California Legislature – Page 78

Possible New Approach for Appropriations Bills?

February 18, 2023 9:42 amFebruary 18, 2023 9:45 am

In reviewing the hundreds of new bill introductions for the 2023 California Legislative Session, I came across a possible new approach for appropriations bills. Will this approach take hold with other measures as well? The language is found in a...

Record Number of Bills Introduced in the 2023 California Legislative Session

February 18, 2023 8:40 amFebruary 18, 2023 8:44 am

Over the past decade, the California Legislature, and its 120 legislators, introduce between 1,900 and 2,500 bills per year, each year of the 2-year legislative sessions. While fewer than 50 additional bills get introduced after the deadline (e.g., due to...

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...