How Prevalent Are Double-Jointing Amendments?

How prevalent are double-jointing amendments? At the end of a California Legislative Session, Capitol observers will hear about the need to have “chaptering out amendments” adopted. However, that is not the correct term to use. “Chaptering out” is the problem that needs to be addressed by amendments, and “double-jointing amendments” are the solution to that problem.

Chaptering out refers to when provisions of a later-adopted chaptered bill amend the same code section(s) as another, earlier-chaptered bill does. The bill with the higher chapter number (i.e., the one that was chaptered last) prevails over the lower chapter number bill (i.e., the one that was chaptered earlier).

Chaptering out can be avoided by adopting “double jointing” amendments to a bill prior to its passage by both houses of the legislature and signature by the governor. This “chaptering out” is found in state law, Government Code, Chapter 6 (titled “Operation of Statutes and Resolution”), Section 9605(b).

So, how many bills had double-jointing amendments per Session? The chart below shows the figures for several prior Sessions, as well as the 2025 Legislative Session: