The first step in a legislative history is the introduction of the bill on the floor of a chamber of Congress. Any Member in the House of Representatives or the United States Senate may introduce a bill at any time while the House or Senate is in session. The sponsor's signature must appear on the bill, which may have an unlimited number of cosponsoring Members. The bill is assigned its legislative number by the Clerk and referred to the committee of jurisdiction, which is the committee charged with review of the bill.
Bill introductory remarks in the Congressional Record: Use the History of Bills, which serves as the index to the Congressional Record, to locate the bill introductory remarks. The History of Bills provides users with page numbers to all locations a bill is discussed within the Congressional Record, including when a bill is introduced and the introductory remarks if they exist.
Comparing bill versions:
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