For those not familiar, I put together the following questions and answers for those queries that are most often posed regarding the legislative process in California. When does the Legislature’s regular session convene? At noon on the first Monday in...
By Ray LeBov and Chris Micheli While supporting or opposing a bill, or multiple bills, can often be a difficult task for a lobbyist, having a client who is the sponsor of a bill can be even more challenging. Why? Because...
As readers know, the California Legislature occasionally places “sunset dates,” or “repealers,” in a bill so that the enacted statute will be repealed as of a specified date. This is usually accomplished by the following provision: This section shall remain...
Several times per Session, there are bills in the California Legislature to require a study be conducted. Some of these bills are very short, such as this example from a 2023 Session bill: The State Department of Public Health shall...
Bills in the California Legislature can impose a state-mandated local program, which potentially requires reimbursement by the State of California to local agencies and school districts. The California Constitution requires the State to reimburse local agencies and school districts for...
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...
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...