GovInfo MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides LLM-friendly access to the official GovInfo API v4. This server enables searching and retrieving U.S. government documents, including bills, laws, regulations, and other official publications, for precise legal research and citation verification.
🎯 Purpose
The GovInfo MCP Server provides comprehensive access to federal regulations, statutes, and government documents through the GovInfo API. It is designed for LLMs and legal research tools to programmatically access up-to-date U.S. government information.
📦 Key Features
- Access to bills, statutes, regulations (CFR), and more
- Real-time updates from the official GovInfo API
- Retrieve full document text and metadata in HTML, XML, PDF, or plain text
- Search by keyword, collection, date, and more
- Explore related documents and cross-references
🛠️ Available MCP Tools
| Tool Name | Description | Example Call |
|---|---|---|
get_collections | List all available GovInfo collections | get_collections(page_size=10) |
get_collection_details | Get details for a specific collection | get_collection_details(collection_code="CFR") |
search_packages | Search packages by query and filters | search_packages(query="discovery procedures", collection="CFR", page_size=5) |
advanced_search | Advanced search with Lucene syntax and filters | advanced_search(query="title:discovery AND collection:CFR", sort_by="relevance") |
get_packages_by_collection | List packages from a collection | get_packages_by_collection(collection="BILLS", congress=118, page_size=5) |
get_package_summary | Get metadata for a specific package | get_package_summary(package_id="CFR-2023-title5-vol3") |
get_package_content | Download package content in various formats | get_package_content(package_id="CFR-2023-title5-vol3", content_type="html") |
get_published_packages | Get packages published on a specific date | get_published_packages(date_issued="2024-01-15", collection="CFR") |
get_published_range | Get packages published within a date range | get_published_range(start_date="2024-01-01", end_date="2024-01-31", collection="PLAW") |
get_related_packages | Find packages related to a specific package | get_related_packages(package_id="BILLS-118hr1234-ih") |
get_granule_related | Find items related to a specific granule | get_granule_related(package_id="CFR-2023-title5-vol3", granule_id="CFR-2023-title5-vol3-sec1201-72") |
search_statutes | Search US statutes across statute collections | search_statutes(query="civil rights", collection="USCODE", page_size=5) |
get_public_laws_by_congress | List public laws from a specific Congress | get_public_laws_by_congress(congress=117, page_size=5) |
get_statutes_at_large | Search Statutes at Large by volume | get_statutes_at_large(volume="137", page_size=5) |
get_uscode_title | Search US Code sections within a title | get_uscode_title(title_number="42", page_size=5) |
list_statute_collections | List all statute-related collections | list_statute_collections() |
See app/README.md for full tool parameter documentation.
🚀 Setup
Prerequisites
- Python 3.12+
- uv for dependency management (Poetry is NOT used)
- Internet connection for GovInfo API access
- GovInfo API key (set
GOVINFO_API_KEYin your environment) - Ubuntu/Linux recommended (all commands below are for bash)
Installation
-
Clone the repository and navigate to the GovInfo project directory:
git clone <repository-url> cd GovInfo -
Install dependencies using uv:
uv pip install -r requirements.txt # or, if using pyproject.toml: uv pip install -r <(uv pip compile pyproject.toml) -
Set your GovInfo API key:
export GOVINFO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here -
(Optional) Copy
.env.exampleto.envand edit as needed.
Running the Server
Start the MCP server:
uv run python -m app.server
Or use the VS Code task "Run MCP Server".
Running Tests
See tests/README.md for details. Typical usage:
uv run pytest
API Usage
See app/README.md for detailed tool documentation and usage examples.
🔗 Links
📝 Notes
- All code examples are tested and working.
- File paths use relative references from the project root.
- All commands use
uv runwhere needed. - For Ubuntu/Linux. For Windows, adapt commands as needed.