legislative intent Archives - California Globe

Legislative History and Intent – What Is the Difference?

October 20, 2022 4:26 pmOctober 20, 2022 3:29 pm

Many Capitol observers use the terms “legislative history,” “statutory history,” and “legislative intent” interchangeably. However, these terms generally mean two different things. What are those distinctions among these terms? Legislative history relates to how a bill becomes law, and includes...

Legislative Intent and Future Budget Appropriations

August 31, 2022 7:22 amAugust 31, 2022 7:25 am

In recent years, California state government has been working on a multi-year budget cycle. This means both the Governor and Legislature have been adopting budgets that attempt to make appropriations for more than the current budget year. Is that possible,...

Is There a Difference Between Intent and Policy in Statutes?

March 25, 2022 6:19 amMarch 25, 2022 6:26 am

Readers of bills and statutes will regularly come across statements of legislative intent, such as paragraphs that usually begin with either “It is the intent of the Legislature to …” or “The Legislature finds and declares that …” On other...

Interesting Statements of Legislative Intent

March 17, 2022 2:54 pmMarch 17, 2022 2:57 pm

As the lawmaking branch of state government, the California Legislature on occasion desires to express its intent regarding proposed legislation. In my mind, there are four forms of intent measures. The first is an “intent bill,” which is used for...

An Interesting Bill Involving California Legislative Intent and the ADA

March 11, 2022 2:45 amMarch 10, 2022 9:49 pm

Recently-introduced committee bill, Assembly Bill 2962 (authored by the Committee on Judiciary), presents an interesting case of the role of legislative intent, in particular regarding federal case law. AB 2962 would to add Section 55.4 to the Civil Code, amend...

Interpreting California Statutes Using Legislative Guidance

March 2, 2022 6:33 amMarch 2, 2022 6:46 am

I have written previously about legislative intent and statutory construction in California. After reviewing just over 2,000 newly-introduced bills in the Legislature for the 2022 Session, I came across a number of interesting provisions related to this topic. Below are...

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...