Overview
What is Gavelin?
Gavelin is a Model Context Protocol server that provides state legislative intelligence, including speaker-attributed hearing transcripts from US state legislatures. It allows AI agents to search bills across all 50 states, find what legislators said in hearings, and retrieve full committee hearing transcripts with speaker attribution.
How to use Gavelin?
Connect any MCP‑compatible client (Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, custom agents) to the URL https://mcp.gavelin.ai/mcp using a bearer token API key obtained from gavelin.ai. Configure the server in your client’s MCP settings with the URL and an Authorization header containing Bearer YOUR_API_KEY.
Key features of Gavelin
- Speaker‑attributed hearing and floor session transcripts
- Bill search across all 50 US states plus DC
- Multiple years of legislative sessions
- Authentication and rate limiting for production use
- Streamable HTTP transport for any MCP client
- Tools for bill detail, speaker activity, committee hearings, and more
Use cases of Gavelin
- Research pending housing bills in California
- Find what a specific senator said about affordable housing
- Search for passed cannabis legislation from 2025
- Prepare for meetings by reviewing a legislator’s testimony history
- Monitor SNAP benefit discussions in Finance committee hearings
FAQ from Gavelin
What tools does Gavelin provide?
Tools include search_bills, search_hearing_testimony, get_bill_detail, get_speaker_activity, search_committee_hearings, get_hearing_transcript, and list_available_states.
How do I get an API key?
Sign up at gavelin.ai, then generate an API key from your Account page under “Developer API.”
What are the rate limits?
Starter: 100 calls/hour, Professional: 500 calls/hour, Enterprise: custom.
What makes Gavelin different from other legislative data sources?
It is the only MCP server with speaker‑attributed state legislative hearing transcripts, covering all 50 states with historical depth.
Is the MCP server open source?
No. The MIT License in the repository applies only to the documentation. The Gavelin MCP server is a proprietary hosted service requiring an API key under Gavelin’s terms of service.
