CitizenShift Terms of Use
Effective Date: November 1, 2026
Last Updated: November 1, 2026
Welcome to CitizenShift. These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of
the CitizenShift mobile application and website (collectively, the “Service”), operated by
CitizenShift (“CitizenShift,
” “we,
” “us,
” or “our”), a nonprofit organization. By downloading,
accessing, or using the Service, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree,
do not use the Service.
1. Our Mission and Nonpartisan Commitment
CitizenShift exists to make U.S. legislation more accessible and understandable to
everyday citizens. We are committed to nonpartisanship and impartiality in how we
present legislative information.
Bill summaries, descriptions, and related content are intended to reflect the substance
of legislation as introduced or enacted, not the opinions, endorsements, or political
positions of CitizenShift, its founders, staff, board members, or volunteers.
Any legislator, party, or policy area referenced within the Service is included for
informational and identification purposes only. Inclusion does not imply endorsement,
criticism, or affiliation.
Where legislation is contested or subject to differing interpretation, we aim to present
neutral, factual descriptions rather than advocacy for any side.
CitizenShift does not endorse candidates, parties, ballot measures, or legislation, and
nothing in the Service should be construed as a recommendation on how to vote,
contact a representative, or otherwise engage politically.
2. Not Legal or Professional Advice
Content on the Service — including bill summaries, status updates, representative
information, and any related commentary — is provided for general informational
purposes only. It does not constitute legal, legislative, political, or professional advice. You
should not rely on the Service as a substitute for independent research or consultation
with a qualified professional, and you should verify any information before relying on it for
legal, business, or civic decisions.
CitizenShift Terms of Use
Page 1 of 53. Accuracy of Information; No Warranty
CitizenShift aggregates and summarizes legislative data from third-party sources,
including government and legislative databases (such as LegiScan). We make reasonable
efforts to keep information current and accurate, but:
Legislative data changes frequently, and bill text, status, and sponsorship may be
updated, amended, or withdrawn without immediate reflection in the Service.
Summaries are generalized descriptions of complex legal text and may not capture
every nuance, exception, or amendment.
We do not independently verify all third-party data and are not responsible for errors,
omissions, or delays in the underlying source material.
THE SERVICE AND ALL CONTENT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,
”
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING
WARRANTIES OF ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. CITIZENSHIFT DOES NOT WARRANT
THAT ANY BILL SUMMARY, STATUS, OR OTHER CONTENT IS ERROR-FREE OR CURRENT
AS OF THE TIME YOU VIEW IT.
4. Limitation of Liability
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, CITIZENSHIFT AND ITS DIRECTORS,
OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, VOLUNTEERS, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY
INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY
LOSS OF DATA, OPPORTUNITY, OR GOODWILL, ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO:
Your use of, or inability to use, the Service;
Any reliance placed on bill summaries, legislative data, or other content within the
Service;
Errors, inaccuracies, or omissions in any content, whether originating from CitizenShift
or third-party data sources;
Any decision or action you take based on information obtained through the Service.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, CITIZENSHIFT’S TOTAL AGGREGATE
LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE SERVICE SHALL
NOT EXCEED FIFTY DOLLARS ($50) OR THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO USE THE SERVICE
(IF ANY), WHICHEVER IS GREATER. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain liability
limitations, so some of the above may not apply to you.
CitizenShift Terms of Use
Page 2 of 55. Third-Party Data and Links
The Service relies on third-party legislative data providers (including LegiScan) and may
link to external government or third-party websites. CitizenShift does not control and is
not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or availability of third-party sources, and
inclusion of a link does not imply endorsement.
6. User Accounts
If the Service allows you to create an account, you agree to provide accurate information
and to keep your login credentials confidential. You are responsible for all activity under
your account. Notify us promptly of any unauthorized use.
7. Acceptable Use
You agree not to:
Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms;
Misrepresent CitizenShift content as your own, or alter bill summaries in a way that
misattributes them to us;
Attempt to scrape, reverse-engineer, or interfere with the Service’s operation or
security;
Use the Service to harass, defame, or target any individual, legislator, or organization;
Use automated means to access the Service in a manner that sends more request
traffic than a human could reasonably produce.
We reserve the right to suspend or terminate access for violations of these Terms.
8. Intellectual Property
The CitizenShift name, logo, app design, and original content (excluding third-party
legislative data, which remains public or third-party material) are the property of
CitizenShift. You may not use our name, branding, or original content without permission,
except as needed for personal, noncommercial use of the Service as intended.
CitizenShift Terms of Use
Page 3 of 59. Donations and Nonprofit Status
CitizenShift is a New York nonprofit corporation and a fiscally sponsored project of State
Democracy Project, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Donations made through the
Service are received by State Democracy Project for the benefit of CitizenShift and are
tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Any donations made through the Service
are subject to separate donation terms and are non-refundable except as required by law.
Nothing in these Terms constitutes a solicitation for donations in jurisdictions where such
solicitation has not been authorized.
10. Privacy
Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy
(https://www.citizenshift.us/privacy-policy), which describes how we collect, use, share,
and protect your information. In summary, and as described in full in the Privacy Policy:
We use the address or ZIP code you enter to match you with your elected
representatives.
We record your activity on the Service to improve the legislation and topics we
recommend to you.
When you save a bill, we store it in your account so we can notify you of changes in its
status. You may turn off notifications or unsave a bill at any time.
If anything in this section conflicts with the Privacy Policy, the Privacy Policy controls.
11. Indemnification
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless CitizenShift and its directors, officers,
employees, and volunteers from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including
reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from your violation of these Terms or misuse of the
Service.
12. Changes to the Service and Terms
We may modify, suspend, or discontinue the Service, or update these Terms, at any time.
Material changes will be reflected by an updated “Last Updated” date, and continued use
of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.
CitizenShift Terms of Use
Page 4 of 513. Termination
We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without
notice, for conduct that violates these Terms or is otherwise harmful to CitizenShift, other
users, or third parties.
14. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to
conflict-of-law principles, unless otherwise required by applicable law.
15. Contact
Questions about these Terms can be directed to: erin.chouinard@citizenshift.us