Bill Reintroduction in the U.S. House

What happens to bills that do not become laws in a given Congress? Which of these bills are reintroduced in the next Congress, and why? Answering these questions is increasingly important, as it becomes ever more difficult for a bill to advance through all legislative stages and become law. In this paper, we propose a theory of bill reintroduction from a utility perspective. We posit that MCs value both the extent and intensity of external support when making the reintroduction decisions. Specifically, we argue that MCs are more likely to reintroduce bills with more cosponsors, especially those with early and committee-based support. We also contend that public and media attention can serve as additional signals of a bill’s value. Using a text reuse approach, we identify reintroduced bills from 2003 to 2023, and we find strong support for the idea that both elite and public cues shape strategic reintroduction decisions.