In the California Legislature, pursuant to Article IV, Section 8(b)(1), “the Legislature may make no law except by statute and may enact no statute except by bill.” As a result, a bill is what enacts a statute. The Legislative Counsel...
You may have noticed while reading a California bill that, at the end of the Legislative Counsel’s Digest, there are four “keys,” which identify the vote required for passage of the bill, whether the bill contains an appropriation, whether the...
What is legislative drafting? Legislative drafting or bill drafting is the work of professionals who usually provide their services in a centralized office for the U.S. Congress or state legislatures. These individuals draft bills, resolutions, and constitutional amendments (for the...
What are the “Seven Cs” and what do they have to do with legislative drafting? During this time of pandemic, I have been researching and reading about legislative drafting and studying some of the materials that are available to the...
On Monday, December 7, 2020 at 12 noon, the California Legislature will convene its next two-year session. Although the new session begins in December 2020, it is designated the 2021-2022 Legislative Session. What are the legal requirements of convening the...
With certain types of legislation in California, there are several unique drafting rules, such as for tax measures, bond measures, and criminal statutes. Tax Bills There is a misconception that a bill keyed as a “tax levy” is always a...
Under California law, employers and employees have rights and obligations related to election day. California’s General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 3. These provisions of law are found in the California Elections Code as set forth below: If...