https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/sunset-dates-in-legislation/s-EZmgQojFy6f
California, like most other states, uses sunset dates or sunset clauses in their legislation. It has the effect of making the law, what’s enacted, to expire on a specified date unless the Legislature enacts another bill to either extend or eliminate the sunset date.
Generally, we see sunset dates running from one to three
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/use-of-definitions-in-legislation/s-J0Do4uVBNyD
Definitions can play an important role in legislation. Defining words or phrases is done to provide the reader of the legislative text with clear guidance regarding how these words or phrases are to be understood and used in the forthcoming legislation.
Where there are multiple definitions, they are most often found near the beginning
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/making-legislation-more-readable
One of the issues that is often discussed in legislative drafting is how to make legislation more readable. In other words, how to make the text of legislative measures easier to understand by those who are reading it, those who are subject to the law, or those who need to administer or even interpret
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/gender-neutral-bill-drafting
Like many other states, California requires the office of the Legislative Counsel to draft measures – including bills, resolutions, and constitutional amendments – in a gender-neutral manner.
In 2018, California adopted Assembly Concurrent Resolution 260. According to the language of ACR 260, it is intended to encourage the Legislature to engage in a coordinated
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/severability-clauses-in-california-legislation
On occasion, a bill reader may come across a severability or savings clause contained in a California bill. Basically, the severability clause is a statement by the Legislature that if a part of a law that’s enacted is subsequently held to be invalid or unconstitutional, then the unconstitutional provision doesn’t invalidate the rest of
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/drafting-considerations-for-a-constitutional-amendment
Today we’ll take a look at some things that legislative drafters need to consider when drafting legislative constitutional amendments in California.
As you know, in the California Legislature there are constitutional amendments that can be introduced in either the Senate or the Assembly and those constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority vote in both
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/drafting-considerations-for-resolutions
As you know, there are three types of resolution in the California Legislature – House, Joint, and Concurrent. Two of these types of resolution – Concurrent and Joint – require adoption by both houses of the Legislature before they can take effect. Passage of a resolution does not require the signature of the Governor,
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/the-role-of-the-bill-drafter
In the California Legislature all types of legislative measures – bills, resolutions, constitutional amendments, and amendments to all those kinds of measures – can only be introduced or processed at the Assembly and Senate desks if they are in what’s called Legislative Counsel Form. The purpose of this is to ensure greater consistency in
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/drafting-a-bills-title
Pursuant to Article IV, Section 9 of the California State Constitution, each bill must have a title. In fact, the State Constitution specifically states, “A statute shall embrace but one subject which shall be expressed in its title. If a statute embraces a subject not expressed in its title, only the part not expressed
https://soundcloud.com/capimpactca/the-seven-cs-of-legislative-drafting
During this pandemic, I’ve been researching and reading quite a bit about legislative drafting and studying some of the materials on the subject that are available to the public. One of these is the Seven C’s of Legislative Drafting, as put together by the people in the Graduate Diploma in Legislative Drafting at Athabasca