California legislation Archives - Page 3 of 4

Citing Statutes and Court Decisions in California Legislation

March 1, 2022 6:17 amMarch 1, 2022 6:38 am

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...

What Is a Municipal Affair in California Legislation?

February 27, 2022 7:57 amFebruary 27, 2022 9:17 am

One of the issues that the Legislature must confront in considering legislation is whether a bill is addressing a “matter of statewide concern” or the bill is a “municipal affair.” If a proposed state law is a municipal affair, then...

Interesting Sections of California Bills

February 8, 2022 11:30 amFebruary 8, 2022 11:24 am

Over the years, I have come across some provisions of California legislation that appear at least inconsistent with general drafting norms. This statement is not meant to be a criticism of either a bill’s author or the bill drafter; it...

Pilot Projects and Sunset Dates in California Legislation

October 20, 2021 3:43 pmOctober 20, 2021 3:47 pm

California, like most other states, occasionally establish a “pilot program,” which is basically a study or temporary program established by statute, often combined with a study and sunset date. The idea behind pilot program legislation is to give a public...

Special Rules for California Bill Drafting

October 20, 2020 2:45 amOctober 19, 2020 9:30 pm

With certain types of legislation in California, there are several unique drafting rules, such as for tax measures, bond measures, and criminal statutes. Tax Bills There is a misconception that a bill keyed as a “tax levy” is always a...

Severability or Savings Clauses in California Bills

October 18, 2020 8:12 amOctober 18, 2020 4:44 pm

On occasion, a reader may come across a severability or savings clause contained in a California bill. Basically, a severability clause is a statement by the Legislature that, if a part of a law that is enacted is subsequently held...

Urgency Clause Statutes in California Legislation

November 27, 2019 6:08 amNovember 26, 2019 7:14 pm

Bills signed into law by the Governor that contain an urgency clause become urgency statutes or urgency clause statutes. California Constitution Article IV, Section 8 deals with urgency statutes. Section 8(c)(3) provides that urgency clause bills go into effect immediately...