BILLS.


A bill is the form in which most legislation is introduced in Congress. Bills may originate in the
House or in the Senate. (However, revenue bills must originate in the House.) Bills are designated
'H.R.' (for House bills) or 'S.' (for Senate bills) and are numbered consecutively throughout the
length of a particular Congress. This number stays with the bill until it is either passed, or until the
end of that particular Congress. Each Congress lasts two years and is comprised of two, one-year
sessions. Bills proposing public laws are printed upon introduction and are usually reprinted when
amended. The comparison of the language of the bill as introduced and as amended, with the final
language of the law as passed, may reveal legislative intent.




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CITATION EXAMPLE: H.R. 4509, 81st Cong., 2d Sess. (1950).