api.congress.gov docs(bill actions): action type documentation

trafficstars

It would be nice to have some documentation on exactly what each action type represents.

Here are the action types i'm referring to (from https://github.com/LibraryOfCongress/api.congress.gov/blob/main/Documentation/BillEndpoint.md#actions-level):

"Committee", "Calendars", "Floor", "BecameLaw", "IntroReferral", "President", "ResolvingDifferences", "Discharge", "NotUsed", and "Veto"

Here is what I assume each type means paired with examples of how I see each type being used:

IntroReferral: Legislation is being introduced/received in a chamber and/or referred to a committee. Also includes introductory remarks.
- Legislation is introduced.
  
  Introduced in House
  
  Introduced in Senate
- Legislation is received and referred.
  
  Received in the Senate, read twice.
  
  Received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  
  Received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Legislation is referred.
  
  Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
  
  Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- when sponsor has introductory remarks on measure.
  
  Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H3649)
Committee: Action taken by a committee/subcommittee or when a committee is ordered to report. Does not include Committee discharges or orders to discharge.
- Committee refers to a subcommittee
  
  Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit.
- Committee is ordered to report
  
  Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 25 - 22.
  
  Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 53 - 1.
  
  Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Reported by committee
  
  Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 118-68.
  
  The House Committee on Appropriations reported an original measure, H. Rept. 118-124, by Mr. Harris.
  
  Committee on the Budget. Original measure reported to Senate by Senator Whitehouse. Without written report.
- Subcommittee forwards to full committee
  
  Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .
- Committee hearings held
  
  Committee Hearings Held.
- Subcommittee discharged
  
  Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Discharged.
Discharge: When a Senate committee (not subcommittee) discharges itself or a motion is filed to discharge. Does not include actions where a Senator orders a Committee to discharge.
- Committee discharged
  
  Committee on House Administration discharged.
  
  Senate Committee on Foreign Relations discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Committee discharge motion filed
  
  Motion to Discharge Committee filed by Ms. Pressley. Petition No: 118-6. (<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/DischargePetition/2023062106?CongressNum=118">Discharge petition text with signatures.)
Calendar: Calendar modifications or motions to modify the calendar are filed
- Placed on calendar
  
  Placed on the House Calendar, Calendar No. 7.
  
  Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 100 pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 802(f).
  
  Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 210.
  
  Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 102.
  
  Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 33.
- Filed motion to modify calendar
  
  Motion to place bill on Consensus Calendar filed by Mr. Bilirakis."
ResolvingDifferences: Actions taken by a conference committee.
- Appointment of conferees
  
  The Speaker appointed conferees - from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs for consideration of secs. 571, 572, 579, 1118, 1413, 1733, and 1885 of the House bill, and secs. 1084, 1090B, 1521, 1833, 1852, 6071, 6077, and 11020 of the Senate amendment, and modifications committed to conference: Bost, Luttrell, and Takano.
- Motions to instruct conferees
  
  On motion that the House instruct conferees Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 205 - 214 (Roll no. 400).
  
  Ms. Houlahan moved that the House instruct conferees. (consideration: CR H4419-4425)
- Motions to close
  
  On motion to close portions of the conference Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 401 - 19 (Roll no. 396).
  
  Mr. Rogers (AL) moved that the House close portions of the conference.
- Agree/disagree on amendments
  
  On motion that the House disagree to the Senate amendment, and request a conference Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 393 - 27 (Roll no. 395).
  
  Mr. Rogers (AL) moved that the House disagree to the Senate amendment, and request a conference. (consideration: CR H4401-4403)
  
  On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
  
  Mr. Stauber moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment. (consideration: CR H2481-2482)
- Misc. conferee committee motions/orders
  
  The previous question was ordered without objection.
  
  Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
President: When President signs/vetoes. However for some unknown reason this is also used when legislation becomes public law, or when the chair announces unfinished business related to a veto.
- Signed/vetoed by President
  
  Signed by President.
  
  Vetoed by President.
- Became public law. This should probably not be a type 'President' and instead it's type should solely be 'BecameLaw'
  
  Became Public Law No: 118-3.
- The chair announces unfinished business related to a veto. This seems like an unintentional error
  
  The Chair announced the unfinished business to be the consideration of the veto. (consideration: CR H2853)
Veto: Actions taken by congress that reference a presidential veto.
- When veto message is received in a chamber
  
  Veto message received in Senate. Ordered held at the desk. (text: CR S2089-2090)
  
  The Chair laid before the House the veto message from the President.
  
  Veto Message considered in Senate. (consideration: CR S2151-2152, S2155-2156)
- Motions to refer veto message to committee
  
  On motion to refer the bill and the accompanying veto message to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Agreed to without objection.
  
  Motion to refer the bill and accompanying veto message to the Committee on Education and the Workforce.
- Roll calls on overriding a veto
  
  On passage, the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 227 - 196 (Roll no. 187).
  
  Failed of passage in Senate over veto by Yea-Nay Vote. 47 - 45. Record Vote Number: 243.

BecameLaw: I assume this is meant for just enactment actions. Currently it seems like there may be errors in the processing of this action type. The actions under this type are basically just a duplication of type 'President' actions. For example check out HR1096 of the 118th.

{
  "actionDate": "2023-07-26",
  "text": "Became Public Law No: 118-10.",
  "type": "President",
  "actionCode": "E40000",
  "sourceSystem": {
    "code": 9,
    "name": "Library of Congress"
  }
},
{
  "actionDate": "2023-07-26",
  "text": "Became Public Law No: 118-10.",
  "type": "BecameLaw",
  "actionCode": 36000,
  "sourceSystem": {
    "code": 9,
    "name": "Library of Congress"
  }
},
{
  "actionDate": "2023-07-26",
  "text": "Signed by President.",
  "type": "President",
  "actionCode": "E30000",
  "sourceSystem": {
    "code": 9,
    "name": "Library of Congress"
  }
},
{
  "actionDate": "2023-07-26",
  "text": "Signed by President.",
  "type": "BecameLaw",
  "actionCode": 36000,
  "sourceSystem": {
    "code": 9,
    "name": "Library of Congress"
  }
},

Enactment

Became Public Law No: 118-10.

President actions. This seems like an unintentional error

Signed by President.

NotUsed: No idea what this type is used for. In the 118th congress it's used once on hr346:

Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
Floor: Everything else. Including the "Presented to President." action.

Oct 24 '23 22:10 ryparker

Hello. Thanks for your feedback. We will update API documentation related to action codes but it will be a process that could take some time. Thanks.

Oct 26 '23 15:10 rbram

Thank you. You mentioned action codes, does that also include action types? This issue was specifically for action types.

Here's the action code issue: https://github.com/LibraryOfCongress/api.congress.gov/issues/8

Oct 26 '23 19:10 ryparker

Hello. Yes, our goal is to update the documentation for both.

Oct 27 '23 11:10 rbram

Any updates on the action docs?

Sep 26 '24 17:09 ryparker

@ryparker - this is a work in progress - have you looked at this page on Congress.gov, which might be useful? https://www.congress.gov/major-actions-on-legislation/118th-congress

It's broken down by Congress but can provide some context to action types.

Sep 26 '24 18:09 apreiter18

api.congress.gov api.congress.gov copied to clipboard

docs(bill actions): action type documentation

api.congress.gov
api.congress.gov copied to clipboard