​Types of Measures

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 A bill, the most common type of measure, is a proposal for a law. All statutes, except those initiated by the people or referred to the people by the Legislative Assembly, must be enacted through a bill.

The Legislative Assembly can accomplish many tasks in addition to creating, amending or repealing laws. It can honor a distinguished Oregonian, propose an amendment to the Oregon constitution, or send a message on behalf of the Oregon legislature to the President of the United States.  In these instances, a bill is not the appropriate form of measure.

There are six types of measures:

• Bill

  A measure that creates new law, amends or repeals existing law, appropriates money, prescribes fees, transfers functions from one agency to another, provides penalties, or takes other action.

• Joint Resolution

  A measure used for proposing Constitutional amendments, creating interim committees, giving direction to a state agency, expressing legislative approval of action taken by someone else, or authorizing a kind of temporary action to be taken. A joint resolution may also authorize expenditures out of the legislative expense appropriations.

• Concurrent Resolution

  A measure affecting actions or procedures of both houses of the Legislative Assembly. A concurrent resolution is used to express sympathy, commendation, or to commemorate the dead.

• Resolution

  ​A measure used by the Senate or House (a measure used by both would be a joint resolution) to take an action that would affect only its own members, such as appointing a committee of its members, or expressing an opinion or sentiment on a matter of public interest.

• Joint Memorial

  A measure adopted by both houses and used to make a request of or to express an opinion to Congress, the President of the United States, or both.

• Memorial

  ​A measure adopted by either the Senate or House (a measure adopted by both is a joint memorial) to make a request of or express an opinion to Congress or the President of the United States, or both.​