On occasion, bills in the California Legislature must cite statutes or court decisions and there are rules that the Office of Legislative Counsel follows in drafting legislation. Examples of each type of citation include the following: How California legislation cites...
Current California laws often define a term used in a statute by making reference to an existing definition contained in another section of law or even contained in an entirely different Code. In addition, a state law might use reference...
Like other forms of drafting legislation, in preparing to amend or repeal existing statutes, there are several steps for the bill drafter to take. In this regard, helpful guidance is provided by the Graduate Degree in Legislative Drafting from Athabasca...
As we examine instances where a bill in the California Legislature contains both statutory changes (by amending, adding or repealing code sections) and legislative intent statements (usually in the form of findings and declarations), we expect these two types of...
In California’s Government Code, there are several code sections that set forth the enactment of statutes and adoption of resolutions. These statutes were enacted in 1943 and are found in Title 2, Division 2, Part 1, Chapter 5. The provisions...
There is often confusion regarding effective versus operative dates. Specifically, Capitol observers often inquire when a statute actually “takes effect.” When it takes effect can be different than when the statute is operative. January 1 following the year a bill...
Here are some interesting provisions about the executive branch found in state statutes (along with the relevant section): General provisions are found in Article 1 of the Government Code in Sections 12001 – 12002. The Governor may appoint and set...