How do I cite U.S. legislation (laws in progress) in Chicago?
Answer
Legislation and law are not the same. Legislation is the process of preparing and enacting a law. There are four types of legislation:
- Bills
- Joint Resolutions
- Concurrent resolutions
- Resolutions
If you're looking to cite a law, see the FAQ, "How do I cite a law?"
Chicago citations for legislation are based upon The Bluebook style, the legal and paralegal citation format. The examples on this page are based upon this book and if they do not cover your source, please consult The Bluebook directly.
For legislation, Chicago style states that you do not need to cite the legislation in your bibliography, only in the footnotes of your paper.
Chicago style uses the following abbreviations:
Congress= Cong.
House= H or H.R.
Senate= S
Chicago does not have you identify the Chamber Name.
Chicago recommends citing legislation as follows:
1 Title of the legislation (if there is one), bill or resolution number, section number (if there is one), number of the Congress. (publication year or range).
Footnotes:
1 Student Loan Accountability Act, H.R. 1622, 118th Cong. (2023-2024).
2 Fair College Admissions for Students Act, S. 2524, 118th Cong. (2023-2024).
If you need further help, contact a librarian.