California legislation – Page 5

Interesting Sections of California Bills

February 8, 2022 11:30 amFebruary 8, 2022 11:24 am

Over the years, I have come across some provisions of California legislation that appear at least inconsistent with general drafting norms. This statement is not meant to be a criticism of either a bill’s author or the bill drafter; it...

Pilot Projects and Sunset Dates in California Legislation

October 20, 2021 3:43 pmOctober 20, 2021 3:47 pm

California, like most other states, occasionally establish a “pilot program,” which is basically a study or temporary program established by statute, often combined with a study and sunset date. The idea behind pilot program legislation is to give a public...

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...

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...

Urgency Clause Statutes in California Legislation

November 27, 2019 6:08 amNovember 26, 2019 7:14 pm

Bills signed into law by the Governor that contain an urgency clause become urgency statutes or urgency clause statutes. California Constitution Article IV, Section 8 deals with urgency statutes. Section 8(c)(3) provides that urgency clause bills go into effect immediately...

Effective Dates of Statutes in California Legislation

October 7, 2019 6:05 amOctober 6, 2019 8:09 pm

In the California Legislature, legislation that contains an urgency clause takes effect immediately upon the Governor signing the bill and it being chaptered by the Secretary of State. With the exception of measures which take effect immediately, tax levies, and...