Chart on Types of California Bills

The following chart sets forth the main types of bills used in the California Legislature:

Type of Bill	Purpose
Appropriation	This bill contains language that appropriates funds for expenditures by the state.
Author-sponsored	This bill is the idea of the author, who is the official sponsor.
Backed	This bill is ready for introduction because it has a “backing” (formally called a jacket) that shows who the author is.
Budget	This bill is the main budget bill that makes appropriations for implementation of the state’s fiscal year spending (the secondary bill is referred to as the “budget bill junior”).
Budget Bill Junior (BBJ)	This bill amends the main budget bill that makes changes to appropriations for implementation of the state’s fiscal year spending.
Clean-up	This bill “cleans-up” changes to a law following enactment of a prior bill that needs to be modified.
Committee	This bill is authored by a majority of a committee; usually used for enacting non-controversial law changes.
District	This bill only applies to the legislator’s own district, such as benefiting his or her transit district.
Fiscal	This bill must go through the fiscal committee after it has passed the policy committee.
Intent	This bill makes a statement of intent of the Legislature that the bill will do something on a topic specified in the intent statement; it is a placeholder for a later bill.
Omnibus	This bill is a measure that contains numerous changes to the law, generally suggested by a group, such as civil law changes recommended by the Judicial Council.
Special Interest	This bill has a sponsor that is a particular interest group.
Sponsored	This bill usually comes from an interest group or individual as the sponsor.
Spot	This bill makes a technical, non-substantive change in the law as a placeholder for a later bill; neither house’s Rules Committee will refer spot bills to a policy committee until they are substantively amended.
Technical corrections	This bill makes a technical correction in the law.
Trailer	This bill implements statutory changes as part of the budget adoption; these bills “trail” the main budget bill.
Two-year	This bill carries over from the first year of session into the second year of the session.
Unbacked	This bill does not yet have an author and no “backing” (also called a “jacket”) for introduction.