Congressional Bills

Congressional Bills, 103rd Congress (1993-1994) to Present

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About Congressional Bills

What are congressional bills?

Congressional bills are legislative proposals from the House of Representatives and Senate within the United States Congress. There are eight different types of bills.

There are numerous different bill versions that track a bill through the legislative process from introduction through passage by both chambers (enrolled version). All final published bill versions are available from GPO.

What is available?

All published versions of bills from the 103rd (1993-1994) Congress forward are available. The system is updated by 6 a.m. (EST) daily when bills are published and approved for release.
Bulk data downloads of bill text and bill summaries in XML format are available on GPO’s Bulk Data Repository.

Types of Legislation

Bills

H.R. – House Bill
S. – Senate Bill

A bill is a legislative proposal before Congress. Bills from each house are assigned a number in the order in which they are introduced, starting at the beginning of each Congress (first and second sessions). Public bills pertain to matters that affect the general public or classes of citizens, while private bills pertain to individual matters that affect individuals and organizations, such as claims against the Government.

Joint Resolutions

H.J. Res. – House Joint Resolution
S.J. Res. – Senate Joint Resolution

A joint resolution is a legislative proposal that requires the approval of both houses and the signature of the President, just as a bill does. Resolutions from each house are assigned a number in the order in which they are introduced, starting at the beginning of each Congress (first and second sessions). There is no real difference between a bill and a joint resolution. Joint resolutions generally are used for limited matters, such as a single appropriation for a specific purpose. They are also used to propose amendments to the Constitution. A joint resolution has the force of law, if approved. Joint resolutions become a part of the Constitution when three-quarters of the states have ratified them; they do not require the President's signature.

Concurrent Resolutions

H. Con. Res. – House Concurrent Resolution
S. Con. Res. – Senate Concurrent Resolution

A concurrent resolution is a legislative proposal that requires the approval of both houses but does not require the signature of the President and does not have the force of law. Concurrent resolutions generally are used to make or amend rules that apply to both houses. They are also used to express the sentiments of both of the houses. For example, a concurrent resolution is used to set the time of Congress' adjournment. It may also be used by Congress to convey congratulations to another country on the anniversary of its independence.

Simple Resolutions

H. Res. – House Simple Resolution
S. Res. – Senate Simple Resolution

A simple resolution is a legislative proposal that addresses matters entirely within the prerogative of one house or the other. It requires neither the approval of the other house nor the signature of the President, and it does not have the force of law. Most simple resolutions concern the rules of one house. They are also used to express the sentiments of a single house. For example, a simple resolution may offer condolences to the family of a deceased member of Congress, or it may give "advice" on foreign policy or other executive business.

