What Bill Numbers and Abbreviations Mean in Congress

Every piece of federal legislation gets a label before it becomes law. You have probably seen things like "HR 1" or "S. 2847" in the news. These labels tell you a lot once you know how to read them.

The Two Chambers

Congress has two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Bills can start in either one. The abbreviation at the front of a bill number tells you where it started.

• HR means House of Representatives. HR 22 started in the House.
• S means Senate. S. 1234 started in the Senate.

That is the most important distinction. Most bills you track on Govbase will be one of these two types.

Bills vs. Resolutions

Not every piece of legislation is called a "bill." Congress uses four different types of measures, and each has its own abbreviation.

Bills (HR and S) are the standard way Congress makes law. They go through both chambers and, if passed, get sent to the president for signature.

Joint Resolutions (HJ Res and SJ Res) work almost the same way as bills. They also go to the president and can become law. Congress uses them for things like proposing constitutional amendments or authorizing emergency spending. The one exception: joint resolutions proposing amendments to the Constitution do not go to the president. They go directly to the states for ratification.

Concurrent Resolutions (H Con Res and S Con Res) are passed by both chambers but do NOT go to the president. They cannot become law on their own. Congress uses them to set budget frameworks, adjourn both chambers at the same time, or make non-binding statements.

Simple Resolutions (H Res and S Res) only pass in one chamber. They handle internal business, like creating a special committee or expressing the opinion of just the House or Senate. They have no force outside that chamber.

Here is a quick summary:

What the Numbers Mean

The number after the abbreviation is just a sequence number. The House and Senate each start counting from 1 at the beginning of every new Congress. HR 1 is the first bill introduced in the House. HR 2 is the second. The Senate does the same with S. 1, S. 2, and so on.

Low bill numbers are not random. The majority party in each chamber typically reserves the first several numbers for their top legislative priorities. HR 1 is usually the Speaker's signature bill for the session. In the 119th Congress, for example, HR 1 is the "One Big Beautiful Bill," a major budget and policy package. So when you see a bill with a very low number, it usually means party leadership considers it a priority.

Each Congress lasts two years and gets a number. Right now we are in the 119th Congress (2025-2026). So when you see "HR 22, 119th Congress," that means the 22nd bill introduced in the House during this current Congress. The same number in the 118th Congress would be a completely different bill.

By the end of a Congress, the House may have introduced thousands of bills. Most never pass. In fact, fewer than 5% of bills ever become law. In the 118th Congress, only about 3% made it.

Companion Bills

Sometimes the same idea gets introduced in both chambers at the same time. When the House and Senate each introduce nearly identical legislation, those are called companion bills. Sponsors often coordinate this to move a bill faster, since both chambers are working on it simultaneously. You might see "HR 500 and S. 300" described as companions in the news. On Govbase, you can follow both versions of a bill to stay updated as either one moves.

What Happens When a Bill Passes

Once both chambers pass the same version of a bill, the text is finalized. At that point, it gets official labels:

Engrossed means the bill has passed one chamber and is sent to the other. An "engrossed" bill is the official version as passed by, say, the House.

Enrolled means both chambers have passed the identical text and it has been prepared for the president. This is the final version. The president then signs or vetoes it.

Chaptered is mainly a state-level term, used especially in California. At the federal level, signed bills get a Public Law number instead.

Public Law Numbers

Once the president signs a bill, it becomes a Public Law and gets a new number. The format is "P.L. 119-22," which means the 22nd law enacted during the 119th Congress. Public Law numbers replace the bill number in legal and regulatory contexts.

If a bill starts as HR 500 and passes, it might become P.L. 119-50. The original bill number does not carry over.