Põrandatest

Põrandatest, also known as floor tests, are a type of legislative procedure used in some parliamentary systems to ensure that a bill has sufficient support before it is debated in detail. The term "põrandatest" is derived from the Estonian language, where "põrand" means "floor" and "test" refers to the examination or trial of the bill's support.

In parliamentary systems that use floor tests, a bill must first pass a vote in a committee or a subcommittee. Once this initial vote is successful, the bill is referred to the full chamber for a floor test. During the floor test, members of the chamber debate the bill and vote on it. If the bill passes the floor test with a majority vote, it proceeds to the next stage of the legislative process, which may include further debate, amendments, and a final vote.

Floor tests are used to streamline the legislative process by weeding out bills that lack sufficient support early on. They are particularly common in systems where the legislative process is lengthy and complex, as they allow for more efficient use of time and resources.

The use of floor tests varies among different parliamentary systems. Some systems may use them for all bills, while others may reserve them for certain types of legislation, such as constitutional amendments or major policy changes. The specific rules and procedures for floor tests can also differ significantly between systems.