How to track legislation

Tracking legislation comes down to the same five steps, whether you do it by hand or with software. Here's each step both ways.

1. Pick what to watch

By hand: Search each legislature's website by keyword, and keep searching all session, since new bills are filed throughout. For Congress, Congress.gov sends email alerts with a free account.

In FloorVote: Set your team's keywords and AI instructions under Settings → Config. FloorVote checks every bill in your states, and Congress if you track it, against those keywords as it's filed.

2. Sort the new bills

By hand: Skim each new bill's title and decide whether it matters.

In FloorVote: Matching bills arrive already summarized and scored for relevance. Work through the New matches filter, giving each bill a priority or dismissing it.

3. Read what each bill does

By hand: Read the bill text, its fiscal note, and its amendments, and read them again whenever a new version is posted.

In FloorVote: Each bill's page puts the AI summary next to the full text, fiscal notes, and amendments. When the text changes, FloorVote analyzes the new version.

4. Decide where your team stands

By hand: Gather opinions over email or in meetings, and record the outcome somewhere.

In FloorVote: Your members vote support, oppose, or neutral, and talk it through in comments on the bill. Then you set the team's official position.

5. Follow status and hearings

By hand: Check each bill's status page and each committee's hearing schedule, often weekly during session.

In FloorVote: Status changes show up in the activity feed and in daily or weekly email digests. Hearings on your priority bills land on a shared calendar that members can subscribe to, and a week-ahead email flags what's coming.