Introducing StatePulse: A Free and Open Source Platform for Legislative Tracking Across the United States

Understanding the intricacies of legislation and representatives across all fifty states, as well as Congress, can be a daunting task for everyday citizens. Recognizing this challenge, I developed StatePulse, a completely free, open source platform designed to make legislative information accessible, organized, and easy to navigate.

What is StatePulse?

StatePulse is a dynamic platform that updates daily to provide the latest legislative activity across various U.S. jurisdictions. By leveraging data from reliable sources such as OpenStates and Congress’ public APIs, the platform aggregates and presents legislative information in a clear and intuitive manner. One of its key features is utilizing Gemini’s API to generate concise summaries—up to 100 words—for each bill, allowing users to grasp the essence quickly.

Features and Functionality

• Daily Updates: The platform fetches and displays the latest bills and legislative actions every day, ensuring users stay informed about current developments.

• Custom Topic Subscriptions: Users can create a free account and subscribe to multiple topics of interest—such as redistricting or education policy. StatePulse then delivers tailored updates via email at 9:00 AM PST whenever relevant bills are introduced.

• Search and Visualization: The platform offers robust search capabilities, enabling users to locate their representatives or explore legislative data easily. An interactive dashboard featuring visualizations provides an engaging way to analyze data geographically or categorically.

• Summaries: For each legislative item, Gemini’s API generates a human-readable, approximately 100-word summary derived from the bill text, complemented by human-curated abstracts where available.

Our Mission

At its core, StatePulse aims to bridge the information gap by providing organized, accessible content on U.S. legislation. In an era marked by increasing polarization, promoting transparency and understanding is more vital than ever. I strongly believe that everyone should have access to what’s happening in legislative chambers, empowering informed participation in democracy.

Getting Involved

As an incoming college freshman studying Computer Science, I’m passionate about leveraging technology to foster civic engagement. The project’s code is open-source and available on GitHub, inviting contributions and improvements from the community. Additionally, support through donations is appreciated to help sustain and expand the platform.

• Source Code & Contributions: https://github.com/lightningbolts/state-pulse

• **Support Me