A "shell bill" is a bill introduced with little or no substantive text, intended to serve as a placeholder that can later be amended with the actual legislative language. This practice exists across numerous US states, though each state uses its own terminology and follows its own procedural rules. The common thread is that these bills allow legislators to bypass bill introduction deadlines while reserving a legislative vehicle for future use.
The core mechanism is straightforward: most legislatures impose deadlines for introducing new bills, but amendments to existing bills face far less restrictive timelines. By introducing a placeholder bill before the deadline and amending it later with substantive content, legislators can effectively introduce new legislation after the filing window has closed.
States That Use This Process
Based on NCSL survey data and state-specific research, the following states formally permit or commonly use some form of skeleton/short-form/placeholder bill introduction. An NCSL survey identified thirteen chambers that formally allow introduction of bills in skeleton or short form.
State
Term(s) Used
Chambers
Initial Content
Key Mechanism
Notable Safeguard
CA
Spot bill / Intent bill
Assembly & Senate
Nonsubstantive change or intent statement
Amendment after Rules Committee referral
15-day in-print rule before vote
CT
Proposed bill
Senate & House
Short concept statement
Committee screening and drafting
Committee must vote to draft
FL *
Skeleton bill
Senate & House
Minimal text
Committee amendment
* NCSL survey; not confirmed with recent sources
HI
Short form bill
Senate & House
Title and general idea only
Committee inserts provisions
Must recommit for public hearing
IL
Shell bill / Vehicle bill
Both chambers
Trivial change (e.g. "the" → "the")
Floor amendment at 2nd reading
1-hour posting (vs 6 days for new bills)
IN
Vehicle bill
Both chambers
Titled "Vehicle Bill"
Committee substitute / gut and replace
—
KY
Shell bill
Senate & House
Minimal content
Committee substitute
Court-imposed limits on germaneness
ME
Concept draft
Senate & House
Plain English summary
Sponsor's amendment before hearing
3-day drafting / 2-day posting rule (2025)
MN *
Skeleton bill
House
Minimal content
Full bill drafted if interest
* NCSL survey; not confirmed with recent sources
NM
Dummy bill / Generic bill
Senate & House
Empty template, generic title
Committee substitute
Very short sessions create pressure
OK
Shell bill
Senate & House
Blank / minimal
Language filed by deadline, then substitute
Specific deadline for filing shell language
UT *
Skeleton bill / Short form bill
Senate & House
General subject reference
Full bill drafted if interest
* NCSL survey; not confirmed with recent sources
Additionally, several other states use functionally similar mechanisms: Montana does not formally allow skeleton bills (and was explicitly noted as not having this method in the NCSL survey), but committees can combine bills through amendment, achieving a similar effect. Ohio, Pennsylvania, and others use "gut and replace" or "gut and amend" procedures on existing bills, achieving a similar outcome without dedicated placeholder bill procedures.
Note on sources: The state list above is drawn from an NCSL survey (c. 2013) supplemented by independent research into each state's current practices. Nine of the twelve states (CA, CT, HI, IL, IN, KY, ME, NM, OK) have been confirmed with sources dated 2024–2026. Three states (FL, MN, UT) are included based on the NCSL survey but could not be independently confirmed with recent state-specific sources. These three are flagged with asterisks above and verification notes in their individual sections below.
State-by-State Detail
CA California — "Spot Bills" and "Intent Bills"
Terminology: California uses the terms spot bill, intent bill, and increasingly placeholder bill as an umbrella term for all three variants.
What they look like: A spot bill makes a trivial, nonsubstantive change to existing law — for example, adding or removing a comma, changing "that" to "which," or updating gendered language. The Legislative Counsel's Digest will typically state the bill "would make a technical, nonsubstantive change to the law." An intent bill contains only a statement of legislative intent. A findings-and-declarations bill contains only legislative findings with no statutory language.