Common Versions of Bills

Version	Version Abbreviation	Definition	Chamber(s)
Amendment (Senate)	AS	An alternate name for this version is Senate Amendment Ordered to be Printed. This version contains an amendment that has been ordered to be printed.	Senate
Additional Sponsors (House)	ASH	An alternate name for this version is House Sponsors or Cosponsors Added or Withdrawn. This version is used to add or delete cosponsor names. When used, it most often shows numerous cosponsors being added.	House
Agreed to (House)	ATH	An alternate name for this version is Agreed to by House. This version is a simple or concurrent resolution as agreed to in the House of Representatives.	House
Agreed to (Senate)	ATS	An alternate name for this version is Agreed to by Senate. This version is a simple or concurrent resolution as agreed to in the Senate.	Senate
Committee Discharged (House)	CDH	An alternate name for this version is House Committee Discharged from Further Consideration. This version is a bill or resolution as it was when the committee to which the bill or resolution has been referred has been discharged from its consideration to make it available for floor consideration.	House Senate
Committee Discharged (Senate)	CDS	An alternate name for this version is Senate Committee Discharged from Further Consideration. This version is a bill or resolution as it was when the committee to which the bill or resolution has been referred has been discharged from its consideration to make it available for floor consideration.	Senate House
Considered and Passed (House)	CPH	Considered and Passed House – An alternate name for this version is Considered and Passed by House. This version is a bill or joint resolution as considered and passed.	House
Considered and Passed (Senate)	CPS	An alternate name for this version is Considered and Passed by Senate. This version is a bill or joint resolution as considered and passed.	Senate House
Engrossed Amendment (House)	EAH	An alternate name for this version is Engrossed Amendment as Agreed to by House. This version is the official copy of a bill or joint resolution as passed, including the text as amended by floor action, and certified by the Clerk of the House before it is sent to the Senate. Often this is the engrossment of an amendment in the nature of a substitute, an amendment which replaces the entire text of a measure. It strikes out everything after the enacting or resolving clause and inserts a version which may be somewhat, substantially, or entirely different.	House Senate
Engrossed Amendment (Senate)	EAS	An alternate name for this version is Engrossed Amendment as Agreed to by Senate. This version is the official copy of the amendment to a bill or joint resolution as passed, including the text as amended by floor action, and certified by the Secretary of the Senate before it is sent to the House. Often this is the engrossment of an amendment in the nature of a substitute, an amendment which replaces the entire text of a measure. It strikes out everything after the enacting or resolving clause and inserts a version which may be somewhat, substantially, or entirely different.	House Senate
Engrossed (House)	EH	An alternate name for this version is Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House. This version is the official copy of the bill or joint resolution as passed, including the text as amended by floor action, and certified by the Clerk of the House before it is sent to the Senate.	House
Engrossed and Deemed Passed by House	EPH	This version is the official copy of the bill or joint resolution as passed and certified by the Clerk of the House before it is sent to the Senate. See H. J. RES. 280 from the 101st Congress for an example of this bill version.	House
Enrolled	ENR	An alternate name for this version is Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate. This version is the final official copy of the bill or joint resolution which both the House and the Senate have passed in identical form. After it is certified by the chief officer of the house in which it originated (the Clerk of the House or the Secretary of the Senate), then signed by the House Speaker and the Senate President Pro Tempore, the measure is sent to the President for signature.	Joint Senate House
Engrossed (Senate)	ES	An alternate name for this version is Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by Senate. This version is the official copy of the bill or joint resolution as passed, including the text as amended by floor action, and certified by the Secretary of the Senate before it is sent to the House.	Senate
Failed Amendment (House)	FAH	This amendment has failed in the House.	House
Failed Passage (House)	FPH	Bill or resolution that failed to pass the House.	House
Failed Passage (Senate)	FPS	Bill or resolution that failed to pass the Senate.	Senate
Held at Desk (House)	HDH	An alternate name for this bill version is Ordered Held at House Desk after being Received from Senate. This version has been held at the desk in the House.	House
Held at Desk (Senate)	HDS	An alternate name for this bill version is Ordered Held at Senate Desk after being Received from House. This version is a bill or resolution as received in the Senate from the House which has been ordered to be held at the desk, sometimes in preparation for going to conference. It is available to be called up for consideration by unanimous consent.	Senate
Introduced (House)	IH	This version is a bill or resolution as formally presented by a member of Congress to a clerk when the House is in session.	House
Indefinitely Postponed (House)	IPH	This version is a bill or resolution as it was when consideration was suspended with no date specified for continuing its consideration.	House
Indefinitely Postponed (Senate)	IPS	This version is a bill or resolution as it was when consideration was suspended with no date specified for continuing its consideration.	Senate House
Introduced (Senate)	IS	This version is a bill or resolution as formally presented by a member of Congress to a clerk when the Senate is in session.	Senate
Laid on Table (House)	LTH	This version is a bill or resolution as laid on the table which disposes of it immediately, finally, and adversely via a motion without a direct vote on its substance.	House Senate
Laid on Table (Senate)	LTS	This version was laid on the table in the Senate. See also Laid on Table in House.	Senate House
Ordered to be Printed (House)	OPH	This version was ordered to be printed by the House. See also Ordered to be Printed Senate.	House
Ordered to be Printed (Senate)	OPS	This version was ordered to be printed by the Senate. For example, in the 105th Congress S. 1173 was considered at length by the Senate, returned to the Senate calendar, ordered to be printed. Then its text was inserted into its companion House bill which was passed by the Senate.	Senate
