Sponsor

A sponsor, in the United States Congress, is a senator or representative who introduces a bill or amendment and is its chief advocate.^[1] Committees are occasionally identified as sponsors of legislation as well. A sponsor is also sometimes called a "primary sponsor."^[2]

It should not be assumed that a bill's sponsor actually drafted it. The bill may have been drafted by a staff member, by an interest group, or by others.^[3] In the Senate, multiple sponsorship of a bill is permitted.^[2]

In contrast to a sponsor, a "cosponsor" is a senator or representative who adds his or her name as a supporter to the sponsor's bill. An "initial cosponsor" or "original cosponsor" is a senator or representative who was listed as a cosponsor at the time of a bill's introduction, rather than added as a cosponsor later on.^[2][4] A cosponsor added later is known as an "additional cosponsor".^[2] Some bills have hundreds of cosponsors.^[5]

External links

• Sponsor/Cosponsor Summaries from the Library of Congress: (2007-2008), (2005-2006), (2003-2004), (2001-2002), (1999-2000),(1997-1998), (1995-1996), (1993-1994), (1991-1992), (1989-1990), (1987-1988), (1985-1986), (1983-1984), (1981-1982), (1979-1980), (1977-1978), (1977-1978), and (1975-1976).

Footnotes

1. ^ C-Span Glossary, "Sponsor"
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Johnson, Charles. "How Our Laws Are Made", United States House of Representatives (2003).
3. ^ Sagers. Chris. “A Statute by Any Other (Non-Acronomial) Name Might Smell Less Like S.P.AM., or, The Congress of the United States Grows Increasingly D.U.M.B.”, Cleveland-Marshall Legal Studies Paper No. 08-151 (2008): "bills may also be drafted by constituents or interest groups, by state legislatures ('memorializing' Congress to enact federal laws), by administrative agencies, or by commissions appointed by the president or a cabinet member."
4. ^ C-Span Glossary, "Cosponsor".
5. ^ Fitch, Brad. “Media Relations Handbook for Agencies, Associations, Nonprofits, And Congress” (TheCapitol.Net 2004): “Some bills have hundreds of cosponsors, since members can easily add their support to any bill introduced and sometimes do it verbally without notifying staff.”

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