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      "title": "Sponsorship and Cosponsorship of Senate Bills",
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      "title": "Sponsorship and Cosponsorship of Senate Bills",
      "summary": "A Senator who introduces a bill or resolution in the Senate is called its sponsor. Several Senators together may introduce a measure, but only the Senator whose name appears first on the bill is considered its sponsor; the others are cosponsors. A bill can have only one sponsor, but there is no limit on the number of cosponsors it may have.\nWhen a Senator has determined that a bill is ready for introduction, it can be delivered to the bill clerk\u2019s desk on the chamber floor when the Senate is in session. The sponsor must sign the bill and may attach the names of any cosponsors on a separate form. Senators whose names are submitted with a bill at the time of introduction are commonly referred to as \u201coriginal\u201d cosponsors. After a bill has been introduced, a Senator may request to be added as a cosponsor by unanimous consent. Sponsors may also request unanimous consent to add colleagues as cosponsors to their bills.\nSupporters of a bill often seek cosponsors to demonstrate its level of support among Senators. One of the most common techniques to attract cosponsors is the \u201cDear Colleague\u201d letter, a notice delivered to some or all Senate offices either in print or by email soliciting support for the bill. These letters typically explain the issue or problem the legislation seeks to address, the key policy elements it contains, and the likely impact it would have if made into law.\nA Senator may introduce a bill as a courtesy, such as legislation proposed by the President, in which case the bill would be designated in the Congressional Record as having been introduced \u201cby request.\u201d A Senator may also introduce legislation on behalf of another Senator without having to assume sponsorship. Once a bill has been handed to the clerk, it becomes the property of the Senate and cannot be withdrawn. If a Senator desires that no action be taken on the bill, the Senator may by unanimous consent request that action on the bill be indefinitely postponed.\nDecisions to cosponsor legislation can be made for a variety of reasons, some of which might be unrelated to the text of the bill itself. As such, cosponsoring a bill should not be equated with a vote for final passage.",
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      "retrieved": "2016-04-06T20:18:00.434786",
      "title": "Sponsorship and Cosponsorship of Senate Bills",
      "summary": "A Senator who introduces a bill or other measure in the Senate is called its sponsor. Several Senators may submit a bill, but the first-named Senator is the chief sponsor, the others are considered cosponsors. \nSenators typically sponsor bills they support. A Senator may introduce a bill as a courtesy, such as legislation proposed by the President. Such bills may be designated as introduced \u201cby request,\u201d and this is indicated when the introduction of the bill is noted in the Congressional Record.\nOnce a bill has been handed to the clerk, it becomes the property of the Senate and cannot be withdrawn. If a Senator desires that no action be taken on the bill, the Senator may by unanimous consent request that action on the bill be indefinitely postponed.\nWhen a Senator introduces a bill, he or she commonly attaches to the bill a form with the names of cosponsors. Before a bill is formally introduced, a Senator becomes a cosponsor by contacting the office of the chief sponsor and requesting that his or her name be added. Initial cosponsors can be added until the bill is presented to the clerk. There is no limit to the number of cosponsors that can be added to a bill.\nThe number of cosponsors that a bill attracts is usually seen as a measure of support, and Senators and aides use a variety of techniques to encourage colleagues to sign on. One of the most common is the \u201cDear Colleague\u201d letter, a mailing to some or all Senators soliciting support for a bill.",
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      "title": "Sponsorship and Cosponsorship of Senate Bills",
      "summary": "This report discusses the sponsorship and co-sponsorship of Senate bills. A Senator who introduces a bill or other measure in the Senate is called its sponsor. Senators may together submit a bill, but the first-named Senator is considered the chief sponsor; the others are considered cosponsors.",
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