Force bill was any of several measures passed or considered by the United States Congress that authorized the use of military power to enforce federal law. The first force bill was sometimes called the "Bloody Bill." It became a law on March 2, 1833, after South Carolina had declared the protective tariff laws of 1828 and 1832 "null, void, and no law" within the borders of the state (see Nullification). The bill authorized the President to use U.S. armed forces to collect the duties. A compromise tariff was passed, and bloodshed was averted.