Previous Action Vitiated	PAV	This version is a bill or resolution as it was when an action previously taken on it was undone or invalidated. For example in the 102nd Congress for H.R. 2321 the Senate action discharging the Energy Committee and amending and passing the bill was vitiated by unanimous consent. The bill was amended, reported, and passed anew.	Senate House
Placed on Calendar (House)	PCH	This version is a bill or resolution as placed on one of the five House calendars. It is eligible for floor consideration, but a place on a calendar does not guarantee consideration.	House Senate
Placed on Calendar (Senate)	PCS	This version is a bill or resolution as placed on one of the two Senate calendars. It is eligible for floor consideration, but a place on a calendar does not guarantee consideration.	Senate House
Public Print	PP	Any bill from the House or Senate may be issued as a public print. If a bill is issued as a Public Print more copies will be printed than are printed for an engrossed version. Public prints also number the amendments made by the last chamber to pass it. Public Prints are typically published by the Senate to show Senate amendments to House bills. They typically contain the text of a House bill, indicating portions struck, plus Senate amendments in italics. They are routinely ordered for appropriations bills, but the Senate occasionally by unanimous consent orders public prints of other significant bills.	Senate House
Printed as Passed	PAP	This version is a public print of a bill as passed. Generally, appropriation bills receive a PP designation while non-appropriation bills receive a PAP designation. See also Public Print.	Senate House
Ordered to be Printed with House Amendment	PWAH	This version shows Senate amendments to a House bill. It is similar to a Public Print from the Senate, except that it does not include portions struck, only the Senate amendment in the nature of a substitute in italics. See S. 1059 from the 106th Congress for an example of this bill version on a Senate bill.	House Senate
Referred with Amendments (House)	RAH	This version was referred with amendments to the House.	House
Referred with Amendments (Senate)	RAS	This version was referred with amendments to the Senate.	Senate
Reference Change (House)	RCH	An alternate name for this bill version is Referred to Different or Additional House Committee. This version is a bill or resolution as re-referred to a different or additional House committee. It may have been discharged from the committee to which it was originally referred then referred to a different committee, referred to an additional committee sequentially, or reported by the original committee then referred to an additional committee. See S. 1016 for an example of this bill version on a Senate bill.	House Senate
Reference Change (Senate)	RCS	An alternate name for this version is Referred to Different or Additional Senate Committee. This version is a bill or resolution as it was re-referred to a different or additional Senate committee. It may have been discharged from the committee to which it was originally referred then referred to a different committee, referred to an additional committee sequentially, or reported by the original committee then referred to an additional committee. See H.R. 1502 from the 105th Congress for an example of this bill version on a House bill.	Senate House
Received in (House)	RDH	An alternate name for this bill version is Received in House from Senate. This version is a bill or resolution as passed or agreed to in the Senate which has been sent to and received in the House. See the 105th Congress for an example of this bill version.	House
Received in (Senate)	RDS	An alternate name for this bill version is Received in Senate from House. This version is a bill or resolution as it was passed or agreed to in the House which has been sent to and received in the Senate.	Senate
Re-engrossed Amendment (House)	REAH	This version is a re-engrossed amendment in the House.	House Senate
Re-engrossed Amendment (Senate)	RES	This version is a re-engrossed amendment in the Senate. See also Engrossed Amendment Senate.	Senate House
Re-enrolled Bill	RENR	This version has been re-enrolled.	Joint House Senate
Referred in (House)	RFH	An alternate name for this bill version is Referred to House Committee after being Received from Senate. This version is a bill or resolution as passed or agreed to in the Senate which has been sent to, received in the House, and referred to House committee or committees.	Senate House
Referred in (Senate)	RFS	An alternate name for this bill version is Referred to Senate Committee after being Received from House. This version is a bill or resolution as passed or agreed to in the House which has been sent to, received in the Senate, and referred to Senate committee or committees.	House Senate
Reported in (House)	RH	This version is a bill or resolution as reported by the committee or one of the committees to which it was referred, including changes, if any, made in committee. The bill or resolution is usually accompanied by a committee report which describes the measure, the committee's views on it, its costs, and the changes it proposes to make in existing law. The bill or resolution is then available for floor consideration. This version occurs to both House and Senate bills.	House Senate
Returned to House by Unanimous Consent	RHUC	A bill that was returned to the House by Unanimous Consent within the Senate	House Senate
Referral Instructions (House)	RIH	An alternate name for this bill version is Referred to House Committee with Instructions. This version is a bill or resolution as referred or re-referred to committee with instructions to take some action on it. Invariably in the House the instructions require the committee to report the measure forthwith with specified amendments.	House Senate
Referral Instructions (Senate)	RIS	An alternate name for this bill version is Referred to Senate Committee with Instructions. This version is a bill or resolution as referred or re-referred to committee with instructions to take some action on it. Often in the Senate the instructions require the committee to report the measure forth with specified amendments.	Senate House
Reported in (Senate)	RS	This version is a bill or resolution as reported by the committee or one of the committees to which it was referred, including changes, if any, made in committee. The bill or resolution is usually accompanied by a committee report which describes the measure, the committee's views on it, its costs, and the changes it proposes to make in existing law. The bill or resolution is then available for floor consideration.	Senate House
Referred to Committee (House)	RTH	Bill or resolution as referred or re-referred to a House committee or committees. See 104th Congress for an example of this bill version.	House
Referred to Committee (Senate)	RTS	Bill or resolution as referred or re-referred to a Senate committee or committees.	Senate
Additional Sponsors (Senate)	SAS	Additional sponsors have been added to this version.	Senate
Sponsor Change	SC	This version is used to change sponsors.	House

