Congress

Get Bill

get_bill

Read-onlyIdempotent

Look up one congressional bill from GovTrack by its real-world identifier — congress number, bill type and bill number, e.g. the 118th Congress H.R. 1. Returns title, sponsor, current status with its date, introduced date and the GovTrack link. Does NOT return bill text, cosponsors, committee assignments or vote history.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`id`	No	GovTrack internal numeric bill id. Legacy — v2 no longer returns it on any endpoint, so prefer congress + bill_type + number.
`number`	Yes	Bill number within that congress, e.g. 1 for H.R. 1
`congress`	Yes	Congress number, e.g. 118
`bill_type`	Yes	GovTrack bill type: house_bill, senate_bill, house_resolution, senate_resolution, house_joint_resolution, senate_joint_resolution, house_concurrent_resolution or senate_concurrent_resolution. 'hr' and 'h.r.' are accepted as house_bill, 's' as senate_bill.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`id`	Yes	Bill ID
`link`	No	GovTrack bill URL
`title`	No	Full bill title
`number`	No	Bill number
`status`	No	Current status code
`congress`	No	Congress number
`bill_type`	No	Bill type code
`status_date`	No	Date of current status
`sponsor_name`	No	Primary sponsor name
`status_label`	No	Current status label
`bill_type_label`	No	Bill type label
`introduced_date`	No	Bill introduction date
`title_without_number`	No	Bill title without number prefix

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed6 schema fields changedSep 23, 2026

changedInput schema / examples

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "id": 3456789
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "bill_type": "house_bill",
+    "congress": 118,
+    "number": 1
+  }
+]

addedInput schema / properties / bill_type

Added value: +{
+  "description": "GovTrack bill type: house_bill, senate_bill, house_resolution, senate_resolution, house_joint_resolution, senate_joint_resolution, house_concurrent_resolution or senate_concurrent_resolution. 'hr' and 'h.r.' are accepted as house_bill, 's' as senate_bill.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / congress

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Congress number, e.g. 118",
+  "type": "number"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / id / description

Previous value: -"GovTrack bill ID (numeric)"New value: +"GovTrack internal numeric bill id. Legacy — v2 no longer returns it on any endpoint, so prefer congress + bill_type + number."

addedInput schema / properties / number

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Bill number within that congress, e.g. 1 for H.R. 1",
+  "type": "number"
+}

changedInput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "id"
-]New value: +[
+  "congress",
+  "bill_type",
+  "number"
+]

Changed2 schema fields changedMay 24, 2026

addedInput schema / examples

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "id": 3456789
+  }
+]

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "properties": {
+    "bill_type": {
+      "description": "Bill type code",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "bill_type_label": {
+      "description": "Bill type label",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "congress": {
+      "description": "Congress number",
+      "type": [
+        "number",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "id": {
+      "description": "Bill ID",
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "introduced_date": {
+      "description": "Bill introduction date",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "link": {
+      "description": "GovTrack bill URL",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "number": {
+      "description": "Bill number",
+      "type": [
+        "number",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "sponsor_name": {
+      "description": "Primary sponsor name",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "status": {
+      "description": "Current status code",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "status_date": {
+      "description": "Date of current status",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "status_label": {
+      "description": "Current status label",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "title": {
+      "description": "Full bill title",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "title_without_number": {
+      "description": "Bill title without number prefix",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "id"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

Changed2 schema fields changedMay 12, 2026

removedInput schema / examples

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "id": 3456789
-  }
-]

