bill drafter – California Globe

Guidance for Drafting a Retroactive California Statute

June 28, 2024 2:30 amJune 28, 2024 2:31 am

As a general rule, there is a presumption against retroactive application of a statute, unless the Legislature plainly has directed otherwise by means of express language of retroactivity or other sources that provide a clear and unavoidable implication that the...

Guidelines for Drafting Bill Titles

February 12, 2023 8:08 amFebruary 12, 2023 8:12 am

Drafting a bill’s title is an important task for legislative lawyers. In California, there is the constitutional single-subject rule and so the title of the bill needs to ensure compliance with that requirement. In other words, the title needs to...

Drafting Tax Statutes in California

October 21, 2021 6:48 amOctober 21, 2021 6:58 am

Like other particular areas of the law, drafting tax statutes can be a difficult task for any bill drafter. There are several issues that need to be addressed and that bill drafters should understand before undertaking the drafting of tax...

Drafting Criminal or Penal Statutes

December 8, 2020 2:55 amDecember 8, 2020 5:55 am

Drafting criminal or penal code statutes is an important undertaking for any bill drafter because of the consequences for those who violate such statutes and because courts strictly construe these types of statutes. As a result, those who draft criminal...

Transitional versus Savings Provisions: What Is the Difference?

December 7, 2020 2:16 amDecember 7, 2020 10:55 am

One area of bill drafting is the use of transitional and savings provisions. What are the differences and how are they used? The Graduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting from Athabasca University provides some helpful guidance to bill drafters. All transitional...