With the speed at which legislation is introduced and changes, it’s important to have access to the earliest possible information so that you can plan and respond accordingly. That’s why we’re excited to announce our latest feature, publishing LRB documents, or “bill drafts”, available exclusively on OurGov Premium.

Bill Drafts are available to OurGov Premium subscribers

What are LRB Documents?

LRB Documents, also known as Legislative Reference Bureau Documents, are the earliest stage of a bill in Wisconsin. These bill drafts are distributed to legislators and a few additional parties, giving them a head start in co-sponsorship opportunities. Our bill draft feature affords you the ability to see these pre-bills before they are introduced to the public. This gives you a valuable edge in the political arena.

Our software platform publishes the LRB document as soon as it is sent out for co-sponsorship. When the actual legislation is later introduced and assigned a bill number, we link the two records and mark the first as a “draft” bill.

This way, you get a head start in understanding and potentially influencing the legislation.

OurGov begins processing and publishing LRB documents (or bill drafts), available to Premium subscribers, so you'll stay ahead of the curve.
A view of the LRB on OurGov. Notice the Analysis section and that the draft is linked to the subsequent authored bills.

How You Benefit from Access to Bill Drafts

Here are two examples of how early access to these drafts can help you in your work:

Informed Decision Making

The ability to review bill drafts before they are introduced allows you to stay ahead of the curve.

You now have advance opportunity to consider the impact of a bill, provide feedback, and recommend changes to the relevant stakeholders. This ultimately increases your ability to impact the final outcome of a bill.

Strategic Planning

With early access to LRB documents, or drafts, you have advance opportunity to plan your next steps strategically. You’ll have the time to review likely legislation and plan your advocacy efforts ahead of others. This could include:

  • reaching out to key legislators,
  • developing talking points,
  • coordinating with other organizations to build a stronger coalition.

We understand the importance of staying ahead of the curve in government affairs, and that’s why we’re dedicated to bringing you the best possible tools to help you do your job. Rendering bill drafts is just one example of how we’re making it easier for you to stay informed and be proactive in your work.

If you’re already a OurGov Premium subscriber, start taking advantage of this feature today. And if you’re not a subscriber yet, now is the time to upgrade!

Try OurGov Premium for free today and have early access to upcoming legislation.