Legislative glossary
Floor amendment
Also known as: amendment
Definition
A proposed change offered during floor debate, where the full chamber can vote on it rather than only committee members.
Why it matters
Once a bill leaves committee, the entire chamber gets a turn at rewriting it. A floor amendment can fix a real flaw, buy a needed vote, or gut the bill while sounding like an improvement. Chambers differ wildly in how freely they allow them: some let leadership block all but pre-approved amendments, while others let any member force a vote on anything arguably related.
In the game
During the Floor stage, swing legislators offer amendments in exchange for their votes. Each one is a trade: accept and your whip count rises while Bill Integrity falls; refuse and you'd better have the votes without them.
Related terms
Comes up alongside