What is the difference between a bill and an act?

• A. A bill is a final law; an act is an enacted law.
• B. A bill is a proposed law; an act is a law that has been enacted.
• C. A bill is a local rule; an act is a tax.
• D. A bill is a president's order; an act is a court decision.

Answer: (B)

In lawmaking, a bill is a proposed law that lawmakers introduce for consideration. It hasn’t become law yet and must go through debate, possible amendments, and approval by the legislature, and then be signed into law by the executive (or meet any other required steps) to take effect. Once it passes all those steps and becomes law, it’s called an act (often also a statute). So the best description is that a bill is a proposed law, and an act is a law that has been enacted. The other options mix up what is still a proposal, what is already law, or mix in different kinds of powers that don’t apply here.