There are a variety of legislative measures that can be looked up, tracked, and testified on. Each has a different prefix followed by a number.

  • A bill — House Bill (HB) or Senate Bill (SB) — if enacted becomes an act of law.
  • A resolution if adopted expresses the will and intent of either a single chamber — House Resolution (HR) or Senate Resolution (SR) — or the entire legislature — House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) or Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR).
  • A message may convey a communication from the Executive or Judiciary branches regarding a nomination that is subject to Senate confirmation — Governor’s Message (GM) or Judiciary Communication (JC).

Anatomy of a Bill

Learn the fundamentals on what makes up a Bill.

Resolutions

During Session, we talk a lot about bills, but what about resolutions? Legislators introduce and hold hearings on resolutions as well as bills. Although resolutions don’t become law, they do express the sentiment of the Legislature and may prove vital in moving your issue forward.

Video

Watch a video on “How to Read a Bill (and a Resolution)” https://youtu.be/Z7Dz9-ucf2Y (14:11)