Sponsor (legislative)

A sponsor, in the United States Congress, is a senator or representative who introduces a bill or amendment and is its chief advocate. [C-Span Glossary, [http://www.c-span.org/guide/congress/glossary/sponsor.htm "Sponsor"] ] Committees are occasionally identified as sponsors of legislation as well. A sponsor is also sometimes called a "primary sponsor."

It should not be assumed that a bill's sponsor actually drafted it. The bill may have been drafted by a staff member, by an interest group, or by others. [Sagers. Chris. [http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1113026 “A Statute by Any Other (Non-Acronomial) Name Might Smell Less Like S.P.AM., or, The Congress of the United States Grows Increasingly D.U.M.B.”] , Cleveland-Marshall Legal Studies Paper No. 08-151 (2008): "bills may also be drafted by constituents or interest groups, by state legislatures ('memorializing' Congress to enact federal laws), by administrative agencies, or by commissions appointed by the president or a cabinet member."] In the Senate, multiple sponsorship of a bill is permitted.Johnson, Charles. [http://thomas.loc.gov/home/lawsmade.toc.html "How Our Laws Are Made"] , United States House of Representatives (2003).]

In contrast to a sponsor, a "cosponsor" is a senator or representative who adds his or her name as a supporter to the sponsor's bill. An "initial cosponsor" or "original cosponsor" is a senator or representative who was listed as a cosponsor at the time of a bill's introduction, rather than added as a cosponsor later on. [C-Span Glossary, [http://www.c-span.org/guide/congress/glossary/cospon.htm "Cosponsor"] .] A cosponsor added later is known as an "additional cosponsor". Some bills have hundreds of cosponsors. [Fitch, Brad. [http://www.thecapitol.net/Publications/mediarelationsSampSec10_6.html “Media Relations Handbook for Agencies, Associations, Nonprofits, And Congress”] (TheCapitol.Net 2004): “Some bills have hundreds of cosponsors, since members can easily add their support to any bill introduced and sometimes do it verbally without notifying staff.”]

External links

*Sponsor/Cosponsor Summaries from the Library of Congress: [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d110/sponlst.html (2007-2008)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d109/sponlst.html (2005-2006)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d108/sponlst.html (2003-2004)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d107/sponlst.html (2001-2002)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d106/sponlst.html (1999-2000)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d105/sponlst.html (1997-1998)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d104/sponlst.html (1995-1996)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d103/sponlst.html (1993-1994)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d102/sponlst.html (1991-1992)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d101/sponlst.html (1989-1990)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d100/sponlst.html (1987-1988)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d099/sponlst.html (1985-1986)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d098/sponlst.html (1983-1984)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d097/sponlst.html (1981-1982)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d096/sponlst.html (1979-1980)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d095/sponlst.html (1977-1978)] , [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d094/sponlst.html (1977-1978)] , and [http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d093/sponlst.html (1975-1976)] .

Footnotes