Searching Congressional Bills

You can find and search Congressional Bills by:

Using Basic Search for keyword and metadata fielded searches (see Metadata Fields and Values section),
Using Advanced Search; fields specific to bills will display after you select Congressional Bills in the Refine by Collection column,
Using Citation Search to retrieve a single bill in PDF format if you know the Congress number bill type, bill number, and bill version,
Refining search results by clicking on links in the Refine Your Search panel on the left hand side of the page (the sections under Refine Your Search correspond to the metadata available for the documents), and
Browsing on the Congressional Bills browse page.

General GovInfo Search Tips

Search Examples

Search for Bills by Congress Number, Bill Type, Bill Number and Bill Version - These examples will search for the Introduced in Senate version of Senate Joint Resolution from the 109th Congress with 12 as the Bill Number.

Using Basic Search, enter: collection:bills congress:109 billtype:sjres docnumber:12 billversion:is
Using Advanced Search,
- Select Congressional Bills under Refine by Collection, then under Search In select Congress Number in the first box and select 109 in the second box
- Click + Additional Criteria and select Bill Type then select Senate Joint Resolution (S.J. Res.) in the next box
- Click + Additional Criteria and select Bill Number then enter 12 in the next box
- Click + Additional Criteria and select Bill Version then select Introduced in Senate in the next box
Using Citation Search, select Congressional Bills from the Select Collection box, select 109th Congress (2005-2006) from the Select Congress box, select Senate Joint Resolution (S.J. Res) from the Select Bill Type box, enter 12 in the Bill Number box, and select Introduced in Senate from the Select Version box.

Search for Bills by Congress Number, Chamber, and Bill Number - These examples will search for Senate bills from the 109th Congress with 12 as the Bill Number.

Using Basic Search, enter: collection:bills congress:109 chamber:senate docnumber:12
Using Advanced Search,
- Select Congressional Bills under Refine by Collection, then under Search In select Congress Number in the first box and select 109 in the second box,
- Click + Additional Criteria and select Chamber of Congress then select Senate from the next box
- Click + Additional Criteria and select Bill Number then enter 12 in the next box

Search for Bills by Sponsor or Cosponsor - These examples will search for Senate bills sponsored or cosponsored by Senator McConnell.

