va-lis-mcp

list_minutes_books

The published minutes books of a session, newest first.

Instructions

The published minutes books of a session, newest first.

A minutes book is the clerk's record of what one body did on one day. Both chambers publish committee books. Only the Senate publishes floor books (is_floor true), so read House floor action from list_floor_calendars and get_bill_history. committee is a number or name, and it excludes every floor book; kind picks the floor books or the committee books. Dates are YYYY-MM-DD and inclusive. A book with status "In Progress" can still change. Pass a minutes_book_id to get_minutes_book for the bills and votes. 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_minutes_books"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`kind`	No
`limit`	No
`offset`	No
`chamber`	No
`end_date`	No
`committee`	No
`start_date`	No
`session_code`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Addedv0.2.0Oct 13, 2026

TDQS

A4.5/5.0

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 well: it discloses sort order (newest first), the Senate-only floor-book publication rule, that 'In Progress' status means the record can still change, that dates are inclusive, and that limit is capped at 200 with offset paging. It does not discuss auth or error behavior, but the substantive behavioral traits are covered.

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?

Dense and front-loaded with the core purpose in the first sentence, and every subsequent sentence adds routing or parameter detail. The prose is somewhat fragmented across short clauses, but there is little waste.

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?

For an 8-parameter, no-annotation, no-output-schema tool this covers most of what an agent needs: scope, ordering, filtering axes, dates, and pagination. The unexplained chamber alphabet and session_code are the only notable omissions, and no output schema means return shape is unstated.

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 largely does: it explains committee (number or name, excluding all floor books), kind (floor vs committee), date format YYYY-MM-DD and inclusive semantics, limit cap of 200, and offset paging. It leaves chamber (H/S) and session_code unexplained, which is the remaining gap.

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+resource ('The published minutes books of a session, newest first') and even defines the domain object ('a minutes book is the clerk's record of what one body did on one day'). It names the siblings it is not for House floor action (list_floor_calendars, get_bill_history), so an agent can route without opening another schema.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

Explicitly states when to use alternatives: read House floor action from list_floor_calendars and get_bill_history because only the Senate publishes floor books. It also routes forward ('Pass a minutes_book_id to get_minutes_book for the bills and votes') and explains how committee vs kind select subsets.

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