Understanding Bill Status Terms

Every bill on LegiList and Congress.gov follows a set of formal status labels. These stages mark its progress through the lawmaking process — from introduction to final enactment. Here’s what each status means, and how to interpret them.

1. Introduced
A bill is officially submitted by a member of Congress and assigned a number (e.g., H.R. 1234 or S. 567). It’s then referred to one or more committees based on subject matter.
This is the starting point — most bills never advance beyond this stage.
2. Reported by Committee
The committee assigned to the bill has reviewed it, possibly held hearings or markups, and voted to report it to the full chamber.
  • The report usually includes recommended changes and a written explanation (a “committee report”).
  • This step signals that the bill is considered viable within the chamber.
Being “reported” doesn’t mean passage — it means readiness for debate.
3. Passed One Chamber
The bill has been debated, possibly amended, and approved by either the House or Senate.
  • The bill now moves to the other chamber, where it begins a parallel review process.
  • Each chamber can change the bill — which may later require a conference committee to reconcile versions.
The vast majority of bills that pass one chamber never make it through both.
4. Engrossed
After one chamber passes a bill, it is engrossed — meaning all amendments have been integrated into a clean, updated version for transmission to the other chamber.
“Engrossed” refers to internal formatting and recordkeeping, not substantive change.
5. Passed Both Chambers
Both the House and Senate have passed the bill, possibly after resolving differences in a conference committee.
  • The enrolled version is printed on parchment and prepared for delivery to the President.
This marks the final legislative step before presidential action.
6. Enrolled / Became Law
The final version signed by both chamber leaders is presented to the President for approval or veto.
  • If signed (or veto overridden), it becomes Public Law and is assigned a law number (e.g., Public Law 118-45).
  • If vetoed and not overridden, the bill dies at this stage.
LegiList links directly to enrolled texts and Public Law references where available.

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