In each chamber of Congress, four forms of legislative measure may be introduced (or, for resolutions, submitted) and acted on: bills, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, and resolutions of one house ("simple resolutions"). In addition, under the Constitution the Senate acts on two forms of executive business: nominations and treaties. This report provides a tabular comparison of the formal characteristics and uses of these six different kinds of business. For more information on legislative process, see /analysis/pages/congressionaloperations.aspx.

The rules of the two houses include references to the four types of measure, but generally take for granted the distinctions among them, which have developed in the course of congressional history. Today, a bill or joint resolution is used when the purpose is to make law; a joint resolution is used also for the purpose of proposing an amendment to the Constitution. The other two forms of resolution are used for internal business of Congress itself. (For specific examples of how each form of measure is used, see CRS Report 98-706, Bills and Resolutions: Examples of How Each Kind Is Used.) Executive business is so called because it is transmitted by the President, who must obtain the advice and consent of the Senate before the nomination or treaty becomes effective.

The following table compares all six of the forms of business on which Congress acts in terms of the following characteristics:

• Designation: series in which business of each form is numbered.
• Origin: who may formally introduce, submit, or transmit to Congress business of each form.
• Deadline for action: point at which business of each form ceases to be available for action (if not earlier disposed of).
• Requirements for approval: institutions that must act for business of each form to be enacted, finally agreed to, or advised and consented to.
• Product or Use: result of successful action on business of each form.