Process: Legislators introduce these before the mid-February bill introduction deadline. By the rules of both chambers, spot bills and intent bills cannot be referred to a policy committee until they are amended with substantive language. In the Assembly, Rule 51.5 governs this: once the author proposes substantive amendments to the Rules Committee, the committee may refer the bill along with the proposed changes. A separate deadline (typically a few weeks after bill introduction) applies for submitting amendments. Once amended, the bill must be in print for at least 15 days before a vote can be taken.
Scale: In a typical session, roughly 30% of all introduced bills are spot or intent bills. In 2026, over 600 of the 1,799 Assembly bills introduced were spot bills.
Related practice — "Gut and Amend": California also uses a distinct but related practice where a bill that has already been substantively drafted is completely stripped of its content and replaced with entirely new, often unrelated, language. This is separate from the spot bill process but serves a similar deadline-avoidance purpose.
CT Connecticut — "Proposed Bills"
Terminology: Connecticut uses the term proposed bill.
What they look like: A proposed bill is not a fully drafted bill but rather a short statement in non-statutory language expressing what the legislator would like a committee to consider — often only a sentence describing the goal or subject matter.
Process: Each proposed bill is referred to a committee of cognizance based on its subject matter. The committee screens the proposed bills it receives. Those that survive screening may be voted on by the full committee and drafted into formal statutory language as a committee bill. If a proposed bill does not survive screening, the concept may still be resurrected later as a raised bill, incorporated into a related bill, or offered as an amendment. Connecticut does not have a single-subject rule, which provides additional flexibility.
FL Florida — "Skeleton Bills"
Terminology: Florida uses the term skeleton bill.
Process: Both the Senate and House formally allow the introduction of skeleton bills. These are bills introduced with minimal text — typically a title and brief reference to a general area of law — with substantive provisions to be added later through the committee amendment process.
Verification note: Florida's inclusion is based on the NCSL survey data (c. 2013). No recent Florida-specific media coverage or legislative commentary discussing the practice by name was identified during verification. Current Florida legislative process documentation does not explicitly reference "skeleton bills." The practice may remain formally permitted under chamber rules but does not appear to be widely discussed or controversial. Further verification with Florida legislative staff is recommended.
HI Hawaii — "Short Form Bills"
Terminology: Hawaii uses the term short form bill.
What they look like: A short form bill contains only a title and a reference to a general idea. It does not contain the actual statutory language needed for enactment.
Process: Hawaii's process includes specific safeguards. A committee to which a short form bill is referred may fill in the details by inserting substantive provisions. However, timely notice of the decision to insert substantive provisions must be given, and all amendments must be affirmed by committee vote. Crucially, the amended bill must then be recommitted to the committee by a floor vote for the purpose of holding a public hearing on the newly inserted contents. This recommittal-and-hearing requirement provides a transparency mechanism that many other states lack.
IL Illinois — "Shell Bills" / "Vehicle Bills"
Terminology: Illinois uses both shell bill and vehicle bill.
What they look like: Shell bills make trivial changes to state law, such as replacing the word "the" with "the" (i.e., no actual change). They can be identified by the word "TECH" added to their description. For appropriation shell bills, a dollar sign ($) appears at the beginning of the description. A large number are introduced across many different subject areas to comply with the state's single-subject constitutional requirement.
Process: Legislative leaders introduce shell bills before the filing deadline. The bills are moved through the committee process and then parked on second reading on the House floor. When needed, a floor amendment is filed to the shell bill, which either goes to committee or is referred directly back to the floor. Once the amendment is adopted, the bill can immediately be moved to third reading for a vote. Amendments require only a one-hour posting notice compared to six days for new bills.
Scale and controversy: The use of shell bills in Illinois has been extensive. In one notable session, the House Speaker passed 936 shell bills and the Minority Leader passed 528. The 2011 tax hike was introduced, passed, and signed within 24 hours using this mechanism. The Illinois Constitution requires three readings on three different days; shell bills satisfy this requirement for the original placeholder text, with the substantive content added via amendment at the second reading stage.
