Congress works in four forms of legislative measure, and the line that matters runs between the first two and the last two. The Congressional Research Service puts it this way: "When Congress seeks to pass a law, it uses a bill or joint resolution, which must be passed by both houses in identical form and then presented to the President for the executive's approval or disapproval. To regulate its own internal affairs, or for other purposes where authority of law is not necessary, Congress uses a concurrent resolution (requiring adoption by both houses) or a simple resolution (requiring action only in the house of origin)."

Each form has its own numbering series. CRS lists them: "H.R. and S. (bills), H.J.Res. and S.J.Res. (joint resolutions), H.Con.Res. and S.Con.Res. (concurrent resolutions), and H.Res. and S.Res. (simple resolutions)." Congress.gov recorded 18,500 measures introduced in the 119th Congress as of September 1, 2026, split across those eight series: 10,202 H.R., 5,367 S., 214 H.J.Res., 212 S.J.Res., 114 H.Con.Res., 39 S.Con.Res., 1,503 H.Res. and 849 S.Res.

Bills (H.R. and S.)

Bills are the ordinary lawmaking vehicle. "Bills are the most common form of legislative measure considered by Congress", CRS writes; those originating in the House "are designated by H.R. followed by the bill number", and Senate-originated bills "begin with an S. designation." To become law a bill "must be passed in identical form (the same text and bill number) by both houses before presentation to the President for signature."

The Constitution sets that last step out in Article I, Section 7: "Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States". If he returns it with objections, the Constitution continues: "If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law."

CRS lists the common uses: "authorization or reauthorization of federal policies, programs, and activities"; "amendment of existing law; establishment of federal departments and agencies or alteration of their structure"; "revenue (tax) legislation (originates in House only)"; "regular annual general appropriations"; "supplemental appropriations"; "reconciliation bills"; and "private bills."

Joint Resolutions (H.J.Res. and S.J.Res.)

A joint resolution is a lawmaking vehicle too, with one exception. "Like bills, joint resolutions are lawmaking vehicles and must be agreed to by both houses in identical form. Excepting those measures that propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution, they are presented to the President for signature. However, they may differ from bills in their purpose."

The formal difference is a single sentence of statute. Under 1 U.S.C. 101, an Act of Congress opens "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled." Under 1 U.S.C. 102, "The resolving clause of all joint resolutions shall be in the following form: 'Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.'"

CRS lists the uses of joint resolutions as "proposed constitutional amendments"; "declaration of war or authorization of military force"; "continuing resolutions"; "transfers of appropriations; adjustments of the debt limit"; "declarations of commitment to a treaty or abrogation (repeal) of a treaty; alteration of the date for a convening of Congress"; "resolutions of disapproval or approval of specified executive actions"; "extensions of expiration or reporting dates under existing law; congratulations, condolences, condemning actions, welcomes, thanks, etc."; and "recognition of and support for commemorative periods."

Continuing appropriations are the entry to read carefully. Continuing resolutions appear on that list, but a separate CRS report on the appropriations process, dated May 17, 2023, adds a currency note: "Historically, continuing appropriations acts took the form of joint resolutions. In recent practice, it is more common for them to be included in measures that include other legislative provisions in addition to continuing appropriations." On that account a modern stopgap is more often folded into a broader measure than carried as a standalone H.J.Res.

Constitutional amendments are the exception to presentment. Article V provides that "The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution," which become valid "when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof". CRS states the procedural consequence directly: it excepts "joint resolutions that propose a constitutional amendment (which are not presented to the President)" from the stages a measure otherwise runs.

Congressional Review Act disapprovals always take this form. Under 5 U.S.C. 802(a) the term "joint resolution" is defined for that section to mean "only a joint resolution introduced in the period beginning on the date on which the report referred to in section 801(a)(1)(A) is received by Congress and ending 60 days thereafter (excluding days either House of Congress is adjourned for more than 3 days during a session of Congress)", whose matter after the resolving clause is prescribed by statute: "That Congress disapproves the rule submitted by the ____ relating to ____, and such rule shall have no force or effect." If it is enacted, 5 U.S.C. 801(f) provides that the rule "shall be treated as though such rule had never taken effect."

