Chris Micheli – Page 220 – California Globe

A sea of empty desks inside the California State Assembly

What Bill Drafting Guidance Do We Have from the California Legislature’s Joint Rules?

September 26, 2022 7:18 pmSeptember 27, 2022 10:36 am

When drafting legislation in California, there are several sources of guidance in drafting bills and other forms of legislation (resolutions and constitutional amendments). The third source is the Joint Rules of the Assembly and Senate. What legislation drafting guidance is...

Do Lieutenant Governors Sign Bills?

September 26, 2022 4:10 pmSeptember 27, 2022 10:33 am

The Governor of California obviously plays an integral role in the legislative process by providing final action (sign or veto) on bills. But, does the Lieutenant Governor of the state get to act on bills? The Governor and the Lt....

Do Governors Allow Bills to Become Law Without Their Signature?

September 26, 2022 8:20 amSeptember 26, 2022 6:44 am

As readers know, in California, the Governor has three options when a bill reaches the Governor’s Desk: sign the bill (and it becomes law), veto the bill (and the bill does not become law, unless the Legislature overrides the veto),...

What Is a Business Under California Law?

September 26, 2022 6:25 amSeptember 27, 2022 10:22 am

One of the key principles in legislative drafting is consistency in language, including definitions. In looking at who is a business, there lacks the same definition across state law. In fact, California law provides dozens of different definitions of “business”...

What Bill Drafting Guidance Do We Have from the California Government Code?

September 25, 2022 2:49 pmSeptember 25, 2022 2:51 pm

When drafting legislation in California, there are several sources of guidance in drafting bills and other forms of legislation (resolutions and constitutional amendments). The second source is the California Government Code. What legislation drafting guidance is contained in the state...

Would Legislation Be Strengthened by a Purpose or Intent Statement as Well?

September 25, 2022 8:09 amSeptember 25, 2022 8:12 am

Readers of California legislation are familiar with legislative findings and declarations, usually contained in Section 1 of a bill, prior to the substantive language being set forth in the remainder of the bill. These findings and declarations of the Legislature...

California State Assembly nearly empty except for a few folks in the balcony.

General Outline of a California Bill

September 24, 2022 3:33 pmSeptember 24, 2022 3:36 pm

A bill in the California Legislature can be short or long in its length, and simple or complex in its provisions. Nonetheless, the following examples constitute the general outline of a bill in California as drafted by the Office of...