private bill

American  

noun

1. a congressional or parliamentary bill involving the private interests of a particular individual, corporation, or local unit.

---

private bill British  

noun

1. a bill presented to Parliament or Congress on behalf of a private individual, corporation, etc

---

Etymology

Origin of private bill

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

The family might have a reprieve if a private bill.

From Washington Times • Sep. 26, 2023

Rep. Cori Bush, a St. Louis Democrat, announced she was sponsoring a private bill seeking permanent residency for Garcia.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 24, 2021

He lost, but then his congressman introduced a private bill that eventually paid him $10 for each animal.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2016

Now, however, beyond a reconsideration of his case by the Department of Homeland Security, or a private bill in Congress — extremely rare — there is nothing Mr. Cabrera can do.

From New York Times • Jan. 16, 2015

But, one day, a private bill championed by his brother, Cadwallader, passed the House while Elihu kept entirely silent.

From Autobiography of Seventy Years, Vol. 1-2 by Hoar, George Frisbie