“Be sure to support bill HB204!”
Until recently, whenever I encountered a passionate plea for action regarding a piece of legislation, I would think to myself, “Okay, maybe I would support it if I even knew what those letters and numbers meant!” How am I supposed to vote for or research a bill if I don’t know what its name even means? Their odd names felt like codes I had to crack, and I didn’t even know where to start.
This article outlines what I have learned about how to read bill names so that you can confidently approach legislation in your state. Included at the end are three tables that lay out all the details.
- Table 1: What the First Letter Means
- Table 2: What the Letter Combination Means
- Table 3: What the Number Means
Learn How to Read Bill Names
Almost every bill (exceptions are noted in the tables below) is named using one or a few letters followed by a list of numbers. Take the example of “HB123.” Upon first glance, this reads like a foreign language. However, the meaning is quite simple and can be easily derived once you understand its parts.
Example Bill Name #1: HB123
In this example, the letter “H” simply stands for “House.” In this example, the House is the name of the chamber that introduced the bill. If you are familiar with the U.S. Congress, this term will be familiar.
The letter “B” stands for “bill.” Bill is the technical name of the type of thing being introduced. Other possible names are “R” for resolution, “F” for file, etc.
Oftentimes, the numbers, in this case “123,” give you the order in which the bill was introduced during the legislative session. Think of it this way: if you were going to label presents you were given on your birthday by the order in which you received them, the first would be “present one” or “P1.” The second, “P2”; the third, “P3”; and so on. So, if your particular legislature follows this pattern, the “123” in our example, “HB123,” just means the bill was the 123rd bill introduced that session.
Note: Some legislatures may use an alternative numbering system that does not reflect the exact order in which the measure was introduced.
Example Bill Name #2: SB502
“SB502” is another example of a bill name structure that you will likely see in your state. The “S” stands for the Senate, which, like the House, is one of the two chambers that make up the state legislature in most states. Once again, the “B” stands for “bill,” and the numbers show the order in which the bill was introduced in the session. In this case, it is the 502nd bill.
Common Bill Names & Their Exceptions
If you become familiar with these structures, terms, and abbreviations, you are well on your way to understanding the grammar of many of the bills introduced by your state legislature! Doing so will give you the confidence you need to approach legislation that has the potential to impact your family.
Below are three detailed tables that lay out the options for bill names and note their possible exceptions. You do not have to be familiar with all of them, so don’t allow all the variations to overwhelm you! Most of the time, you will see “HB” or “SB” with their corresponding numbers. If another variation is introduced, simply return to this blog and reference the list when you come across a bill with an odd title.
Table 1: What the First Letter Means
Most state legislatures have two lawmaking bodies (called “chambers”): a House of Representatives and a Senate. The letter at the beginning of a bill number tells you which one introduced it. A few states use different names for these bodies, which are reflected in different letters.
| Letter | Stands For | What It Means | Which States Use It |
|---|---|---|---|
| H | House | The bill was introduced in the state’s House of Representatives, the larger of the two lawmaking bodies in most states. | Most states: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY |
| S | Senate | The bill was introduced in the state Senate, the smaller of the two lawmaking bodies in most states. | Same states as H above. Every state with an H also has an S. |
| A | Assembly | Some states call their House of Representatives an “Assembly” instead. The A prefix means the same thing as H; it just uses a different name for the same body. | CA, NV, NJ, NY, WI |
| L | Legislature | Nebraska is the only state with just one lawmaking body (called a unicameral legislature), so there is no House or Senate, just “the Legislature.” All bills start with L. | NE only |
Table 2: What the Letter Combination Means
The second part of the abbreviation, the letter or letters after the chamber letter, tells you what kind of document it is. Not everything lawmakers introduce is a proposed law. Some are formal statements, some are requests to Congress, and some are proposals to change the state constitution. The table below explains every type you might encounter.
