Chris Micheli – Page 325 – California Globe

Special Rules for California Bill Drafting

October 20, 2020 2:45 amOctober 19, 2020 9:30 pm

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...

Attention Employers: What You Need to Know About Election Day

October 19, 2020 2:29 amOctober 19, 2020 7:31 pm

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...

Severability or Savings Clauses in California Bills

October 18, 2020 8:12 amOctober 18, 2020 4:44 pm

On occasion, a reader may come across a severability or savings clause contained in a California bill. Basically, a severability clause is a statement by the Legislature that, if a part of a law that is enacted is subsequently held...

Drafting a Bill to Regulate a Profession

October 17, 2020 7:52 amOctober 17, 2020 1:28 pm

On occasion, the bill drafter will need to create a new regulatory scheme as legislators intend to regulate a profession or occupation that has not previously been subject to regulation. As a general rule, the intent of regulating a profession...

Drafting a Bill’s Title

October 16, 2020 2:25 amOctober 16, 2020 6:08 am

Pursuant to Article IV, Section 9 of the California Constitution, there is a requirement for each bill to have a title. The constitutional provision states: “A statute shall embrace but one subject, which shall be expressed in its title. If...

California’s Reenactment Rule

October 15, 2020 2:36 amOctober 16, 2020 6:08 am

California’s Constitution, in Article IV, Section 9, provides “A section of a statute may not be amended unless the section is re-enacted as amended.” What does that mean? According to the courts, the purpose of the constitutional reenactment rule, which...

Additional Bill Drafting Guidelines

October 14, 2020 6:33 amOctober 14, 2020 12:43 pm

The following are some additional guidelines for successfully drafting legislation in California: Rules of Punctuation Punctuation is an important part of drafting legislation and the punctuation rules should be used consistently and properly. The bill drafter should know these rules...