Legislation: Engrossment, Enrollment, and Presentation (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Dec. 18, 2024 |
| Report Number |
IF12855 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
R. Eric Petersen |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
Engrossment, enrollment, and presentation of legislation are
components of the legislative process that attest to the
accuracy of bill texts, confirm House and Senate action, and
confirm delivery of the bills to the President for review.
When either house orders the third reading of a bill, it
simultaneously orders the engrossment of the bill. In earlier
times, such bills were handwritten in very large script,
hence the term “engrossment.” In current practice,
engrossment is the formal reprinting of the bill in the form
upon which the chamber will vote final passage. Official,
engrossed copies are prepared by staff in the Office of the
Clerk of the House and the Office of the Secretary of the
Senate. House and Senate rules require that all bills,
amendments, and joint resolutions passed in each chamber
must be examined by the Clerk of the House or Secretary of
the Senate, as appropriate. The Clerk or Secretary are
required to attest to the accuracy of the engrossed text by
signing the measures.
House-engrossed measures, including amendments to bills
passed by the Senate, are printed on blue paper; the Senate
prints its engrossed measures on white paper. If either
chamber later discovers errors in one of its engrossed
measures, it may adopt a resolution formally requesting the
other chamber to return the engrossed bill or resolution to it
for correction.
An engrossed bill is “messaged” by the originating house to
the other; the second chamber to act attaches the text of
whatever amendments it adopts to the original measure it
has received from the first.
