Approve vs pass

[ROBINDESBOIS]

Can anybody explain the difference between approve a law and pass a law? Thanks

[poli]

The meaning is similar. Approval is part of the process of passing a law. Congress may approve or pass a bill, but that does not necessarily mean a law is passed. The president must sign it into law, and, as far as I know, once the law is signed and approved by the president, it is passed into law.

[Glen]

To my mind a law can be approved, informally, but passed only after it's been voted on favorably by the majority

[poli]

That is right, Glen. Additionally, to confuse matters, approve and pass a law are sometimes used interchangeably, but when a law is signed, it is passed into law, and that is much more solid term than an approval. Senate or congress may approve a law, but the president signs it in and passes it.