bill
The top level container element that contains all the text and markup for an entire bill or Act. This element encompasses the bill's form (metadata which is the information about the Bill such as the official title), and the legis-body (the actual words that comprise the content of the bill).
Note: An Engrossed Amendment is still just an Amendment, not a Bill; it has not been incorporated, it has merely been passed.
Element information
Content
- Sequence [1..1]
- pre-form [0..1]The pre-form element is a metadata element that defines information about the bill or resolution.
- metadata [0..1]
- form [1..1]Container element for those portions of a measure that are typically identified as metadata for the measure and displayed on the first page of the measure before the legislative language of the bill or resolution. Some of the elements contained within the form are also displayed in the endorsement (back cover) of the measure when applicable. The content model is: distribution-code?, calendar?, congress, session, legis-num, associated-doc*, current-chamber, action*, legis-type, official-title
- legis-body [1..1]Container for the textual content of a legislative measure. This may include such material as proposed law and changes to existing law. This element does not contain the enacting clause, but the enacting clause is generated on output before the legis-body is displayed.
- Choice [0..*]
- legis-bodyContainer for the textual content of a legislative measure. This may include such material as proposed law and changes to existing law. This element does not contain the enacting clause, but the enacting clause is generated on output before the legis-body is displayed.
- official-title-amendmentAmendment to the official-title of a measure
- attestation [0..1]Container for information indicating passage of a measure and certification by the Clerk of the House of Representatives or the Secretary of the Senate (or their representatives) that a document is genuine. The text of the printed attestation will be generated from this information.
- endorsement [0..1]Used to create the endorsement structure that is on the “back” of a measure; the endorsement typically includes information about the measure's title, number, the chamber in which it is being considered, its calendar number, etc. Endorsements are created by either the GPO or the Clerks. GPO creates endorsements on calendar bills (reported bills), while the Enrolling Clerks create endorsements on engrossments. It should be noted that a simple resolution reported has an endorsement, but engrossed simple resolutions do not have endorsements.
Attributes
| Name | Occ | Type | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| key | [0..1] | Anonymous | Represents the organization that created this version of the bill (House, Senate, GPO, or Library of Congress). Different organizations may provide value added data to the document (e.g., Library of Congress may add elements to provide additional search capabilities). | |
| star-print | [0..1] | Anonymous | A reprint of a bill, resolution, amendment, or committee report correcting technical or substantive errors in a previous printing; so called because of the small black star that appears on the front page or cover. | Default value is "no-star-print". |
| dms-id | [0..1] | xsd:anySimpleType | Unique identifier for the bill, intended to be used by the document management system. Both the identifier and the version number for each bill are given in the attributes on the bill (top) level.This identifier is NOT the same as the legislation number (<legis-num>, which is the number assigned to a bill by the originating chamber, for example, H.R. 12. | |
| dms-version | [0..1] | xsd:anySimpleType | The version number of the measure, intended to be used by the document management system. Both the identifier and the version number for each measure are given in attributes on the top level element (bill, resolution, and amendment document). | |
| bill-type | [0..1] | Anonymous | Style of the bill. Office of the Legislative Counsel (OLC), traditional, or appropiations. | Default value is "olc". |
| stage-count | [0..1] | xsd:anySimpleType | Default value is "1". | |
| bill-stage | [1..1] | Anonymous | Identifier for a measure’s stage in the legislative process. Values indicate the significant life stages in the process of a bill that have an effect on the way the bill is printed or displayed, for example, changing the color of the paper or the typography. | |
| public-private | [1..1] | Anonymous | Is this measure public or private? The values are: public, impacting a specific individual and private, impacting the public at large | |
| microcomp-version | [0..1] | xsd:anySimpleType | The composition application version used to compose the document. | |
| public-print | [0..1] | xsd:anySimpleType | Default value is "no". |