Each year Congress studies and considers hundreds of pieces of new legislation. With so many bills pending, how do you find out about the legislation that interests you? Here are some common questions you might ask as you begin your research:

I'm trying to choose a topic to study. Is there a list of legislation that I can pick from?
Hot Bills on the Congress.gov website can help you select a topic from an alphabetical list.

I already have a particular topic in mind. How do I find bills and the status of bills about a particular topic?
To find bills about a particular topic, visit the Library of Congress THOMAS website. Near the top of the page, you will see a Word/Phrase search box. Simply type in your topic there and press Search. You'll get a list of legislation that pertains to your particular topic. Once you find a bill that interests you, click on the bill number link to get the details and status information.

I already have a bill number. How do I find the bill text and status information?
If you already have a bill number and would like to learn more about that particular bill, visit the Library of Congress THOMAS website. Near the top of the page, you will see a Bill Number search box. Simply type in your bill number there and press Search. You'll get a list of legislation that pertains to that particular bill number. Click on the bill number link to get the details and status information.

How do I find the official recorded votes for a specific bill?
To view official House and Senate recorded vote tallies for a specific bill, visit the THOMAS website. You will need to know which session of Congress the vote took place. Then you will be able to view votes by roll number, bill number, or resolution number. You can also find official House recorded vote tallies on the Office of the Clerk website.

			Choose an interesting bill from the Library of Congress Bills in the News Web page. 1) What is the status of the bill? 2) Have any votes been recorded? 3) Who sponsored the Bill? 4) In which house of Congress did the bill orginate? Refer to the Research Table for more ideas.

How can I find out if my Member has sponsored or cosponsored legislation?
To see if your Member has sponsored or cosponsored legislation, visit the THOMAS website. Then, click on the Bill Summary & Status link. The third item on the page lists Members of both the House and the Senate. Simply find your Member's name in the list, and then choose whether you'd like to see if your Member was a sponsor and/or cosponsor of a bill. Once you click Search, you'll get a list of all of your Member's sponsored and/or cosponsored legislation.

Is there an easy way to search for legislative information by Committee?
The easiest way to search for legislative information by Committee is vist the particular Committee's website directly. You can find a listing of Committee office on the House website. For the latest Committee news, check out Hearings, Hot Topics, and/or Web Casts under Committee Quick Links on this same page.