they need approval by the voters, are procedural or of an advisory nature.

Bills are written proposals to enact new laws or make changes to existing ones. A bill is required to provide for a supplemental or biennial budget or for a new state program, to correct an inadvertent error from a previous session or adjust the law to changing circumstances. Amendatory language in a bill is always underlined, although entirely new sections are not. Deletions from existing law are included in the bill, but with strikes (-) through them. If an entire section is deleted, it will be in a repealer section by reference only.

Resolutions and Memorials are motions expressing the wishes and recommendations of the legislature and some resolutions have the effect of law for a temporary period.

A Joint Memorial is a message or petition addressed to the President and/or the Congress of the United States or the head of any other branch of the federal government. The memorial will ask for consideration for some matter of universal interest or of concern to the state or region.

A Joint Resolution proposes an amendment to the State Constitution. It must receive a two-thirds affirmative vote of all members of each house in order to pass. It then becomes a ballot measure for a vote of the people.

A Concurrent Resolution is a statement of policy concurred to by both houses. It may relate to the joint rules and to the internal operation of the legislature as a unit of government. It can create and assign duties to an interim committee or formulate a legislative directive to state administrative officers and agencies.

A Floor Resolution relates only to the business of the house in which it originates. It is not considered by the other house. It is treated as a written motion and may be adopted by a voice vote.

The numbering procedure

Bill numbers begin with two letters; initially all Senate bills are designated SB followed by a number. House bills are HB followed by a number. A concurrent resolution is an SCR or HCR, a joint resolution is an SJR or HJR and a memorial is an SJM or HJM. Additional letters and/or numbers preceding those designations indicate changes in the legislation. Following are the prefixes which may be used. The examples are for bills; however memorials and resolutions also can be engrossed or substituted.

EHB or ESB: The designation Engrossed House Bill or Engrossed Senate Bill indicates that the bill was amended on the floor of the house of origin. The amendment may have been a committee amendment (adopted by a committee) or a floor amendment (proposed by one or more members).

ReEHB or ReESB: A Reengrossed House Bill or Reengrossed Senate Bill is one that was amended and passed on second reading. If it failed on third reading and final passage, was sent back to second reading and amended again, it would become a reengrossed bill.

SHB or SSB: A Substitute House Bill or Substitute Senate Bill had a number of amendments approved by the committee when it was voted out. The committee chose to vote out a substitute bill rather than an amended one. On the floor, those amendments will not be considered individually; rather, the proposed substitute bill will be debated and voted on. When the bill receives a majority vote on the floor of the house of origin, it becomes a substitute bill.

2SHB or 2SSB: A Second Substitute House Bill or Second Substitute Senate Bill is one that was voted out of committee as a substitute bill. It may have been referred to another committee (usually Ways and Means) or sent back to the original committee. The substitute bill was amended and voted out of committee.

Source: Legislative Information published by the Washington State Legislature