Virginia Legislative Information System 
 
 
The full texts of Virginia bills, laws and regulations can now be searched using the Virginia Legislative 
Information System.  Access points include patron, committee, date of introduction, code section, VR 
regulation number, and much more.  The system is available from 8am to 10pm on weekdays.  Consult a 
Documents staff member to begin your search and when you logout.  A manual on searching the database 
is available at the  Documents Information Desk. 
 
Quick Commands 
=x    logoff the VLIS 
=m    exit to main menu 
=b    exit to initial bill tracking menu 
Ctl r  unlocks a locked screen - works from any screen 
 
F Keys 
Screen Says       You Type             Screen Says       You Type 
F1             ESCAPE 1                  F8               ESC 8 
F2               ESC 2                   F9               ESC 9 
F3               ESC 3                   F10              ESC 0 
F4               ESC 4                   F11              ESC - 
F5               ESC 5                   F12              ESC = 
F6               ESC 6                   F13           ESC Shift 1 
F7               ESC 7                                    etc. 
 
At the bottom of any screen in the database there will be a list of possible actions noted by F keys.  Most of 
the F keys are context sensitive and change meaning depending on where you are in the database.  Some 
are valid from any screen and remain fairly constant: 
 
F1 - Select - displays further info. on topic highlighted by cursor F7 - Prev - displays the previous page 
(entry) in a list 
F8 - Next - displays the next page (entry) in a list 
F9 - Search - brings up the keyword-searchable screen 
F10 - Print - Brings up the screen with printing choices 
F12 - Return - backs you out through your search strategy 
 
Database Arrangement  
 
VLIS is accessed by menu-like screens.  Various records are accessed by highlighting a choice with the 
cursor and/or F keys.  All VLIS records are connected so that you can move from a bill record to the 
record for its patron (say, Senator Robb) to a record for another member (say, Delegate Van Yahres') to a 
list of all the bills sponsored by Van Yahres.  A more typical path might be: 
 
	HB149 -->  Text History of HB149 -->  Text of HB 149  --> Amendments to the bill -->  House 
vote on the bill --> Senate vote on the bill  
 
 
Moving Around in VLIS Bill Tracking System  
 
Cursor placement is the key to searching, displaying, and printing in VLIS. 
Limit by type of action 
House only _                         Place the cursor on the _ and  
Emergency _                          hit the F key which 
Money _                              corresponds to the action  
                                     desired.  Place the cursor 
                                     by Presented & order printed  
                                     and hit the F1 (Select) to 
                                     display bill text. 
 
Display further information 
_ H3 Agee, G. Steven                      Place the cursor on the _ 
_01/18/94 H Presented & ordered printed   and hit the F key which 
_02/13/94 S. Referred to Ag. Comm.        corresponds to the action 
 
                                          desired.  Place the 
                                          cursor by Presented & 
                                          ordered printed and 
                                          F1 (Select) key to 
                                          display bill text. 
Searching by Specific Bill Number 
 
Once you've chosen the Bill Tracking Database you encounter this 
screen: 
 
___________________________________________________________________ 
 
Enter Specific bill:            [Enter bill number, e.g.  hb34] 
 
Or display list of  Bills x   Resolutions x   Jt Resolutions x  
 
F1  All               F4  Passed          F13 Conference 
F2  Introduced        F5  Failed          F14  Carried over 
F3  By committee      F6  Approved        F15  More lists 
 
 
Options:  Study _    Emergency _   Charter _   Money _   Prison _ 
 
F7 Cal.   F8 Per list  F9 Search  F10 Rpt  F11 Help   F12 Return 
 
___________________________________________________________________ 
 
Place X next to the type of bill you are interested in.  Type appropriate F key for lists of bills.  
 
Keyword Searching 
 
In all three databases (bills, VA Code, and regulations) the F9 (Search) key will bring up blank lines 
where you can type your keyword search.  Operators are: 
	and (or) & - documents will include each word in search 
	or - documents will include one or both words in search 
	not - documents will include the first but not the 
		second word in search 
	ss - words will occur in the same sentence 
	sns - words will occur within n (not exceeding 9) 
		sentences of each other - s5s 
	sp - words will occur within the same paragraph 
	snp - words will occur within n (not exceeding 9) 
		paragraphs of each other - s4p 
	* - truncation symbol - retrieves words starting with 
		letters - librar* 
 
Remember that you are searching laws written in legal language. 
 
SEARCH		operating and motor vehicle and intoxicated  
INSTEAD OF	drunk driving 
 
Printing & Downloading 
 
The F10 key is the printing key.  Hit Esc 0 and you will get several options for printing.  X next to 
Hardcopy and <enter> will print your bill.  You can also simply press the print screen key to print the 
screen.  Downloading is not currently available. 
 
BE SURE TO NOTE HOW LONG THE BILL IS - DO NOT PRINT EXTREMELY LONG BILLS.  
Documents has paper copies of most bills.  Consult with Documents staff. 
 
UVA Library Government Documents Fact Sheet No.27 
 
 
 
Prepared by Barbie Selby, Alderman Library, Univ. of Virginia, February 1994