openstates-mcp-server

Get Committee

openstates_get_committee

Read-onlyIdempotent

Fetch committee detail by OCD organization ID. Returns name, classification, and membership roster when include=memberships is requested. Experimental — not all states have committee data in Open States. Obtain the committee_id from openstates_search_committees.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`include`	No	Related data to inline. "memberships" includes the full roster with member roles. "links" includes the committee homepage and reference links, and "sources" the provenance URLs behind the record.
`committee_id`	Yes	OCD organization ID (from openstates_search_committees results).

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`id`	No	OCD organization ID.
`name`	No	Committee name.
`error`	No	Present when the call failed. Absent on success.
`links`	No	Committee homepage and reference links when include=links is requested.
`sources`	No	Provenance sources when include=sources is requested.
`parent_id`	No	OCD ID of parent committee, or null for top-level committees.
`memberships`	No	Membership roster when include=memberships is requested.
`classification`	No	Committee classification: "committee" or "subcommittee".

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedOct 28, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / error / properties / data / properties / reason / description

Previous value: -"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `not_found`: Committee ID does not exist in Open States. `upstream_timeout`: Open States did not answer within the per-request timeout. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."New value: +"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `not_found`: Committee ID does not exist in Open States. `upstream_timeout`: Open States did not answer within the per-request timeout. `rate_limited`: The shared Open States API key reached a request cap — Open States' per-minute or daily limit, or this server's own daily budget. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."

changedOutput schema / properties / error / properties / data / properties / reason / examples

Previous value: -[
-  "not_found",
-  "upstream_timeout"
-]New value: +[
+  "not_found",
+  "upstream_timeout",
+  "rate_limited"
+]

Changed2 schema fields changedSep 20, 2026
- removedOutput schema / properties / parent_id / anyOf
```
Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / parent_id / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```

Changed6 schema fields changedAug 25, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedOutput schema / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "not": {
+      "required": [
+        "error"
+      ]
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "id",
+      "name",
+      "classification",
+      "parent_id"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ]
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / error

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "Present when the call failed. Absent on success.",
+  "properties": {
+    "code": {
+      "description": "JSON-RPC error code for this failure.",
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "data": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "properties": {
+        "reason": {
+          "description": "Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `not_found`: Committee ID does not exist in Open States. `upstream_timeout`: Open States did not answer within the per-request timeout. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler.",
+          "examples": [
+            "not_found",
+            "upstream_timeout"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "recovery": {
+          "additionalProperties": {},
+          "description": "Actionable next step for the caller.",
+          "properties": {
+            "hint": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "hint"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "retryable": {
+          "description": "Whether retrying may succeed.",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "message": {
+      "description": "Human-readable description of what went wrong.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "code",
+    "message"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / required

Removed value: -[
-  "id",
-  "name",
-  "classification",
-  "parent_id"
-]

Changed5 schema fields changedJul 31, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / links / items / properties / note / description

Previous value: -"Link description (e.g., \"homepage\")."New value: +"Link description (e.g., \"homepage\"). Empty string when Open States recorded no description."

changedOutput schema / properties / memberships / items / properties / person_id / description

Previous value: -"OCD person ID of the member."New value: +"OCD person ID of the member — pass it to openstates_search_people as id for the full record. Empty string when the membership carries no linked person."

changedOutput schema / properties / memberships / items / properties / person_name / description

Previous value: -"Member name."New value: +"Member name. Empty string when Open States recorded none."

changedOutput schema / properties / memberships / items / properties / role / description

Previous value: -"Member role (e.g., \"chair\", \"member\")."New value: +"Member role (e.g., \"chair\", \"member\"). Empty string when Open States recorded none."

changedOutput schema / properties / sources / items / properties / note / description

Previous value: -"Source note."New value: +"Source note. Empty string when Open States recorded no note."

Changed3 schema fields changedJul 16, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / include / description

Previous value: -"Related data to inline. \"memberships\" includes the full roster with member roles."New value: +"Related data to inline. \"memberships\" includes the full roster with member roles. \"links\" includes the committee homepage and reference links, and \"sources\" the provenance URLs behind the record."

addedOutput schema / properties / links

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Committee homepage and reference links when include=links is requested.",
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "description": "External link record.",
+    "properties": {
+      "note": {
+        "description": "Link description (e.g., \"homepage\").",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "url": {
+        "description": "Link URL.",
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "url",
+      "note"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / sources

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Provenance sources when include=sources is requested.",
+  "items": {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "description": "Source record.",
+    "properties": {
+      "note": {
+        "description": "Source note.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "url": {
+        "description": "Source URL.",
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "url",
+      "note"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

First observedMay 25, 2026

TDQS

A4.4/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare read-only, idempotent, open-world semantics, so the description's added value is the data-availability caveat ("Experimental — not all states have committee data") and the conditional return of the membership roster tied to include=memberships. Return shape is left to the output schema, which exists.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three short sentences, front-loaded with the core action, followed by return behavior and the caveat. No filler or restatement of the title.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists so return-value detail is covered elsewhere, and the description adds the two things an agent can't infer structurally: the ID's provenance and the incomplete state coverage. Slightly light on what happens if the ID isn't found, but otherwise sufficient.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so baseline is 3; the description earns above that by explaining that the membership roster only appears when include=memberships is passed, which clarifies the practical effect of the include array beyond the enum descriptions.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ("Fetch committee detail") plus the exact identifier type (OCD organization ID), and distinguishes itself from openstates_search_committees by routing users there for the ID. The experimental caveat further scopes expectations.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicitly names the prerequisite source for committee_id (openstates_search_committees) and warns that not all states have committee data. Missing only an explicit when-not case (e.g., use search when you don't already hold an ID), but the routing is clear.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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