Enacting Clauses in Legislation

In the states that publish their legislative drafting manuals, each bill requires an “enacting clause.” In those states, the enacting clause more often includes the Legislature, such as the following examples:

The enacting clause of each law in Hawaii is: “Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Hawaii:”

The enacting clause in Iowa is: “Be it Enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa:”

The enacting clause in North Dakota is: “Be It Enacted by the Legislative Assembly of North Dakota:”

The enacting clause in Colorado is: ‘Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado’.”

The enacting clause in Louisiana is: “Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:”

The enacting clause in Texas is: “Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas:”

The enacting clause in South Dakota is: “Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of South Dakota:”

The enacting clause in Kentucky is: ““Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

The enacting clause in Minnesota is: “Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota.”

The enacting clause in Illinois is: “Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:”

On the other hand, in California, the enacting clause reads as follows: “The People of the State of California Do Enact as Follows:” Only a few other states follow this approach. For example, Oregon’s enacting clause is similar: “Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:”

In most states, the requirement of including the enacting clause in a bill is contained in their state constitution. In California, on the other hand, the requirement is imposed by statute, found in the California Government Code.