Using Basic Search, enter: member:McConnell and collection:bills
Using Advanced Search, select Congressional Bills under Refine by Collection, then under Search In select Sponsors and Co-sponsors from the first box and enter McConnell in the second box

Find All Versions of a Bill - These examples will search for all versions of House Joint Resolution (H.J. Res.) 10 from the 109th Congress.

Using Basic Search, enter: collection:bills congress:109 billtype:hjres docnumber:10
Using Advanced Search,
- Select Congressional Bills under Refine by Collection, then under Search In select Congress Number in the first box and select 109 in the second box
- Click + Additional Criteria and select Bill Type then select House Joint Resolution (H.J. Res.) from the next box
- Click + Additional Criteria and select Bill Number then enter 10 in the next box
Browsing the Congressional Bills page, navigate to 109th Congress (2005-2006), then House Joint Resolution (H.J Res.), then 0-99, then scroll down to H.J. Res. 10 to see the available versions

Search for Bills Sponsored by a Congress Member from a State - These examples will search bills sponsored by Congress members from California.

Using the Basic Search, enter: collection:bills then click Search then Refine Your Search by selecting California (CA) under the Sponsors and Co-sponsors State section
Using Advanced Search, select Congressional Bills under Refine Your Search, click the search button, then Refine Your Search by selecting California (CA) under the Sponsors and Co-sponsors State section

Search for Bills by Title - These examples will search for bills with the word innovation in the full title or short title.

Using Basic Search, enter: collection:bills and title:innovation
Using Advanced Search, select Congressional Bills under Refine by Collection, then under Search In select Title in the first box and enter innovation in the second box

Search for Bills by Sponsor and Keyword - These examples will search for bills sponsored by Senator McConnell with the word democracy in the text of the bill.

Using Basic Search, enter democracy and collection:bills and member:McConnell
Using Advanced Search,
- Select Congressional Bills under Refine by Collection, then under Search In select Sponsor in the first box and then enter McConnell in the second box
- Click + Additional Criteria and in the second box enter: democracy
Using Basic Search, enter: democracy then click search then Refine Your Search by selecting Congressional Bills from the Collection section and selecting McConnell, Mitch from the Sponsor and Cosponsor section

Search for Bills by Member From a State and Keyword - These examples will search for bills sponsored by Congress members from California with the word environment in the text of the bill.

Using Basic Search, enter: environment then click search then Refine Your Search by selecting Congressional Bills from the Collection section and selecting California (CA) from the Sponsor and Cosponsor state section
Using Advanced Search,
- select Congressional Bills under Refine by Collection then under Search In enter: environment into the second box and click Search
- Refine Your Search by selecting California (CA) from the Sponsors and Co-sponsors State section

Find Related Documents

On select Congressional Bills Details pages, a “Related Documents” tab will display other documents within GovInfo that are related to that particular bill. Where available, these include other bill versions of the legislation; Congressional Reports for the legislation; Presidential Signing Statements and Remarks for legislation from the Compilation of Presidential Documents; Public Laws for the legislation; Statutes at Large document for the legislation; U.S. Code documents that reference the legislation.

Learn more about finding related documents on GovInfo.

Example:

Search for hr 803, click details, then the related documents tab. You will find these documents related to hr 803: other bill versions, Congressional reports, the Presidential Signing Statement, Public Law, Statutes at Large document, and documents where the legislation is referenced in the U.S. Code.

Sample Congressional Bills URLs

GovInfo uses the Package ID to construct predictable URLs to documents and Details pages for individual bills.

Identifier	Structure/Metadata Field	Example
Package ID	BILLS-{Congress Number}{Bill Type}{Bill Number}{Bill Version}	BILLS-111hr131ENR

Tip: You can also use the link service and API to construct predictable links.

