California Legislature – Page 3

Some More California Legislative Drafting Best Practices

May 21, 2026 2:00 pmMay 21, 2026 2:01 pm

In reviewing some of the hundreds of bills being considered during the 2026 California Legislative Session, I offer the following observations and suggestions for bill drafting. Separate these subdivisions from findings and declarations: The Legislature finds and declares all of...

Historical Look at How Many Bills Are Considered on the Suspense Files

May 19, 2026 9:53 amMay 19, 2026 9:53 am

For this article, I put together some historical data on Suspense File voting. The charts are first divided by State Senate and State Assembly. Second, they are divided each year between May (house of origin measures) and August (second house...

Suggestions to Legislators, Staff, and Lobbyists on Bill and Amendment Drafting

May 12, 2026 2:00 pmMay 12, 2026 2:01 pm

As I read the language of thousands of bills and amendments every year in the California Legislature, I think about the critical role played by the attorneys in the Office of Legislative Counsel, and their work with elected officials, their...

California Built a Bureaucracy Instead of Delivering Hearing Aids

May 12, 2026 5:00 amMay 12, 2026 5:01 am

California made a promise to families in 2021 when lawmakers unanimously approved the Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program. Democrats and Republicans came together and, with a unified voice, said no child should grow up unable to hear simply because...

Boys in Girls’ Sports: California’s Track Farce Exposed

May 11, 2026 6:00 amMay 11, 2026 6:01 am

Outside Yorba Linda High School this past Saturday, the California Interscholastic Federation’s Southern Section Division 3 preliminaries offered a study in institutional failure. Parents gripped signs. Athletes stretched in silence. A “Save Girls’ Sports” rally, organized by former NCAA women’s...

Introduction to Regulatory Drafting

May 10, 2026 6:09 pmMay 10, 2026 6:09 pm

What is regulatory drafting? Regulatory drafting or regulations drafting is the work done by state executive branch officials in agencies, departments, boards, commissions, and bureaus that have rulemaking authority under the California Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Of course, regulations can...

Should There Be Blanket Public Record Act Exemptions in Bills?

May 9, 2026 2:00 pmMay 9, 2026 2:01 pm

Have you seen this provision while reading bills in the California Legislature? Contracts, grants, and related information created or obtained pursuant to this provision shall not be made public and are exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act...