For those who have reviewed all of the provisions of California’s annual Budget Bill, you will notice several control sections that appear in the content of that bill. The Department of Finance (DOF) provides an explanation of these major sections....
Sunset dates are common in legislation across the country. The purpose is to repeal a law on a specified date. As a result, unless the Legislature enacts another bill to either extend or eliminate the sunset date, the law will...
In the California Legislature, a “spot bill” is basically used as a placeholder for a future measure to be amended into the spot bill. Quite often, bills introduced in the California Legislature without substantive language in them are called “spot...
When a bill is introduced and it adds a new code section, that new law is in regular font. When a bill is introduced and it amends an existing code section, the amended language is in italics. When a bill...
Pursuant to Article IV, Section 9 of the California Constitution, there is a requirement for each bill to have a title. The constitutional provision states: “A statute shall embrace but one subject, which shall be expressed in its title. If...
In California, bill drafters are instructed to use the active voice, rather than the passive voice. This is a change in the historical manner of drafting that previously included lots of passive voice language in state statutes. As a result,...
Commonly referred to as “2-year bills,” a “carryover bill” is one that is introduced during the first year (the odd-numbered year) of the 2-year California Legislative Session that can be carried over into the second year (the even-numbered year). Article...