Government Glossary

Joint Resolution

Short Definition

A form of legislative measure used to propose changes in law, or to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution..

Long Explanation

A form of legislative measure used to propose changes in law, or to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Depending on the chamber of origin, they begin with a designation of either H.J.Res. or S.J.Res. Concurrent resolutions and simple resolutions are other types of resolutions. Bill is another form of legislative measure used to propose law.

In practice, Joint Resolution is useful because it helps a visitor connect a word or phrase to law making, committee work, oversight, votes, or congressional records. When you see the term in an official source, ask which office has authority, what decision is being made, which deadline or rule matters, and where the public record can be checked.

Examples

Simple exampleA visitor sees “Joint Resolution” while reading about a bill and uses Congress.gov or a committee page to find the official record.
Civic exampleA citizen trying to follow lawmaking checks the bill text, committee action, vote record, and chamber rules before relying on a summary.

Common Misconception

A common mistake is treating Joint Resolution as a complete explanation of what Congress did. The term is usually a starting point. To know what happened, check the bill text, committee action, chamber record, and vote information where available.

Related Terms

CongressConstitutionLegislationLegislative BranchLegislative Process

Related Guide Pages

CongressThe Branch That Writes: a clear home base for House and Senate representation, lawmaking, committees, oversight, federal powers, member work, and official records.The ConstitutionThe operating charter of the federal government: the articles, amendments, branches, states, rights, and principles that organize public power.Judicial BranchThe Branch That Decides: how federal courts interpret law, resolve disputes, review government action, and connect visitors to official court resources.

Quick Link Guide

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