Terms starting with "H"

Hearsay Hearsay is an out-of-court statement by someone other than the testifying witness that is repeated or presented in court as evidence. It is usually inadmissible as direct evidence, though exceptions apply. History of Bills The History of Bills is a section of the Congressional Record Index that lists legislative actions on bills and resolutions with the pages of the Congressional Record where each action appears. Congress.gov links to it from a measure's Actions tab ("Bill History — Congressional Record References") for measures dating from 1995. It is a research tool for tracing what Congress did and where the record of it is printed. Hold A request by a Senator to his or her party leader to delay floor action on a measure (e.g., bill) or matter (e.g.. Hold (Senate Hold) A Senate hold is an informal communication to Senate leaders that a senator would object to a request for unanimous consent to take up or approve a measure or nomination. Because unanimous consent can expedite Senate business, a hold can affect scheduling; the majority leader decides whether to honor it, and the Senate can use other procedures to proceed without unanimous consent. Harmless Error Harmless error is a mistake in a trial or agency proceeding that an appellate court disregards because it did not affect the substantial rights of the parties. Under 28 U.S.C. § 2111, courts of appeals must give judgment "after an examination of the record, without regard to errors or defects that do not affect the substantial rights of the parties." The doctrine prevents outcomes from being reversed for technical mistakes. Hatch Act The Hatch Act is a federal law passed in 1939 that limits certain political activity by federal employees and covers some state, D.C., and local employees whose duties connect to activities financed in part or whole with federal funds. For covered federal employees, it prohibits using official authority to affect an election and restricts partisan political activity; the rules vary by employee category. Hearing A congressional hearing is a formal committee or subcommittee meeting that gathers information from witnesses. Committees use hearings to inform legislative development, oversight, investigations, or Senate consideration of presidential nominations. Habeas Corpus Habeas corpus is a court process through which a person in custody asks a judge to review whether the detention is lawful. A writ generally orders authorities to produce the prisoner and justify continued confinement; it may also bring a person in custody before a court to testify or be prosecuted. Federal judges hear petitions from state prisoners alleging that their state prosecutions violated federally protected rights. Hard Money Hard money means funds deposited in a committee’s federal account and used to finance federal election campaigns, as distinguished from funds in nonfederal accounts. For national party committees, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act bars receiving or spending funds outside the Act’s limits, prohibitions, and reporting requirements.