法案
ほうあん · houan · JLPT N1 · noun
bill
📜 法 = law + 案 = draft/proposal: a draft law, still a bill before it passes
法 (law) plus 案 (draft or proposal) gives a law still in draft form. It only becomes law once the legislature passes it.
法 — water 氵 + go 去
Originally written 灋, combining the water radical 氵 (suggesting a level standard, like water finding its level), the mythical beast 廌 (which judged guilt), and 去 (to remove or banish). The 廌 was later dropped, leaving 法. The core meaning evolved from 'law' or 'standard' to also include 'method' and 'way of doing'.