Details Page for an Individual Bill
Structure: https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/{Package ID}
Example: https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/BILLS-111hr131enr

PDF File for an Individual Bill
Structure: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/{Package ID}/pdf/{Package ID}.pdf
Example: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-111hr131enr/pdf/BILLS-111hr131enr.pdf

HTML File for an Individual Bill
Structure: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/{Package ID}/html/{Package ID}.htm
Example: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-111hr131enr/html/BILLS-111hr131enr.htm

XML File for an Individual Bill
Structure: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/{Package ID}/xml/{Package ID}.xml
Example: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-111hr131enr/xml/BILLS-111hr131enr.xml

Congressional Bills Metadata Fields and Values

Metadata fields and values can be used to increase the relevancy of your searches. The metadata fields available for Congressional Bills are listed in the table below. Metadata fields and values are used throughout GovInfo for:

Refining Your Search,
Browsing Government Publications,
Field Operators,
Advanced Search, and
Display on Details pages.

Metadata fields and values can be entered into the Basic Search box using field operators. The field operators available for the Congressional Bills are listed in the table below, along with examples for each metadata field. Using Field Operators

Some of these metadata fields are made available for use in Advanced Search. The metadata values can be entered in the same format for the fields available on the Advanced Search Page. Using Advanced Search

Metadata Field Display Name	Metadata Field Definition	Field Operator	Field Operator Example
Collection	The collection to which the document belongs. Typically the same as the publication or series.	collection:	collection:bills
Government Author	The names of the Government organizations responsible for authoring or assembling the document.	governmentauthor:	governmentauthor:senate
Publication Date	The date the document was first made available to the public.	publishdate:	publishdate:2006-09-30 Date format is YYYY, YYYY-MM, or YYYY-MM-DD
Language	The language code of the original document, from the ISO639-2b standard.	language:	language:eng
Former Package ID	The document ID of the "package" as originally specified on GPO Access	mods:identifier:(@type:"former package identifier":______)	mods:identifier:(@type:"former package identifier":"f:h2800ih.txt")
Stock Number	The 12 digit GPO Sales stock number for the publication or series. Usually formatted like "769-004-00000-9".	stocknum:	stocknum:021-610-00252-9
SuDoc Class Number	The SuDoc class number from the U.S. Superintendent of Documents which classifies Government publications by publishing agency.	sudocclass:	sudocclass:"Y 1.6:" Note: The SuDoc Class Numbers in GovInfo are at the class stem level, not the book number level.
Ingestion Date	The date the document was ingested into the GovInfo preservation repository.	ingestdate:	ingestdate:2010-01-07 Note: Date format is YYYY-MM-DD
Electronic Location (URL)	The URL where the document or the document in context (the content detail page) is located.	url:	url:"/app/details/BILLS-118hjres27enr"
Publisher	The government organization who publishes the document or publication. Not typically the Government Publishing Office (who serves as the printer and distributor), except in the case of Congressional publications.	publisher:	publisher:"u.s. government publishing office"
Branch	The branch of Government responsible for the document's contents.	branch:	branch:legislative Possible values: executive, legislative, judicial
Type of Resource	The media type for the document, typically "text". Defined as part of the Library of Congress MODS standard.	typeofresource:	typeofresource:text
WAIS Database Name	The name of the WAIS database to which the document belonged in the former GPO Access system.	waisdbname:	waisdbname:109_cong_bills
Record Origin	How the record was originally generated. Typically "machine generated."	recordorigin:	recordorigin:"machine generated"
Full Title	The title of the publication.	title:	title:"math and science"