| Short Code | Full Name | Plain-English Meaning | Which States Use It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bills—Proposed Laws | |||
| HB | House Bill | A proposed law introduced by a member of the House of Representatives. | Most states |
| SB | Senate Bill | A proposed law introduced by a member of the Senate. | Most states |
| AB | Assembly Bill | Same as a House Bill, but in states that call their lower chamber an Assembly. | CA, NV, NJ |
| HF | House File | Same as a House Bill. Iowa and Minnesota use “File” instead of “Bill.” The meaning is identical. | IA, MN |
| SF | Senate File | Same as a Senate Bill. Iowa and Minnesota use “File” instead of “Bill.” The meaning is identical. | IA, MN |
| LB | Legislative Bill | A proposed law in Nebraska, which has only one lawmaking body (no separate House or Senate). | NE only |
| LD | Legislative Document | Maine’s term for a proposed law. All bills, whether they start in the House or Senate, are simply called Legislative Documents. | ME only |
| Resolutions—Formal Statements (Not Laws) | |||
| HR | House Resolution | A formal statement or decision made by the House alone—not a law. Often used to honor someone, express an opinion, or set internal House rules. | Most states |
| SR | Senate Resolution | Same as an HR but made by the Senate alone. | Most states |
| AR | Assembly Resolution | Same as an HR, but in states that call their lower chamber an Assembly. | CA only |
| HCR | House Concurrent Resolution | A statement that both the House and Senate agree on, but it does not carry the force of law. Often used for ceremonial purposes or to direct state agencies. | Most states |
| SCR | Senate Concurrent Resolution | Same as an HCR—agreed to by both chambers, but not a law. Introduced by the Senate. | Most states |
| HJR | House Joint Resolution | A measure passed by both chambers that can propose a constitutional amendment, ratify a federal amendment, or (in some states) carry the force of law. | Most states |
| SJR | Senate Joint Resolution | Same as an HJR, but introduced by the Senate. | Most states |
| AJR | Assembly Joint Resolution | Same as an HJR, but in states that call their lower chamber an Assembly. | CA only |
| ACR | Assembly Concurrent Resolution | Same as an HCR but introduced by the Assembly. | CA only |
| HJ | House Joint Resolution | A shorter abbreviation some states use for what others call an HJR. | MD, MT |
| SJ | Senate Joint Resolution | A shorter abbreviation some states use for what others call an SJR. | CT, MD, MT |
| Constitutional Amendments—Changing the State Constitution | |||
| ACA | Assembly Constitutional Amendment | A proposal to change the state constitution that is introduced by the Assembly. | CA only |
| SCA | Senate Constitutional Amendment | A proposal to change the state constitution that is introduced by the Senate. | CA only |
| CACR | Constitutional Amendment Concurrent Resolution | New Hampshire’s way of proposing a change to its state constitution. Both chambers must agree. | NH only |
| JRCA | Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment | A constitutional amendment proposal that both chambers vote on together. | IL only |
| SJRCA | Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment | Same as JRCA, introduced by the Senate. | IL only |
| HJRCA | House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment | Same as JRCA, introduced by the House. | IL only |
| Memorials—Requests to Congress or the Federal Government | |||
| HM | House Memorial | A formal request from the state House asking the U.S. Congress or the federal government to take a specific action. It has no legal force on its own. | AZ, CO, SD |
| SM | Senate Memorial | Same as an HM, but from the state Senate. | AZ, CO, SD |
| HJM | House Joint Memorial | A request to Congress agreed to by both the House and Senate, introduced by the House. | CO, ID |
| SJM | Senate Joint Memorial | A request to Congress agreed to by both chambers, introduced by the Senate. | CO, ID |
| HCM | House Concurrent Memorial | Similar to an HJM—a joint request to Congress introduced by the House. | AZ only |
| SCM | Senate Concurrent Memorial | Similar to an SJM—a joint request to Congress introduced by the Senate. | AZ only |
| MR | Memorial Resolution | Arkansas’s term for a formal request directed at Congress or a federal body. | AR only |
| CMR | Concurrent Memorial Resolution | Arkansas’s term for a joint memorial that is agreed to by both chambers. | AR only |
| Study Requests—Louisiana Only | |||
| SSR | Senate Study Request | A request from the Louisiana Senate asking a committee or agency to study a specific issue and report back. Not a law. | LA only |
| HSR | House Study Request | Same as an SSR, but from the Louisiana House. | LA only |
| HCSR | House Concurrent Study Request | A study request agreed to by both the Louisiana House and Senate, introduced by the House. | LA only |
