bills

A U.S. legislative measure is a bill until enacted; it then becomes an act or a law.

Descriptive references to pending legislation should be lowercase (food-stamp bill, appropriation bill) except for words normally capitalized:

            Senate bill 217 (S. 217)

            House bill 31 (H.R. 31)

            Kiess bill

            Walsh-Healey bill

but     Reform Bill of 1832 (England)

            GI Bill

            GI Bill of Rights

See acts and laws (federal, state, foreign).