Short Title	The short title of the bill is a commonly used abbreviated version of the full title.	shorttitle:	shorttitle:"transportation empowerment act"
Congress Number	The number of the congress responsible for the bill. Congresses last for two years.	congress:	congress:109
Congress Session	Session of Congress. Each Congress is typically divided into two yearly sessions.	session:	session:2 Possible values: 1, 2
Chamber of Congress	The chamber in which the bill is being considered. This may not be the same as the chamber of origin.	chamber:	chamber:senate Possible values: house, senate
Bill Type	Type of bill. Bill type is either House bill (H. R.), Senate bill, (S. ), House Resolution (H. Res.), Senate resolution (S. Res.), House Joint Resolution (H. J. Res.), Senate Joint Resolution (S. J. Res,), House Concurrent Resolution (H. Con. Res), Senate Concurrent Resolution (S. Con. Res.), House Simple Resolutions (H. Res.) or Senate Simple Resolutions (S. Res).	billtype:	billtype:hjres Possible values: hr, s, hjres, sjres, hconres, sconres, hres, sres See Bill Types section
Bill Number	Bill number for the bill. Bills are numbered per Congress and bill type.	docnumber:	docnumber:12
Bill Version	Version of the bill. Corresponds to a step in the legislative process. Multiple bill versions can be associated with a bill number.	billversion:	billversion:ih Possible values: See Bill Versions section.
Committee	Congressional committee names listed in the bill and located in the bill action.	committee:	committee:transportation
Sponsors and Cosponsors	Senator and Representative names listed in the bill and located in the bill action. Generally, these are the bill sponsors and co-sponsors. All sponsors and co-sponsors are not listed on the bill. There are no sponsors or co-sponsors listed on the enrolled version of the bill.	member:	member:obama
Member of Congress Political Party	The party to which the member belongs, either "democratic", "republican", or "independent".	memberparty:	memberparty:r Possible values: d, r, i
Member of Congress State	Member of Congress state code (the two letter postal code of the state).	memberstate:	memberstate:ca Note: Use two letter state abbreviation
Actions	The text of the actions listed in the bill. This includes the action itself as well as the list of sponsors and cosponsors, if specified.	action:	action:"introduced the following bill"
Action Date	The date an action occurred as listed in the bill.	actiondate:	actiondate:2005-02-09 Note: Date format is YYYY-MM-DD
Action Legislative Day	The legislative day when an action occurred on a bill.	actionlegislativedate:	actionlegislativedate:2007-12-18 Note: Date format is YYYY-MM-DD
Is Private Bill	Preliminary flag to indicate if the bill is private or public. Please refer to the Calendar of the House of Representatives for more information about the bill.	isprivate:	isprivate:false Possible values: true, false
Is Appropriation	Flag indicates that a bill includes the words to make appropriations, making appropriations, making emergency supplemental appropriations, making further continuing appropriations, making continuing appropriations, or to authorize appropriations in its full title.	isappropriation:	isappropriation:true Possible values: true, false
Citation	The GPO standard method for searching citation references from the selected publication.	citation:	citation:"h.r. 1234"
United States Code References	Reference to a United States Code citation within the text of the document. This citation may only include the United States Code Title and Section, chapter, or appendix numbers. For example 43 U.S.C. 1337(g) or 50 U.S.C. App. 2078.	uscodecitation:	uscodecitation:"43 U.S.C. 1337"
Statutes at Large Citation	Reference to a Statutes at Large citation within the text of the document.	statutecitation:	statutecitation:"100 Stat. 4093"
Public and Private Law Reference	A referenced public or private law.	plawcitation:	plawcitation:"Public Law 103-206"
Report Number	Reference to a congressional report within the text of the document.	crptcitation:	crptcitation:109-363
Calendar Number Citation	Reference to a congressional calendar number within the text of a document.	ccalcitation:	ccalcitation:"Private Calendar No. 1"
Reference Citation	Reference to another document within the text of a document.	refcitation:	refcitation:"H.R. 1"

