va-lis-mcp

list_conference_bills

The bills of a session that went to a conference committee.

Instructions

The bills of a session that went to a conference committee.

A conference committee settles the differences when the two chambers pass different versions of a bill. chamber is the bill's chamber of origin, and member_id narrows the list to the conferences one member sat on. The rows name no conferees: get_bill_history lists them on the bill's events ("House Conferees: ..."). limit is capped at 200; page with offset.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "session_code": "<session_code>"
    },
    "name": "list_conference_bills"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`limit`	No
`offset`	No
`chamber`	No
`member_id`	No
`session_code`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Addedv0.2.0Oct 13, 2026

TDQS

A4.3/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

With no annotations, the description carries the full burden and does disclose meaningful behavior: rows contain no conferee names (a real data limitation), `limit` is capped at 200, and paging is done with `offset`. It still says nothing about authentication or the shape/size of returned rows, so it falls short of a 5.

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

Conciseness4/5

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

The lead sentence states the resource immediately, followed by a short definition, then parameter behavior. Every sentence carries information, though the conference-committee explainer is slightly more background than an agent strictly needs to invoke the tool.

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?

With no output schema and no annotations, the description covers what the rows represent, a known gap in the returned data, and pagination limits. It is adequate for invocation, though it could say more about the row fields returned or default ordering.

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 description coverage is 0%, so the description must compensate, and it does for 4 of 5 parameters: chamber (chamber of origin), member_id (member's conference seats), limit (capped at 200), offset (paging). Only session_code is left unexplained, though it is required and self-evident.

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 concrete verb+resource: bills of a session that reached a conference committee, and defines what a conference committee is. This clearly separates it from siblings like list_bills, list_amended_bills, and list_most_viewed_bills, which list broader or differently scoped subsets.

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 gives real selection context: use `chamber` for chamber of origin and `member_id` to narrow to conferences a member sat on. It also routes the agent to a sibling (get_bill_history) for the conferee names this list deliberately omits. It does not state when NOT to use it, but the filtering guidance is strong.

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