OpenStates MCP Server for Claude Code 7 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
Claude Code is Anthropic's agentic CLI for terminal-first development. Add OpenStates as an MCP server in one command and Claude Code will discover every tool at runtime. ideal for automation pipelines, CI/CD integration, and headless workflows via Vinkius.
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Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.
Vinkius Desktop App
The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install OpenStates and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.
# Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
claude mcp add openstates --transport http "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure
About OpenStates MCP Server
Equip your AI agent with the most comprehensive US state-level legislative intelligence via OpenStates. This unified server provides your agent with instant access to bills, legislators, and committee metadata across all 50 states, DC, and Puerto Rico. Your agent can instantly search for specific legislation, audit legislator profiles, and retrieve committee memberships without you ever manually checking a government site. Whether you are tracking policy trends or verifying legislative actions, your agent acts as a dedicated political analyst through natural conversation.
Claude Code registers OpenStates as an MCP server in a single terminal command. Once connected, Claude Code discovers all 7 tools at runtime and can call them headlessly. ideal for CI/CD pipelines, cron jobs, and automated workflows where OpenStates data drives decisions without human intervention.
What you can do
- Bill Discovery — Search for thousands of legislative bills by keyword, jurisdiction, and session.
- Legislator Auditing — Fetch complete profiles, contact information, and current roles for state legislators.
- Committee Intelligence — List all legislative committees in a jurisdiction and retrieve their detailed membership lists.
- Jurisdiction Lookup — List and inspect all supported states and jurisdictions to understand current legislative coverage.
- Deep Metadata — Retrieve detailed actions and versions for specific bills to analyze the legislative process.
The OpenStates MCP Server exposes 7 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Claude Code in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.
How to Connect OpenStates to Claude Code via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the OpenStates MCP Server with Claude Code.
Install Claude Code
Run npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code if not already installed
Add the MCP Server
Run the command above in your terminal
Verify the connection
Run claude mcp to list connected servers, or type /mcp inside a session
Start using OpenStates
Ask Claude: "Using OpenStates, show me...". 7 tools are ready
Why Use Claude Code with the OpenStates MCP Server
Claude Code provides unique advantages when paired with OpenStates through the Model Context Protocol.
Single-command setup: `claude mcp add` registers the server instantly. no config files to edit or applications to restart
Terminal-native workflow means MCP tools integrate seamlessly into shell scripts, CI/CD pipelines, and automated DevOps tasks
Claude Code runs headlessly, enabling unattended batch processing using OpenStates tools in cron jobs or deployment scripts
Built by the same team that created the MCP protocol, ensuring first-class compatibility and the fastest adoption of new protocol features
OpenStates + Claude Code Use Cases
Practical scenarios where Claude Code combined with the OpenStates MCP Server delivers measurable value.
CI/CD integration: embed OpenStates tool calls in your deployment pipeline to validate configurations or fetch secrets before shipping
Headless batch processing: schedule Claude Code to query OpenStates nightly and generate reports without human intervention
Shell scripting: pipe OpenStates outputs into other CLI tools for data transformation, filtering, and aggregation
Infrastructure monitoring: run Claude Code in a cron job to query OpenStates status endpoints and alert on anomalies
OpenStates MCP Tools for Claude Code (7)
These 7 tools become available when you connect OpenStates to Claude Code via MCP:
get_bill_details
Get bill details
get_committee_details
Get committee details
get_legislator_details
Get legislator details
list_committees
List committees in a jurisdiction
list_jurisdictions
List all jurisdictions
search_bills
Search for legislative bills
search_legislators
Search for legislators
Example Prompts for OpenStates in Claude Code
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Claude Code agent to start working with OpenStates immediately.
"Search for education bills in California."
"Who are the members of the New York Senate Finance Committee?"
"Get the latest actions for bill TX HB-500."
Troubleshooting OpenStates MCP Server with Claude Code
Common issues when connecting OpenStates to Claude Code through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
Command not found: claude
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-codeConnection timeout
OpenStates + Claude Code FAQ
Common questions about integrating OpenStates MCP Server with Claude Code.
How do I add an MCP server to Claude Code?
claude mcp add --transport http "" in your terminal. Claude Code registers the server and discovers all tools immediately.Can Claude Code run MCP tools in headless mode?
How do I list all connected MCP servers?
claude mcp in your terminal to see all registered servers and their status, or type /mcp inside an active Claude Code session.Connect OpenStates with your favorite client
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Connect OpenStates to Claude Code
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 7 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.