Congressional Bills Citation Patterns

These patterns are available when creating searches using Congressional Bills citations.

In the Basic Search box, simply use one of the citation patterns listed in the Search Examples column below. If the bill number value that you use is available on the website, the document will be returned.

*all terms in italics are newly accepted search patterns

Document Type	Prefix	Citation Search Examples
House Bill	House Bill	House Bill 263, 107 House Bill 263
	H.R.	H.R. 263, 107 H.R. 263, H.R.263, 116H.R.263*
	HR	HR 263, 107 HR 263, HR263, 116HR263
	H	H263, 116H263
House Joint Resolution	House Joint Resolution	House Joint Resolution 93, 110 House Joint Resolution 93
	H.J. Res.	H.J. Res. 93, 110 H.J. Res 93, H.J.RES.93, 115H.J.RES.93
	HJRES	hjres 93, 110 hjres 93, HJRES93, 115HJRES93
	HJ	HJ93, 115HJ93
	HJR	HJR93, 115HJR93
House Concurrent Resolution	House Concurrent Resolution	House Concurrent Resolution 31, 116 House Concurrent Resolution 31
	H. Con. Res.	H. Con. Res 31, 116 H. Con. Res 31, 116 H. Con. Res 31, H.Con.Res.102, 114H.Con.Res.102
	HCONRES	hconres 31, 116 hconres 31, hconres102, 108hconres102
	HCRES	HCRes102, 114HCRes102
	HCR	HCR102, 114HCR102
House Resolution	House Resolution	House Resolution 67, 114 House Resolution 67
	H. Res.	H. Res. 67, 114 H. Res. 67, H.RES.6, 115H.RES.6
	HRES	hres 67, 114 hres 67, HRES6, 115HRES6
	HE	HE6, 115HE6
Senate	Senate Bill	Senate Bill 1111
	S	S 1111, S214, 116S214
	S.	S. 1111, 116S.214, S.214
Senate Joint Resolution	Senate Joint Resolution	Senate Joint Resolution 42
	S.J. Res.	S.J. Res. 42, 103 S.J. Res. 42, S.J.RES.46, 113S.J.RES.46
	SJRES	sjres 42, SJRES 42, SJres 42, SJRES46, 113SJRES46
	SJ	SJ46, 113SJ46
	SJR	SJR46, 113SJR46
Senate Concurrent Resolution	Senate Concurrent Resolution	Senate Concurrent Resolution 55, 112 Senate Concurrent Resolution 55
	S. Con. Res.	S. Con. Res. 55, 112 S. Con. Res 55, S.CON.RES.2, 110S.CON.RES.2
	SCONRES	sconres 55, 108 sconres 55, SCONRES2, 115SCONRES2
	SCRES	SCRES2, 110SCRES2
	SCR	SCR2, 110SCR2
	SE	SC2, 110SC2
Senate Resolution	Senate Resolution	Senate Resolution 407, 116 Senate Resolution 407
	S. Res.	S. Res. 407, 116 S. Res. 407, S.RES.407, 116H.RES.407
	SRES	sres 407, 116 sres 407, SRES407, 116SRES407
	SE	SE407, 116SE407

Congressional Bills Related Resources

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Congress.gov Official website for U.S. federal legislative information presented by the Library of Congress.
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History of Line Item Veto Notices - (as published in the FR) prior to Supreme Court Opinion No. 97-1374 (Argued April 27, 1998 -- Decided June 25, 1998).
How Our Laws Are Made (PDF) - House Document 110-49
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Congressional Bills Frequently Asked Questions

How is added or deleted text indicated in Congressional Bills?

Text that was added to or deleted from a particular version of a bill is indicated in different ways in text and PDF files.

Text files include tags to mark changes in the text. See Example

Added text is enclosed in quotation marks. These quotes should not be confused with the quotation marks that are part of the text of the bill.
Deleted text is preceded by a <DELETED> tag and followed by a </DELETED> tag. (In the files for the 103 rd Congress, deleted text is distinguished by the insertion of a hyphen before each deleted character.

Note : When multiple paragraphs have been deleted, the tags appear at the beginning and end of each affected paragraph. However, when multiple paragraphs have been added, the quotation marks appear at the beginning of each affected paragraph and at the end of the last paragraph in the series.

PDF files mark changes in the text in exactly the same way that those changes appear in the printed version. See Example

Added text is presented in italics.
Deleted text is stricken through with a line.

What are starprint bills?

Starprint bills are corrected editions of bills identifiable by stars printed at the lower left-hand corner of their title pages See an example of a starprint bill (PDF).

Designation of a bill as a starprint is indicated in search results and presented in MODS metadata files. Did you know: All fields in MODS are searchable. For example, search: mods:starprintnumber:1.

Is S. 309 IS from the 115th or 116th Congress?

S. 309 IS was printed with the incorrect Congress designation and the Senate decided not to star print S. 309 IS. The text, XML, and PDF say “115th Congress” but the bill is from the 116th Congress.