Bills by Final Status

This table breaks down the bills and resolutions introduced in each two-year Congress by their final status. Note that the current Congress is not yet finished.

Since World War II (the earliest we have data), Congress has typically enacted 4-6 million words of new law in each two-year Congress. However, those words have been enacted in fewer but larger bills. Therefore, the generally decreasing number of bills enacted into law does not reflect less legislative work is occurring.

Counts & Percents | Counts Only | Percents Only

Congress	Enacted Legislation (including via incorporation)	Enacted Legislation	Passed Resolutions	Got A Vote	Failed Legislation	Vetoed Bills (without Override)	Other Legislation	TOTAL
118th Jan 3, 2023 -present	178 1%	49 0%	498 3%	389 3%	28 0%	10 0%	13,486 93%	14,460
117th Jan 3, 2021 -Jan 3, 2023	1,234 7%	365 2%	760 4%	649 4%	22 0%	0 0%	16,021 90%	17,817
116th Jan 3, 2019 -Jan 3, 2021	1,229 7%	344 2%	714 4%	746 4%	24 0%	9 0%	14,764 89%	16,601
115th Jan 3, 2017 -Jan 3, 2019	1,085 8%	443 3%	758 6%	867 6%	14 0%	0 0%	11,474 85%	13,556
114th Jan 6, 2015 -Jan 3, 2017	776 6%	329 3%	708 6%	662 5%	22 0%	9 0%	10,333 86%	12,063
113th Jan 3, 2013 -Jan 2, 2015	448 4%	296 3%	663 6%	474 4%	20 0%	0 0%	9,184 86%	10,637
112th Jan 5, 2011 -Jan 3, 2013	500 4%	284 2%	722 6%	390 3%	38 0%	0 0%	10,865 88%	12,299
111th Jan 6, 2009 -Dec 22, 2010	639 5%	385 3%	1,465 11%	603 4%	43 0%	2 0%	11,177 82%	13,675
110th Jan 4, 2007 -Jan 3, 2009	745 5%	460 3%	1,438 10%	862 6%	43 0%	7 0%	11,232 80%	14,042
109th Jan 4, 2005 -Dec 9, 2006	589 5%	483 4%	1,028 8%	597 5%	39 0%	1 0%	10,924 84%	13,072
108th Jan 7, 2003 -Dec 9, 2004	620 6%	504 5%	865 8%	694 7%	21 0%	0 0%	8,585 80%	10,669
107th Jan 3, 2001 -Nov 22, 2002	468 4%	383 4%	681 6%	602 6%	15 0%	0 0%	9,108 84%	10,789
106th Jan 6, 1999 -Dec 15, 2000	754 7%	604 6%	769 7%	652 6%	33 0%	12 0%	8,770 81%	10,840
105th Jan 7, 1997 -Dec 19, 1998	506 6%	404 4%	624 7%	557 6%	57 1%	7 0%	7,492 82%	9,141
104th Jan 4, 1995 -Oct 4, 1996	430 5%	337 4%	601 8%	443 6%	37 0%	16 0%	6,557 82%	7,991
103rd Jan 5, 1993 -Dec 1, 1994	611 6%	473 5%	511 5%	503 5%	19 0%	0 0%	8,316 85%	9,822
102nd Jan 3, 1991 -Oct 9, 1992	783 7%	610 5%	586 5%	659 5%	41 0%	23 0%	10,097 84%	12,016
101st Jan 3, 1989 -Oct 28, 1990	903 8%	665 6%	599 5%	620 5%	21 0%	20 0%	9,862 84%	11,787
100th Jan 6, 1987 -Oct 22, 1988	1,001 9%	761 7%	342 3%	578 5%	6 0%	16 0%	9,575 85%	11,278
99th Jan 3, 1985 -Oct 18, 1986	928 8%	687 6%	332 3%	545 5%	3 0%	18 0%	10,017 86%	11,602
98th Jan 3, 1983 -Oct 12, 1984	905 7%	677 6%	331 3%	561 5%	3 0%	21 0%	10,609 87%	12,202
97th Jan 5, 1981 -Dec 23, 1982	662 5%	529 4%	370 3%	498 4%	2 0%	13 0%	11,824 89%	13,236
96th Jan 15, 1979 -Dec 16, 1980	915 6%	736 5%	906 6%	573 4%	0 0%	10 0%	12,365 85%	14,590
95th Jan 4, 1977 -Oct 15, 1978	1,170 5%	804 4%	981 4%	589 3%	0 0%	18 0%	19,921 89%	22,313
94th Jan 14, 1975 -Oct 1, 1976	981 4%	729 3%	1,023 4%	609 3%	0 0%	26 0%	21,898 90%	24,285
93rd Jan 3, 1973 -Dec 20, 1974	1,138 4%	772 3%	903 3%	562 2%	0 0%	35 0%	23,950 91%	26,222

Here is what we mean in each column:

• Enacted Legislation (including via incorporation): Enacted bills including bills (and joint resolutions) identical to or incorporated into enacted legislation, based on an approximate, automated GovTrack.us data analysis that varies by Congress
• Enacted Legislation: Enacted bills that were either signed by the president or enacted via a veto override or the 10-day rule (including joint resolutions which can also be enacted as law)
• Passed Resolutions: Passed resolutions (for joint and concurrent resolutions, we mean passed both chambers)
• Got A Vote: Bills and resolutions that had a significant vote in one chamber but were not enacted (or, for resolutions, passed)
• Failed Legislation: Bills and resolutions that failed a vote on passage and are dead or failed a significant vote such as cloture, passage under suspension, or resolving differences
• Vetoed Bills (without Override): Vetoed bills that was not overridden by Congress
• Other Legislation: Bills and resolutions that were introduced or reported by committee but did not have further action

When does Congressional activity occur?

These charts show when during the course of the two-year Congressional sessions activity tends to occur. Note that each Congress starts a few days into January and finishes a few days into January two calendar years later.

This first chart shows when bills and resolutions tend to be introduced. It shows that legislation tends to be introduced early on in the session.

This next chart shows when bills and joint resolutions tend to be enacted (either by being signed by the president or by a veto being overridden). It shows that about half of all legislation that will be enacted is enacted only in the final quarter of the session.

Use the cumulative percent charts to estimate how much has yet to occur in the current session of Congress. For instance, the cumulative percent of bills enacted for December in the first year of a session is 33%, meaning that while the session is half over, only one-third of the number of bills that will be enacted have been enacted by that point.