Version types are listed in roughly the order that they might happen in the legislative process.
| Abbreviations | Definitions |
|---|---|
| 1 IS - Introduced in the Senate IH- Introduced in the House | This phrase indicates that a bill has been introduced in either the House or the Senate. In the Senate, any number of senators may introduce a single bill; in the House, a limit of 25 representatives may cosponsor a bill. Many bills are actually committee bills and therefore are introduced under the name of the (sub)committee's chairperson as a formality. |
| 2 RFS - Referred in Senate RFH- Referred in House | This phrase indicates that, after being introduced, a bill has been directed to the committees that have jurisdiction over the subject with which the bill is concerned. (Bills are referred by the Speaker in the House and the presiding officer in the Senate.) |
| 3 RDS - Received in Senate RHS - Received in House | This phrase indicates that a bill has been accepted for consideration in one house. |
| 4 RCS - Reference Change Senate RCH - Reference Change House | This phrase indicates a change in the referral of a bill, which requires the unanimous consent of the members of the house in question. |
| 5 RS - Reported in the Senate RH - Reported in the House | This phrase accompanies a committee's report of its findings and recommendations to the parent house after it has examined a bill. The version of the bill as reported includes changes, if any, that have been recommended by the committee. |
| 6 PCS - Placed on Calendar Senate PCH - Placed on Calendar House | This phrase accompanies a bill that is pending before committees of either house. The bill is assigned a calendar number, which determines when it will be considered by that house. |
| 7 CPS - Considered and Passed Senate CPH - Considered and Passed House | This phrase indicates that, after being debated, a bill has been voted on and passed by one of the two houses. |
| 8 EAS - Engrossed amendment Senate EAH - Engrossed amendment House | This phrase accompanies the final copy of a bill that has been passed by one house and certified by the clerk of the House or the secretary of the Senate. It includes the amendments to the text from floor action. |
| 9 ES - Engrossed in the Senate EH - Engrossed in the House | This phrase accompanies the final copy of a bill that has been passed by one house and certified by the clerk of the House or the secretary of the Senate. |
| 10 RAS - Referred with Amendments Senate RAH - Referred with Amendments House | This phrase indicates that an engrossed bill has been passed from one house to the other, requesting concurrence. |
| a ENR - Enrolled | This phrase accompanies the final copy of a bill that has been passed in identical form by both houses. It must be certified by an officer of the house of origin (the clerk of the House or the secretary of the Senate) and then sent on for the signatures of the Speaker of the House, the president of the Senate, and the U.S. president. An enrolled bill is printed on parchment. |