We know that a bill in the California Legislature can add a new section of law, amend an existing section of law, repeal an existing section of law, or do a combination of those three things. That is what a bill does at its most basic level.
However, a bill usually takes one or more of the following formal actions:
- Create or establish something
- Impose a duty or obligation
- Confer a power
- Create a right
- Grant a privilege
- Prohibit conduct or an action
- Establish a condition
- Create a qualification
- Impose a limitation
- Specify an exception
When drafting a bill, it is important to keep in mind the main purpose of the bill and the author’s stated intent.