Chart of Bills in Different Categories

In my continuing research regarding legislation and bill drafting in the California Legislature, I created a new chart that contains eleven categories of types of bills going back the last two decades for the 2-year Sessions.

The categories include omnibus bills (that are generally used to make a large number of mostly technical changes to statutes); technical corrections bills (bills that provide nonsubstantive changes to existing statutes); bills calling an election; bills that provide statements of legislative intent; bills that provide legislative findings and declarations; bills that contain an operative date other than the default date of January 1 following enactment; bills that specify the statute should be liberally construed when interpreted by the courts; bills that amend an existing initiative, which may be done so long as the statute furthers the purpose of the initiative; tax bills that create a new tax expenditure program and, therefore, must comply with CRTC Section 41; bills that would declare the policy of the state; and, bills that would apply retroactively if enacted.