Political vocabulary & government processes · Article 8 of 20 · United States
Bill
A proposal that may become law.
What the term means
A bill is proposed legislation. At the federal level, a bill must ordinarily pass the House and Senate in identical form and be presented to the president before it can become law.
How it works in practice
Introduction is only the beginning. Many bills never receive a committee vote, and a chamber’s passage does not guarantee final enactment.
A concrete example
A proposal to expand a tax credit might be introduced with broad publicity but then change substantially as lawmakers negotiate eligibility and cost.
What to examine next
Track the bill number, latest text, committee status and votes rather than relying on its title.
Next: Committee.