legislation Archives - Page 3 of 16

A sea of empty desks inside the California State Assembly

What Is a ‘Heading’ in California Law?

October 5, 2022 4:15 pmOctober 5, 2022 3:51 pm

On occasion, while reading bills in the California Legislature, you may run across a section of the bill that adds or amends “the heading” of a chapter or title, for example. What is the heading? The heading is the name...

Intriguing Timing Definitions in Statute

October 5, 2022 6:19 amOctober 5, 2022 6:33 am

In reviewing the hundreds of bills that made it to the Governor’s Desk this Session, one of those bills had several interesting definitions. Each definition related to the effective date of the act (i.e., the statutory scheme that was enacted...

What Is a Code Maintenance Bill?

October 4, 2022 7:16 amOctober 4, 2022 7:23 am

Several times per year, the Office of Legislative Counsel drafts a “code maintenance bill.” What is that and what is its purpose? A floor analysis described this type of bill as follows: This bill is the annual maintenance of the...

Can a Bill Only Do Three Things?

October 3, 2022 3:10 pmOctober 3, 2022 3:10 pm

Capitol observers know that bills can add a new section of law, amend an existing section of law, or repeal an existing section of law, or a combination of those three actions. But, are there any other actions a bill...

Summary of California Bills Per Session and Actions Taken Over 16 Years

October 2, 2022 8:42 amOctober 2, 2022 8:46 am

The following research was compiled during September 2022 in order to examine the major actions involving bills in the California Legislature over the past sixteen years. I examined the following five categories of information for each year, as set forth...

Consideration of Governor’s Vetoes by the California Legislature

October 1, 2022 7:40 amOctober 1, 2022 8:01 am

Once a bill is vetoed by the Governor, how long until it must be considered by the Legislature? Obviously, the Governor may sign a bill into law, or veto the bill, thereby preventing the bill from becoming a law. Article...

How Many Bills Historically Get Introduced in the California Legislature?

September 29, 2022 8:00 amSeptember 29, 2022 7:02 am

Over the past decade, the California Legislature, and its 120 legislators, introduce between 1,900 and 2,500 bills per year, each year of the 2-year legislative session. While fewer than 50 additional bills get introduced after the deadline (e.g., due to...