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -{
-  "properties": {
-    "bill_type": {
-      "description": "Bill type code",
-      "type": [
-        "string",
-        "null"
-      ]
-    },
-    "bill_type_label": {
-      "description": "Bill type label",
-      "type": [
-        "string",
-        "null"
-      ]
-    },
-    "congress": {
-      "description": "Congress number",
-      "type": [
-        "number",
-        "null"
-      ]
-    },
-    "id": {
-      "description": "Bill ID",
-      "type": "number"
-    },
-    "introduced_date": {
-      "description": "Bill introduction date",
-      "type": [
-        "string",
-        "null"
-      ]
-    },
-    "link": {
-      "description": "GovTrack bill URL",
-      "type": [
-        "string",
-        "null"
-      ]
-    },
-    "number": {
-      "description": "Bill number",
-      "type": [
-        "number",
-        "null"
-      ]
-    },
-    "sponsor_name": {
-      "description": "Primary sponsor name",
-      "type": [
-        "string",
-        "null"
-      ]
-    },
-    "status": {
-      "description": "Current status code",
-      "type": [
-        "string",
-        "null"
-      ]
-    },
-    "status_date": {
-      "description": "Date of current status",
-      "type": [
-        "string",
-        "null"
-      ]
-    },
-    "status_label": {
-      "description": "Current status label",
-      "type": [
-        "string",
-        "null"
-      ]
-    },
-    "title": {
-      "description": "Full bill title",
-      "type": [
-        "string",
-        "null"
-      ]
-    },
-    "title_without_number": {
-      "description": "Bill title without number prefix",
-      "type": [
-        "string",
-        "null"
-      ]
-    }
-  },
-  "required": [
-    "id"
-  ],
-  "type": "object"
-}New value: +null

Changed1 schema field changedMay 8, 2026

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "properties": {
+    "bill_type": {
+      "description": "Bill type code",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "bill_type_label": {
+      "description": "Bill type label",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "congress": {
+      "description": "Congress number",
+      "type": [
+        "number",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "id": {
+      "description": "Bill ID",
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "introduced_date": {
+      "description": "Bill introduction date",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "link": {
+      "description": "GovTrack bill URL",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "number": {
+      "description": "Bill number",
+      "type": [
+        "number",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "sponsor_name": {
+      "description": "Primary sponsor name",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "status": {
+      "description": "Current status code",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "status_date": {
+      "description": "Date of current status",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "status_label": {
+      "description": "Current status label",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "title": {
+      "description": "Full bill title",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    },
+    "title_without_number": {
+      "description": "Bill title without number prefix",
+      "type": [
+        "string",
+        "null"
+      ]
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "id"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

Changed1 schema field changedMay 6, 2026
- addedInput schema / examples
```
Added value: +[
+  {
+    "id": 3456789
+  }
+]
```
First observedApr 22, 2026

TDQS

A4.3/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, idempotentHint, and destructiveHint=false, covering safety. The description adds valuable behavioral context by listing exactly what the response contains (title, sponsor, status, dates, link) and explicitly what it excludes (text, cosponsors, committees, votes). This prevents false expectations without contradicting annotations.

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 sentences with no redundancy: the first states the action and identifier scheme, the second lists expected return fields, and the third defines negative scope. Information is front-loaded and every sentence earns its place.

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 read-only lookup tool with a rich input schema and an output schema, the description covers purpose, key identifier semantics, return scope, and exclusions. Nothing essential is missing for an agent to select and invoke this tool correctly.

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 description coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3. The description reinforces the purpose of congress, bill_type, and number with a concrete example, but the schema already provides detailed descriptions for each parameter, including the legacy note on id. No significant additional semantics are introduced.

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 ('Look up') and resource ('one congressional bill from GovTrack') and precisely scopes the lookup by real-world identifiers (congress, bill type, bill number). It clearly differentiates from sibling tools like get_members, get_recent_bills, and search_bills by focusing on a single bill lookup.

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?

The description provides clear context for when to use the tool: when you have a bill's congress number, bill type, and bill number. It also lists what the tool does NOT return, which helps rule out misuse, but it does not explicitly name sibling tools or exclusion conditions such as 'use search_bills if you need bill text.'

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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Get Bill

Input Schema

Output Schema

Schema Changelog

TDQS

Glama MCP Gateway

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