The 119th Congress supplies a worked example. H.J.Res. 140 disapproved a Bureau of Land Management rule relating to Public Land Order No. 7917, a withdrawal of federal lands in Cook, Lake and Saint Louis Counties, Minnesota. Its enrolled text opens with the statutory resolving clause — "Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That Congress disapproves the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management" — and the Congress.gov action record shows it was presented to the President on April 17, 2026, signed on April 27, 2026, and "Became Public Law No: 119-85." Our Congressional Review Act guide covers the procedure in full, and the measure has its own page.

Concurrent Resolutions (H.Con.Res. and S.Con.Res.)

Concurrent resolutions bind both chambers and nobody else. "Congress uses concurrent resolutions to regulate the joint affairs of the House and Senate. To go into effect, concurrent resolutions must be agreed to by both the House and the Senate. They are not lawmaking vehicles and are not submitted to the President for approval."

CRS lists the uses as "congressional budget resolutions"; adjournment sine die; "recess of either or both houses of more than three days"; "providing for a joint session of Congress, creation of a joint committee, correction of conference reports or enrolled bills"; "request for return of measures presented to the President"; and resolutions expressing the "sense of Congress".

The annual budget resolution is a concurrent resolution, and CRS spells out the consequence: "Because a concurrent resolution is not a law, the President cannot sign or veto it, and it does not have statutory effect, so no money can be raised or spent pursuant to it. The main purpose of the budget resolution is to establish the framework within which Congress considers separate budget-related measures, including appropriations measures." The money itself comes from the appropriations bills considered within that framework.

Simple Resolutions (H.Res. and S.Res.)

Simple resolutions never leave the chamber that adopts them. "Simple resolutions concern the internal affairs of one chamber. They are not used to make law and accordingly do not require the approval of the other house of Congress." CRS is explicit about the reach: simple resolutions "can only be considered in the chamber in which they originated, and they are never presented to the other chamber (or to the President)."

Their uses include "adoption or amendment of House or Senate rules"; "special rules (for considering a measure) or other" order-of-business resolutions in the House; "establishment of a standing order (primarily Senate)"; "privileges of the House resolution (House)"; "blue slip resolutions" (House); "disposition of contest to a Member's election"; "expulsion of a Member"; "censure or other discipline of a Member"; "citation for contempt of Congress"; "resolutions of ratification (Senate)"; "election of committee members or chamber officers"; and the direct counterpart to the concurrent-resolution item above, "sense of the Senate" or "sense of the House" resolutions.

The second item is the one that connects to the rest of this site: the special rule that sets the terms of debate on a bill is itself a simple resolution, reported by the Rules Committee.

Why the Distinction Matters

Only two of the four forms ever reach the President. The prefix tells you the form; for a joint resolution it takes one more step, because an amendment-proposing H.J.Res. carries the same designation as any other. A bill, or a joint resolution that is not proposing a constitutional amendment, is presented to the President and can become law. A joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment is one of those "which are not presented to the President", and goes to the states instead. Concurrent resolutions "are potentially considered in both chambers, but are also not presented to the President." Simple resolutions "can only be considered in the chamber in which they originated, and they are never presented to the other chamber (or to the President)."

So an H.J.Res. in our database can make law, and under the Congressional Review Act can annul an agency rule so that it "shall be treated as though such rule had never taken effect." An H.Con.Res. can do neither, however lopsided the vote. That is a difference in the kind of instrument, not in the level of support behind it.

Key Sources

Drafted from primary source documents by LegislationPatch's automated research pipeline, then reviewed, verified, and edited by , Editor. Every figure and citation is checked against the official text before publication. See our editorial standards and AI disclosure.