California Bills That Take Immediate Effect

In California, statutes generally take effect on January 1 following the year in which they were signed into law (e.g., a bill signed by Governor Newsom in September 2024 usually takes effect on January 1, 2025). However, there are statutes that take effect immediately. Those statutes are set forth in the California Constitution and they are noted in the Title of the bill.

Article IV, Section 8(c)(3) provides the four types of measures that take effect immediately. It states: “Statutes calling elections, statutes providing for tax levies or appropriations for the usual current expenses of the State, and urgency statutes shall go into effect immediately upon their enactment.”

The following lists the total number of bills introduced during the 2-year sessions over the past quarter century that would take effect immediately (which is about 10% of the bills on average):

2023-24 Session

408 bills would take immediate effect

2021-23 Session

483 bills would take immediate effect

2019-20 Session

432 bills would take immediate effect

2017-18 Session

508 bills would take immediate effect

2015-16 Session

498 bills would take immediate effect

2013-14 Session

531 bills would take immediate effect

2011-12 Session

523 bills would take immediate effect

2009-10 Session

645 bills would take immediate effect

2007-08 Session

520 bills would take immediate effect

2005-06 Session

581 bills would take immediate effect

2003-04 Session

383 bills would take immediate effect

2001-02 Session

651 bills would take immediate effect

1999-2000 Session

548 bills would take immediate effect