California Legislature – Page 73

Express Versus Implied Repeals of California Statutes

February 14, 2023 6:57 amFebruary 14, 2023 7:06 am

What is the difference between an express repeal and an implied repeal of a statute? An express repeal is relatively obvious because the Legislature has definitely “expressed” its intent to repeal a particular statute. A reader may see language such...

Federal Constitutional Limitations on the California Legislature

February 13, 2023 1:16 pmFebruary 13, 2023 1:22 pm

When drafting and considering bills in the California Legislature, bill drafters and legislators in this state need to be aware of some of the limitations on state legislatures imposed by the federal Constitution. The United States Constitution is generally viewed...

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...

CDC Adds COVID-19 Vaccine to ‘Routine’ Childhood Immunization Schedule

February 10, 2023 4:18 pmFebruary 11, 2023 11:06 am

Just in time for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s long-awaited end to his Covid emergency powers February 28th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Thursday updated recommendations to childhood immunization schedules, including the addition of COVID-19 shots and boosters for...

Guidelines for Drafting Bill Summaries

February 10, 2023 7:16 amFebruary 10, 2023 7:19 am

An important task for the legislative lawyer is to draft bill summaries. In general, a bill summary should be brief, but easy to read and understand. It should provide a succinct, clear, and accurate synopsis of the major points of...

Legislative Findings and Declarations Versus Intent Statements in California Legislation

February 6, 2023 6:35 amFebruary 6, 2023 6:42 am

In reading bills in the California Legislature, you may encounter findings and declarations, or intent statements, or a combination of the two. Which should be given greater weight by the courts? Or are they of equal weight? Does it matter...

Drafting Checklist for Creating a New Entity in California

February 5, 2023 8:39 amFebruary 5, 2023 8:45 am

When drafting a bill to create a new entity or commission in California law, the following are some of the component parts of that legislation: Membership and Qualifications. A committee should be composed of an odd number of members to...