# Searching Govinfo

> Searches and retrieves U.S. government publications, congressional bills, federal regulations, and statutes using the mcp-govinfo server. Use when the user asks for federal documents, bills, statutes, hearings, or presidential archives.

- Skill: `illtakecash/searching-govinfo` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 7 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add illtakecash/searching-govinfo`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/illtakecash/searching-govinfo/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- Author: illtakecash (https://skillmd.com/u/illtakecash)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/illtakecash/searching-govinfo

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# Searching GovInfo

This skill guides the agent in using the `mcp-govinfo` tools (`searchGovInfo` and `describePackageOrGranule`) to query, analyze, and retrieve official U.S. government documents.

## Available Tools

- **`searchGovInfo`**: Initiates search requests using advanced query syntax and filters.
- **`describePackageOrGranule`**: Retrieves metadata, download URLs (PDF, XML, HTML), and content summaries for a specific package or granule ID.

## Core Navigation

To perform advanced searches or see schemas and examples:
- **API Reference & Collections**: See [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md) for available collections and search syntax.
- **Search Examples**: See [EXAMPLES.md](EXAMPLES.md) for common query examples.

## Key Search Invariants

1. **Query Syntax**: Always specify `userQuery`. Do not create dates or parameters the user did not specify.
2. **Boolean and Field Filters**: Use parentheses when combining fields (e.g., `collection:BILLS AND (title:energy OR title:climate)`).
3. **Retrieving Documents**: When a search returns results, use the `describePackageOrGranule` tool with the corresponding `packageId` or `granuleId` to retrieve direct download links for PDF, XML, or Text.