Frequently Asked Questions about California Legislative Committee Bills

What are committee bills? In addition to bills being authored by State Senators and State Assembly Members, the 32 Assembly Standing Committees and 22 Senate Standing Committees can also “author” bills.

What does Joint Rule 54(a) provide? It is titled “Introduction of Bills” and specifies that the bill introduction deadline does not apply to “committee bills introduced pursuant to Assembly Rule 47 or Senate Rule 23.”

What do the Assembly Rules provide? AR 47(d) allows the Assembly Committee on Budget to introduce a bill that is “germane to any subject within the jurisdiction of the committee in the same manner as any Member.” Iin addition, AR 47(d) provides that “any other standing committee may introduce a total of five bills in each year of a biennial session that are germane to any subject within the proper consideration of the committee.”

What is required for Assembly committee bills? AR 47(f) requires a committee bill to be introduced by a majority of all of the committee members, including the chairperson. It provides, “If all of the members of a committee sign the bill, at the option of the committee chairperson the committee members’ names need not appear as authors in the heading of the printed bill.” This requires documentation of the signatories.

What do the Senate Rules provide? SR 23 is titled, “Introduction of Bills by a Committee,” and it provide that a Senate standing committee may introduce a bill germane to any subject within the proper consideration of the committee in the same manner as any Member.

What is required for Senate committee bills? A committee bill is required to contain the signatures of all of the members of the committee. In addition, “a committee may amend into a bill related provisions germane to the subject and embraced within the title and, with the consent of the author, may constitute that bill a committee bill.”

What is the difference between Assembly and Senate Committee bills? In the Assembly, a majority of the committee members (including the Chair) must agree to author a committee bill. However, in the Senate, a committee bill must contain the signatures of every member of the committee.