IN Indiana — "Vehicle Bills"
Terminology: Indiana uses the term vehicle bill.
What they look like: Vehicle bills are explicitly titled "Vehicle Bill" in the bill listing with a brief subject reference such as "A BILL FOR AN ACT concerning general provisions." They are clearly identifiable in the Indiana General Assembly bill index.
Process: Vehicle bills serve as placeholders that can be amended with substantive language via committee substitute or floor amendment after the introduction deadline. The "gut and replace" approach is used — the original minimal content is entirely replaced with new legislation. A review of the 2021 session shows multiple consecutive vehicle bills (e.g., HB 1582 through HB 1588, SB 105, SB 108, SB 109, SB 115), indicating systematic use.
KY Kentucky — "Shell Bills" / "Placeholder Bills"
Terminology: Kentucky uses shell bill and placeholder bill.
Process: Shell bills are introduced before filing deadlines and amended later via committee substitute, which requires a majority vote to advance. The Kentucky Supreme Court has imposed limits on this practice — in a notable case, the court overturned pension reform legislation that had been inserted into an unrelated sewer bill, finding it violated the constitutional requirement for three readings on three separate days (the prior readings on the original topic did not count).
Trend: The League of Women Voters of Kentucky reports that shell bill usage exploded from 24 combined shell bills in the 2014 session to significantly higher numbers in subsequent sessions. A Kentucky Public Radio analysis published on 23 March 2026 identified nearly 150 shell bills in the current (2026) session, representing roughly 11% of all bills filed. These are mostly bills making trivial changes such as adding gender-neutral language or correcting the spelling of "website." The League has also documented broader transparency concerns including the elimination of prefiled bills for the third consecutive year.
ME Maine — "Concept Drafts"
Terminology: Maine uses the term concept draft.
What they look like: A concept draft is a summary of what the sponsor intends to accomplish. It does not contain actual statutory language. The summary is a brief, plain English explanation prepared by nonpartisan staff. Some are quite vague — as general as "An Act Regarding Health Care in the State."
Process: Under Joint Rule 208, a legislator may submit a bill as a concept draft. The concept draft cannot be enacted unless and until actual statutory language is substituted for the concept. The committee chairs must communicate with the sponsor about scheduling and when the sponsor's amendment needs to be submitted.
2025 reforms: Maine enacted procedural changes in January 2025 to limit vague concept drafts. Sponsors must now provide fully drafted amendment language to legislative staff three business days before a public hearing, and the amendment must be posted online at least two business days before the hearing. The language must be formal statutory text, not bullet points. If the sponsor fails to meet this deadline, the bill is automatically withdrawn and killed. These reforms came after widespread bipartisan criticism.
MN Minnesota — "Skeleton Bills"
Terminology: Minnesota uses the term skeleton bill.
Process: The Minnesota House formally allows introduction of skeleton bills. If there is interest in pursuing the legislation, a full bill is then drafted. The process also allows committees to combine bill drafts through this mechanism.
Verification note: Minnesota's inclusion is based on the NCSL survey data (c. 2013), which listed the House only. No recent Minnesota-specific media coverage discussing the practice was identified during verification. A review of bills introduced in the current 2025–2026 session shows fully drafted bills at introduction. The practice may be formally permitted but does not appear to be commonly used or discussed in the current legislature. Further verification with Minnesota House staff is recommended.
NM New Mexico — "Dummy Bills" / "Generic Bills"
Terminology: New Mexico uses dummy bill and generic bill informally. They are not officially designated as such in legislative rules.
What they look like: Dummy bills are empty bill templates filed with generic titles, most commonly "PUBLIC PEACE, HEALTH, SAFETY & WELFARE." Even after amendment, they retain these generic titles, making them difficult to track by subject.
Process: Each session, a set number of empty bill templates are filed. They can later be amended in committee with entirely new language via committee substitute. This mechanism is commonly used to resurrect vetoed legislation or to introduce last-minute proposals. In one notable case in 2013, a bill vetoed by the Governor on a Thursday was effectively reintroduced via a dummy bill, passed the House on Friday morning, went through the Senate, and returned for a concurrence vote — all within approximately 24 hours.
