Article 1
Law new (or legislation) is an official rule or regulation passed by Congress or another legislative body. It may be a bill, resolution, or statute. A bill is a proposal for legislation that is in one of several stages of consideration in the House or Senate—the bill’s committee, the calendar, or another house—before it becomes a law. The staff who drafts a bill writes a committee report that explains its purpose, scope, and effect. The committee report is an important part of the legislative history of a law and is used by courts, executive departments, and others.
Congressional Research Service, How Our Laws Are Made, July 2007. pp. 110-49.