California Legislature – Page 60

Legislative Findings and Intent Statements Should Be Separate

October 8, 2023 5:57 pmOctober 8, 2023 5:57 pm

I have written previously about the similarities and differences between findings and declarations set forth in a bill and legislative intent statements. While both of these types of statements are made by the California Legislature, my opinion is that they...

Contingency Language May Not Save Your Bill

October 8, 2023 2:16 pmOctober 8, 2023 2:16 pm

In recent years, particularly the past two, bills in the California Legislature contain language that makes them become operative upon a budget appropriation or an appropriation contained in a separate bill. This has been done primarily to get past the...

Historical Look at Special Sessions in the California Legislature

October 6, 2023 4:54 pmOctober 7, 2023 10:43 am

In California, the Governor can call the Legislature into a Special Session (formally called an Extraordinary Session). Looking over the past thirty years, the following are the Special Sessions by year and topic. 2023-24 Legislative Session 2023 – First Extraordinary...

Historical Look at Bills That Became Law Without the Governor’s Signature

October 6, 2023 4:35 pmOctober 7, 2023 10:43 am

In California, the Governor has three options when a bill reaches the Governor’s Desk: sign the bill (and it becomes a statute), veto the bill (and the bill does not become law, unless the Legislature overrides the veto), or allow...

A Different Type of Double-jointing Language?

October 5, 2023 10:56 amOctober 5, 2023 10:56 am

As readers may recall, double jointing requires technical amendments prepared by the Office of Legislative Counsel that will prevent an amended bill from “chaptering out” the provisions of another bill when both bills amend the same Code section. According to...

Rescinding an Action in the California Legislature

October 1, 2023 3:00 pm

On occasion, you may hear a California legislator on the Assembly Floor or Senate Floor making a motion to “rescind an action.” That may or may not be followed by a motion to “expunge the vote.” What is the purpose...

Considerations in Appointing Committee Members

October 1, 2023 2:48 pmOctober 1, 2023 2:48 pm

In the California Legislature, there are 33 Assembly standing committees and 22 Senate standing committees. In the Assembly, the Speaker determines the composition of standing committees and, in the Senate, the Senate President pro Tempore makes a similar determination. Is...