placeholder bills – California Globe

Chart of Placeholder Bills in the California Legislature

September 25, 2024 2:48 pmSeptember 25, 2024 2:48 pm

As I have previously written, I believe we should use the term “placeholder bill” for those measures that are introduced in the California Legislature which lack substantive language. That is because I believe there is a clear distinction between a...

Can We Call Them Placeholder Bills Instead?

February 8, 2024 8:20 amFebruary 8, 2024 8:20 am

Quite often bills introduced in the California Legislature without substantive language in them are called “spot bills.” However, that is not always the case even though both spot and intent bills act as placeholders with substantive amendments to be added...

Frequently Asked Questions about Placeholder Bills

January 6, 2024 7:43 amJanuary 6, 2024 7:43 am

What is a “placeholder bill” in the California Legislature? It is an introduced bill that does not contain substantive law changes. It is intended to save a place for future amendments. What are the types of placeholder bills? Spot bills,...

A sea of empty desks inside the California State Assembly

It’s Not Just the ‘Spot Bill’ Deadline

March 10, 2023 10:03 amMarch 10, 2023 10:10 am

In another one of my “legislative geek” moments, I would like to suggest that we change our terminology to “placeholder bill.” For example, everyone is aware of the upcoming “spot bill deadlines” in the Assembly (amendments in Legislative Counsel form...