What each status means, from introduction to law — and why a bill that dies is still news.
Every entry in the Legislation Tracker carries a status. Here is what each one means, in the order a bill usually meets them.
Introduced — the bill has been filed and given a number. Most bills go no further. In Committee — a committee is hearing, amending, or sitting on it; this is where most bills quietly die. Passed — it has cleared the required chambers; for most measures that means both houses of a legislature, or both houses of Congress. Signed — the governor or President has signed it; it is law, though parts may take effect later. Vetoed — the executive rejected it; legislatures can sometimes override. Dead — the session ended or the bill was formally withdrawn without becoming law.
A dead bill shows where support actually sits, and identical bills have a habit of returning next session. The tracker keeps the history so a refiled measure does not look brand new.
Statuses come from the legislature's or Congress's own records, linked on every entry — never from a press release or a headline. If we cannot confirm a status from the official record, the entry says so instead of guessing.