At the federal level, when Congress drafts a statute that has not yet been signed by the president, it is known as a bill. A bill is a legislative proposal that has not yet been enacted into law. When Congress drafts a law, it must first pass both the House of Representatives.
The Senate in identical form before it can be sent to the President for signature.The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action, allowing the bill to become law without his signature if Congress is still in session after a certain number of days. If the President vetoes the bill, Congress may override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
After a bill is passed by both chambers and signed into law by the President, it becomes an Act. When the Act is published in the United States Code, it becomes federal law. Hence, it is said that an Act is a bill that has passed both houses of Congress, been signed by the President, and has become law after being published in the United States Code.A bill can be introduced by any member of the House of Representatives or the Senate, and it can be created from a committee bill or a citizen's petition.
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