Act of Congress

In the United States, an act of Congress is a statute passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States Congress and signed into law by the president. Acts may apply only to individual entities (called private laws), or to the general public (public laws).

For a bill to become an act, the text must pass through both houses with a majority, then be either signed into law by the president of the United States, be left unsigned for ten days (excluding Sundays) while Congress remains in session, or, if vetoed by the president, receive a congressional override from 2⁄3 of both houses.