Links to learning and action
Finding updated information and staying engaged is not easy. The US system is structured to have legislation at federal (both the House and the Senate that make up Congress), state (which also each have a House and Senate to make up the state legislative body), as well as county or parish level, township or city level, and even school district levels. This split can be good in that it allows for flexibility and adaptability at various levels, but as each level functions independently— all of their info is dispersed.
While we are developing a tool to bring all of this closer to our fingertips... in the meantime here are some of the links where legislation can be found
Federal/ National
Legislators (Senators or Reps) draft bills, which then go to a committee (based on topic), if they are voted out of committee, they are then voted/revised in both the House and Senate. Lots of steps- but here is a link to access federal legislation.
An additional link to Federal legislation (but with some more searchable filters)… don’t get overwhelmed with the numbers, just focus on your key words or timelines- whatever your priority search approach may be.
Each state has 2 Senators (no matter the population of the state). This link will help you know which two represent you, and how to contact them.
The number of Representatives varies by state- due to population, and each Representative covers a specific geographic zone. This link will help you know who represents you, and how to contact them.
State
While federal elections take the headlines, state level legislation impacts our day to day lives, including how decisions at the federal level are applied within our state.
Each of the 50 states has its own system for sharing legislator contact information and storing legislation, we are working to compile these to facilitate your access.
County/Parrish, Township/Borough/City School District
While federal elections take the headlines, and we get updates about what our governor is up to… our county or parrish, township, borough, or city, and our school district level decisions directly impact our daily interactions with our communities.
This level is REALLY important, and also the most vast and diverse as far as availability- so bear with us, and feel free to share any resources you may have!