How Often Does the Legislature Express Its Opinion?
The vast majority of resolutions are simply expressions of opinion by the Legislature
By Chris Micheli, October 20, 2024 5:10 pm
There are three types of measures used in the California Legislature: bills, constitutional amendments, and resolutions. There are also three types of resolutions: house, concurrent, and joint. While some resolutions are used to elect officers and adopt rules, the vast majority of resolutions are simply expressions of opinion by the Legislature (e.g., joint resolutions express legislative opinion on federal matters), or designating something (e.g., a house or concurrent resolution could designate women’s health month).
Resolutions only require adoption by one house (in the case of a house – HR or SR – resolution) or both houses (in the cases of joint – SJR or AJR – and concurrent – SCR or ACR – resolutions), but no action by the Governor. While bills create statutes and constitutional amendments, once adopted by the voters, add, amend, or repeal provisions of the state Constitution, resolutions do not have any force or effect of law. Nonetheless, the Legislature often considers hundreds of resolutions during its 2-year sessions.
The following lists the number of house, joint, and concurrent resolutions each 2- year California Legislative Session over the past 16 years (8 sessions):
2023-24 Session
HRs – 129
ACRs – 229
AJRs – 19
Total Assembly resolutions: 377
SRs – 125
SCRs – 170
SJRs – 18
Total Senate resolutions: 313
Total resolutions for both houses: 690
2021-22 Session
HRs – 134
ACRs – 215
AJRs – 36
Total Assembly resolutions: 385
SRs – 104
SCRs – 122
SJRs – 16
Total Senate resolutions: 242
Total resolutions for both houses: 627
2019-20 Session
HRs – 105
ACRs – 200
AJRs – 36
Total Assembly resolutions: 341
SRs – 90
SCRs – 94
SJRs – 14
Total Senate resolutions: 198
Total resolutions for both houses: 539
2017-18 Session
HRs – 125
ACRs – 286
AJRs – 52
Total Assembly resolutions: 463
SRs – 127
SCRs – 166
SJRs – 30
Total Senate resolutions: 323
Total resolutions for both houses: 786
2015-16 Session
HRs – 64
ACRs – 204
AJRs – 46
Total Assembly resolutions: 314
SRs – 89
SCRs – 166
SJRs – 29
Total Senate resolutions: 284
Total resolutions for both houses: 598
2013-14 Session
HRs – 56
ACRs – 175
AJRs – 54
Total Assembly resolutions: 285
SRs – 63
SCRs – 141
SJRs – 34
Total Senate resolutions: 238
Total resolutions for both houses: 523
2011-12 Session
HRs – 43
ACRs – 168
AJRs – 47
Total Assembly resolutions: 258
SRs – 38
SCRs – 105
SJRs – 30
Total Senate resolutions: 172
Total resolutions for both houses: 430
2009-10 Session
HRs – 37
ACRs – 187
AJRs – 47
Total Assembly resolutions: 271
SRs – 53
SCRs – 126
SJRs – 36
Total Senate resolutions: 215
Total resolutions for both houses: 486
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