Office of the Legislative Counsel

What Lobbyists Should Know about Drafting Bills and Amendments

October 28, 2023 8:14 amOctober 28, 2023 8:14 am

Lobbyists who work in the legislative branch of state government should be aware of the process of drafting bills and amendments. There is an art to drafting bills that comes easily for some, but is difficult for others. The critical...

Determining Whether Amendments Are Germane

January 8, 2020 6:01 amJanuary 8, 2020 6:28 am

In the California Legislature, as with several other legislative bodies around the country, there is an initial question regarding whether amendments to existing bills must be “germane” to the subject matter of the existing bill. As described in legislative glossaries,...

A Bill’s ‘Keys’ – What Are They?

November 15, 2019 6:03 amNovember 15, 2019 6:21 am

Each bill in the California Legislature contains certain features such as an enacting clause, a title, the author’s name, a bill number, and the Legislative Counsel’s Digest, among other provisions. At the end of the Legislative Counsel’s Digest is a...