CQ’s Bill Compare helps you analyze the differences between two versions of a bill by quickly and easily generating a report with all added, changed and removed text. Rather than having to comb through each bill version line-by-line to spot any differences, Bill Compare does it for you in the click of a button.
Creating a Bill Compare Report
To get to bill compare reports, simply navigate to ‘Create’ on the main toolbar, and down to ‘Report.’ Once you’ve clicked ‘Report,’ select ‘Bill Compare’ as the report you would like to build and click ‘Choose.’
Now, it’s time to pick the bills you’d like to select for your report. Enter the bill number for your first bill in the search bar on the lefthand side and be sure to pause to let the autofill functionality locate your bill and display it in the dropdown, as seen below.
If you’d like to specify a specific version or section of the bill for the eventual comparison, you can do so by clicking the drop downs under ‘Bill Version’ and ‘Bill Sections,’ respectively.
Repeat the process for your second bill or bill version on the righthand side. Once you’ve chosen the bills you’d like to include, click ‘build report’ in the upper righthand corner.
Example
Comparing Between Congresses
Use the Bill Compare Report to compare bill versions between different sessions of Congress by leveraging the 'Bill Sections' dropdown. For example, during budgeting season, compare appropriations bills from the prior fiscal year to legislation for the current fiscal year. See example below:
If you're wondering how to find the bill numbers for prior sessions of Congress, see our help article on searching.
FAQ
Q: Will my Bill Compare Report automatically update with new bill edits?
A: No - you have to re-run your report and export a new copy to see updates.
Q: Can I share my report?
A: Yes! See our help article on exporting and sharing your reports.
Q: Can I edit my report once I've created it?
A: Yes! See our help article on editing your reports.
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