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

TableJSON 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

TableJSON 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 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

A4.3/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnly, openWorld, and idempotent behavior. The description adds value beyond those hints by noting the experimental status and the state-data caveat, plus the effect of include=memberships on the returned roster. It does not describe not-found behavior, but the annotations and output schema cover most safety and shape expectations.

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 deliver the core purpose, the key parameter behavior, a caveat, and the ID source with no wasted words. The most important scoping information is front-loaded.

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

Completeness5/5

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

For a simple two-parameter retrieval tool with full schema descriptions, an output schema, and safety annotations, the description covers everything needed to invoke it correctly. The experimental warning and ID sourcing instruction are useful extras that close the main usability gaps.

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

Parameters3/5

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

Schema coverage is 100%, with both committee_id and include already described in detail. The description adds only a small clarification that include=memberships returns the roster and that committee_id comes from search results, which is largely redundant with the schema. This meets the baseline for fully documented parameters without adding substantial new semantic meaning.

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?

The description states a specific verb ('Fetch committee detail'), a precise resource ('by OCD organization ID'), and describes the return content ('name, classification, and membership roster'). It also references the sibling search tool as the source of the ID, so an agent can distinguish retrieval-by-ID from search.

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?

It gives clear context for when to call the tool: after obtaining a committee_id from openstates_search_committees. It also flags the experimental limitation that not all states have data. It does not explicitly enumerate when not to use it versus sibling get_* tools, but the resource type makes this unnecessary.

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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