| SCSR | Senate Concurrent Study Request | A study request agreed to by both chambers, introduced by the Senate. | LA only |
| Special & Miscellaneous Types | |||
| EO | Executive Order | In Illinois, executive orders issued by the governor can be assigned a number in the legislative tracking system, though they originate from the governor, not the legislature. | IL only |
| JSR | Joint Session Resolution | A resolution that is passed when both chambers of the Illinois legislature meet in the same room at the same time. | IL only |
| HP | House Proclamation | An official declaration or announcement from the Idaho House that is typically ceremonial (recognizing an achievement, declaring a day, etc.). | ID only |
| SP | Senate Proclamation | Same as an HP, but from the Idaho Senate. | ID only |
| HA | House Address | New Hampshire’s term for a formal message from the House to another branch of government. | NH only |
| SA | Senate Address | Same as an HA, but from the New Hampshire Senate. | NH only |
| HRB | House Repeal Bill | A bill introduced in the Missouri House specifically to undo (repeal) an existing law. | MO only |
| SRB | Senate Repeal Bill | Same as an HRB but introduced in the Missouri Senate. | MO only |
| SRM | Senate Remonstration | A formal objection or protest from the Missouri Senate that is typically directed at the federal government. | MO only |
| HP | House Paper | Maine’s term for a document submitted to the House that is not itself a bill but often a report, communication, or petition. | ME only |
Table 3: What the Number Means
After the letters comes a number. This table explains what that number means.
| Rule | Plain-English Meaning | Real-World Example | Does This Apply Everywhere? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rules That Apply in Almost Every State | |||
| Numbers are assigned in order | When a lawmaker submits a bill, the clerk’s office stamps it with the next available number, like taking a ticket at the DMV. The first bill filed in a session gets 1, the second gets 2, and so on. | HB1 was the first House Bill filed that session. HB203 was the 203rd. | Yes, in all states. The list isn’t always perfectly unbroken; some states skip numbers if a bill is pulled before it’s officially filed. |
| Numbers reset every session | A “legislative session” is the window of time when lawmakers are officially meeting and voting. At the start of each new session, the numbering starts over at 1. This means the same number can refer to completely different bills in different years. | HB203 from 2022 and HB203 from 2024 are two totally different bills—same code, different topics, different years. | Yes, in all states. Sessions vary in length: some states meet every year, others every two years. Emergency or “special” sessions sometimes use their own separate numbering. |
| Each chamber counts separately | The House and Senate each keep their own running count. They don’t share numbers. So, both chambers can have a bill number 5 at the same time—those are two different bills. | HB5 (a House Bill) and SB5 (a Senate Bill) can both exist in the same session. They have nothing to do with each other. | Yes, in all states with two chambers. Nebraska is the only exception; it has just one chamber, so there is only one numbering sequence (LB####). |
| Exceptions—States That Do It Differently | |||
| Florida: odd vs. even numbers | Florida skips the letter that normally tells you which chamber a bill came from. Instead, it uses the number itself: odd numbers always belong to the House; even numbers always belong to the Senate. | H1357 came from the House (1357 is odd). S1234 came from the Senate (1234 is even). | Florida only |
| North Dakota: numbers only, no letters | North Dakota is the only state that uses no letters at all. Instead, the first digit of a 4-digit number tells you both which chamber introduced the bill and what type of measure it is. 1,000s = House Bill 2,000s = Senate Bill 3,000s = House Concurrent Resolution 4,000s = Senate Concurrent Resolution 5,000s = House Resolution 6,000s = Senate Resolution 7,000s = House Memorial 8,000s = Senate Memorial |
Bill #1577 is a House Bill. Bill #2034 is a Senate Bill. | North Dakota only. Every other state uses at least one letter prefix. |
| Some states add version labels | When a bill is changed (amended) during the process, most states just update the text. But a few states—especially Hawaii and Washington—add a suffix to the number to show which version you’re reading. The base number stays the same; the tag at the end tells you how many times it has been revised. | HB100 is the original. HB100 H.D.1 is the first revised version from the House. HB100 S.D.2 is the second revised version from the Senate. | Not universal. Most states issue a new bill number when a bill is significantly changed, rather than adding a suffix. |
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