Tag: California bills
Are Severability Clauses Necessary in California Bills?
Around the country, and at the federal level, there is an ongoing debate among legislative lawyers whether a severability clause must be included in legislation. If a bill contains a severability clause, then the matter of whether provisions contained in...
Examples of Common Provisions Found in California Bills
There are a number of common provisions to California legislation that can be found, and these provisions should be familiar to those reading, analyzing, or drafting bills in the Legislature. The following features examples of some of the common provisions...
Why Do California Bills Have Certain Provisions?
Why do bills in the California Legislature contain certain provisions? I am sure some readers have asked that question at least once! Or so I tell myself. Here are some examples of what I mean with an explanation: Why does...
Automatic Repeal of Reporting Requirements in California Bills
In reviewing bill language, a reader may come across a measure that requires a report to be submitted by a state agency. The following example contains language commonly found in statute: A report to be submitted pursuant to subdivision (a)...
Appropriating Funds or Not in California Bills
California bills can and do appropriate monies from the General Fund or special funds. In other bills, appropriations are specifically not made, even though they may otherwise be required by existing law. Subject to an appropriation in the annual Budget...
Should California Bills Use ‘Includes’ or ‘Means?’
When attorneys in the Office of Legislative Counsel are drafting bills for California legislators, they often delete the word “includes” and substitute it with the word “means.” Why is that being done by these legislative lawyers? The following example comes...