.....BASIS provides you with many ways to search for information. What you find depends on what you are looking for and how you are looking.

.....On the right side of the page you will see a button bar that looks similar to this one.

.....If you are just starting out you will likely want to see either what your individual legislator is doing or what legislation has been introduced on a particular topic important to you.

SPONSOR SUMMARY: ........ .....What is my Senator or Representative doing down there in Juneau? By clicking his or her name, you will see a list of all the legislation they have introduced.

SUBJECT SUMMARY: ......... .....When you are looking for a particular piece of legislation and you don't know its exact bill number, use the subject summary. It is an alphabetical list of legislative topics.

.....At first glance the BASIS system looks complicated but don't be intimidated. Once you know the ins and outs, it can be a very powerful tool.

.....With BASIS you can keep a close watch on what your elected officials are doing and saying. This brief tutorial is just an overview intended to get you started.

.....On the left-hand side of the page you will see a frame like the one below. The bill root is like an identifying code. It lets you go directly to the information you are looking for without having to search for it.

.....There are four types of measures introduced in the Legislature: Bills, Resolutions, Concurrent Resolutions and Joint Resolutions. If the measure originated in the House of Representatives its root will begin with an "h". For example, House Bill 21 would be hb 21. House Joint Resolution 34 would be hjr 24. If the measure originated in the Senate its root will begin with an "s."

.....To see the information on the measure, type the bill number in the box provided and click "display."