Bill vs. Resolution: What H.R., S., H.Res., H.Con.Res. and H.J.Res. Mean

Part of the Bill Explainer plain-language guide to Congress · last reviewed September 18, 2026

Congress works through four kinds of measures. They look similar on a list and behave completely differently. The single most useful question to ask about any measure is: can this become law? For two of the four, the answer is yes. For the other two, no — and that is not a flaw, it is the point.

Bills: H.R. and S.

A bill is the ordinary vehicle for making, changing or repealing law. House bills are numbered H.R. 1, H.R. 2 and so on; Senate bills are S. 1, S. 2. A bill must pass both chambers in identical form and then be presented to the President. If signed (or allowed to become law without signature, or enacted over a veto), it becomes a public law.

Most bills are public bills — they apply generally. A much smaller category, private bills, deal with a named individual or entity, historically in immigration and claims matters, and follow a separate track in the House on the Private Calendar.

Joint resolutions: H.J.Res. and S.J.Res.

A joint resolution goes through exactly the same process as a bill and, with one exception, has exactly the same legal effect. If you are trying to remember one thing: a joint resolution is a bill wearing a different label. Congress tends to use the joint resolution form for narrower or more time-bound purposes — continuing appropriations to keep agencies funded, for instance, or measures acting under a statutory fast-track authority.

The exception is constitutional amendments. A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution requires a two-thirds vote in both chambers and is not presented to the President. It goes to the states for ratification instead.

Concurrent resolutions: H.Con.Res. and S.Con.Res.

A concurrent resolution must pass both chambers but is not presented to the President and does not have the force of law. It is how the two chambers speak to each other and settle joint housekeeping: setting the date for adjournment, authorizing use of the Capitol rotunda, correcting an error in an enrolled bill, or expressing "the sense of the Congress" on some subject.

The most consequential concurrent resolution is the annual budget resolution. It sets spending and revenue targets that bind Congress's own internal procedures — and, critically, it is the vehicle that can unlock the reconciliation process — but it does not appropriate a dollar or change a line of tax law on its own.

Simple resolutions: H.Res. and S.Res.

A simple resolution is acted on by one chamber only. It never goes to the other chamber and never goes to the President. It governs that chamber's own affairs or states that chamber's own opinion: adopting rules, creating a select committee, honoring a person or event, or — very importantly in the House — providing the "special rule" that sets the terms of debate for a specific bill on the floor.

When you see a House bill's history mention that the House "agreed to H.Res. 1234" just before debating it, that simple resolution is the procedural key that unlocked floor consideration.

Quick reference

• H.R. / S. — both chambers, goes to the President, becomes law.
• H.J.Res. / S.J.Res. — both chambers, goes to the President, becomes law. Except constitutional amendments, which go to the states.
• H.Con.Res. / S.Con.Res. — both chambers, no President, no force of law.
• H.Res. / S.Res. — one chamber only, no force of law outside that chamber.

Why this matters when you are reading the news

"The House passed a resolution condemning X" and "the House passed a bill banning X" are very different events, and headlines often blur them. A simple resolution that condemns something has changed no one's legal obligations; it records the position of one chamber. That can still matter politically. It just is not law, and knowing which one you are looking at is the difference between understanding a story and misreading it.

The measure type is always in the number. If it contains "J.Res." it can become law. If it contains "Con.Res." or is bare "Res.", it cannot.

Related explainers

Sources

These are the authoritative, nonpartisan references behind this explainer. All are free to the public, and all go into far more detail than we do.

• Glossary of Legislative Terms — Congress.gov
• Introduction to the Legislative Process in the U.S. Congress (R42843) — Congressional Research Service
• Forms of Congressional Action — Congress.gov