Scale: In the 2024 session, approximately 80 dummy bills were introduced. The League of Women Voters of New Mexico has formally objected to the practice. New Mexico's legislature operates on very short session timelines (60 days in odd years, 30 days in even years), which intensifies the pressure to use placeholder mechanisms.
OK Oklahoma — "Shell Bills"
Terminology: Oklahoma uses the term shell bill.
Process: Oklahoma has a structured deadline system for shell bills. The bill request deadline occurs in late November/December. A separate deadline in January requires the actual language to be submitted to drafting staff. There is then a further deadline (typically in February) specifically for filing shell bill language — replacing the placeholder text with the substantive provisions. When a shell bill undergoes a complete language replacement via committee substitute, this is sometimes called a "zombie bill" if the substitute revives legislation that previously failed to advance. Oklahoma Senate rules state that no bill "shall be filed which fails to effectuate a substantive change in policy," though shell bills persist in practice.
UT Utah — "Skeleton Bills" / "Short Form Bills"
Terminology: Utah uses skeleton bill and short form bill.
Process: Utah is notable as the only citizen legislature (i.e., part-time, low-pay) identified in the NCSL survey as formally allowing skeleton bill introduction. Both the Senate and House permit the practice. If there is interest in pursuing a skeleton bill, a full bill is drafted; the mechanism also allows committees to combine bill drafts.
Verification note: Utah's inclusion is based on the NCSL survey data (c. 2013). No recent Utah-specific media coverage discussing skeleton or short form bills was identified during verification. Utah's 45-day general session is short enough to create deadline pressures, but the practice does not appear to be a subject of current public debate. Further verification with Utah legislative staff is recommended.
Related Practice: "Gut and Amend" / "Gut and Replace"
Several states that do not have formal shell bill procedures nonetheless achieve similar results through the "gut and amend" or "gut and replace" technique. This involves taking a bill that has already passed through some stages of the legislative process, stripping out its entire contents, and inserting completely new (often unrelated) language. This is distinct from shell bills because the original bill typically contained real substantive provisions rather than being introduced as a placeholder.
States where this practice is particularly noted include California (where it coexists alongside the spot bill process), Ohio, and various others. The practice is controversial because it can circumvent germaneness requirements and public notice provisions.
Key Themes and Observations
Deadline circumvention is the primary driver. In every state, the core purpose of shell/placeholder bills is to work around bill introduction deadlines while satisfying constitutional requirements for multiple readings.
Transparency concerns are universal. Critics across all states raise similar objections: the public cannot meaningfully follow or comment on legislation whose content has not yet been determined. The speed advantage of shell bills — where substantive legislation can be introduced and passed in hours rather than weeks — compounds this problem.
Safeguards vary significantly. Hawaii's requirement for a fresh public hearing after substantive content is inserted represents the strongest transparency safeguard. Maine's 2025 reforms (mandatory drafting and posting timelines) represent a middle ground. Illinois's one-hour amendment posting requirement represents the weakest safeguard among states studied.
Scale varies enormously. Illinois and California see hundreds of shell/spot bills per session. Oklahoma and New Mexico see dozens. The numbers tend to correlate with session length and the strictness of introduction deadlines.
Constitutional challenges are a real risk. Kentucky's Supreme Court ruling that pension reform legislation inserted into an unrelated bill was unconstitutional demonstrates that there are limits to how far the practice can be pushed, particularly regarding three-readings requirements and single-subject rules.
Identification varies by state. Illinois shell bills are identifiable via the "TECH" marker. Indiana explicitly titles them "Vehicle Bill." California's are flagged by Legislative Counsel as making nonsubstantive changes. New Mexico's dummy bills share the same generic title ("PUBLIC PEACE, HEALTH, SAFETY & WELFARE"), making them especially hard to track programmatically.
