Search Tips Overview

What Is Searched

All Congress.gov sources are searched by default. If you wish to limit the scope of your search by source, choose one from the selection list next to the search entry box.

Searching by Bill Number

Bill, resolution and amendment numbers include an alphabetical prefix and a number. To search, enter the prefix and number with no spaces.

See the following table for acceptable forms of prefixes and examples.

Prefix Type Example
hr House Bills hr1060
hjres House Joint Resolutions hjres47
hconres House Concurrent Resolutions hconres35
hres House Resolutions hres103
hamdt House Amendments hamdt745
s Senate Bills s823
sjres Senate Joint Resolutions sjres19
sconres Senate Concurrent Resolutions sconres56
sres Senate Resolutions sres589
samdt Senate Amendments samdt64

Searching by Public Law Number

When searching by public law number, do not include a prefix. For example, 112-139.

Refining a Search with Facets

Facets provide a way to narrow, or reduce, your set of search results by selecting additional search criteria from among those available in your initial result set. To learn more about specific facets available in Congress.gov, see How to Refine a Search.

Phrase Searching

Use quotes around two or more words to find an exact match on your phrase.

Search Operators

Search operators are not available at this time but will be added in the future.

Field Searching

The ability to limit your search by field is not available at this time but will be added in the future.

Navigating Search Results

The search results list provides brief information about each item. Select an item from the list to see the full content. Use your browser back button to return to the search results list, or use your browser's bookmark feature to save a direct link to your results.