Things to look for when reading a bill:
Bill number
On the cover of each bill will appear the bill number. It signifies the chamber in which the proposal was originated – AB is an Assembly Bill, SB is a Senate Bill – and the sequence number as it was introduced – Assembly Bill 2949 is the 2949th Assembly Bill introduced in the Assembly during the current 2-year legislative session.
Introduction date and author
On the cover of each bill will appear the date and at least one author (from the chamber where the bill originates). The first author that is listed is considered the primary author of the legislation. That person is responsible for maneuvering the legislation successfully through his/her chamber and on to the opposite chamber.
Statutory reference
Each bill will have a reference to the Chapter, Paragraph and Section of California Statutes that will be affected if the bill is successfully enacted.
Legislative counsel’s digest
Below the statutory reference is the legal synopsis of the measure; prepared by Legislative Counsel. It typically describes the existing law and the changes the bill would make to that law. This synopsis is not always complete and one should never rely on only the digest to determine the full scope of a legislative bill.
Vote information
Below the Digest are the vote parameters the measure must pass listed first by a majority or 2/3 floor vote, whether or not the bill must pass appropriations, whether or not it must pass a fiscal committee vote and whether or not the measure will be a state mandated local program.
Specific statutory reference
The text that immediately follows the enacting clause refers to the section of the bill and then the section of the law being amended.
Deletion
After the statutory reference appears the text of the statutes as they presently exist. The deletion of language being proposed by the bill is made by striking through the text that is to be deleted.
New wording
All new language of bills will take two forms. First, if the bill is an act to amend, the new wording will be italicized. Second, if the bill is a new act, the new wording will be regular type (because the entire text is new).
Words to pay attention to
In legislation, certain words give different meanings to requirements and a single word could determine a mandated requirement verses a permissive requirement. Watch for the following words:
Bill analyses
Prior to a bill being heard either on the Assembly or Senate Floor or before a legislative committee, legislative consultants compose a summary of the purpose, content, and effect of a proposed measure or amendment. Many analyses also provide a list of those that have submitted support or oppose letters to the committee prior to the hearing.
Bill analyses, if available, can be found on ACSA’s website as links within our “Positions on Legislation” report. Analyses can also be found on the CA Legislative Information website athttp://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billSearchClient.xhtml.
Stay up to date on ACSA’s advocacy efforts and eventswith ACSA Governmental Relations.
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FAQs
If the author is a Senator, the bill is introduced at the Senate Desk; if an Assemblymember, at the Assembly Desk, where it is assigned a number and read for the first time.
What are the 5 parts of a bill? ›
Following a bill's introductory language are the substantive provisions as discussed in the earlier section Parts of a Statute: short title, statement of policy or purpose, definitions, principal operative provisions, and enforcement provisions.
How to read a policy bill? ›
Things to look for when reading a bill:
- Bill number. On the cover of each bill will appear the bill number. ...
- Introduction date and author. ...
- Statutory reference. ...
- Legislative counsel's digest. ...
- Vote information. ...
- Specific statutory reference. ...
- Deletion. ...
- New wording.
You need a bill or public law number to check the status or request a copy of legislation. Numbers consist of an alphabetic abbreviation (for the branch of Congress that originated the legislation, and the bill type), plus a unique number. The Key to Legislative Citations provides examples.
How do you explain a bill? ›
A Bill is a proposal for a new law, or a proposal to change an existing law that is presented for debate before Parliament.
What is the format of bill? ›
In basic bill format in Word, the invoice date, the sender and recipient's names, addresses, the goods' descriptions, quantities, total supply values, taxable supply values, tax rates, amounts, and final values are all universal. Launch Microsoft Word. Select New from the File menu.
How do you summarize a bill? ›
A bill summary must begin with a description of current law, in order to place the bill's proposed changes into context. Thereafter, the summary should describe how the bill will change current law. And, the substance of a repealed statute should be indicated in the summary if it is important to the bill.
How to read and understand the law? ›
How To Read a Statute
- Keep it in context. Laws are created for a specific purpose. ...
- Slow down and re-read. Statutes do not contain extraneous information. ...
- Cross-references matter. ...
- Read definitions. ...
- Research legislative history. ...
- Some words are intentionally vague.
Here are a few tips:
- Read the complete heading. ...
- Check for the context of the statute. ...
- Check for a definitions section. ...
- Pay close attention to format and organization. ...
- Look for key verbs. ...
- Look for exceptions to the application of the statute. ...
- Do not skip over words that you do not know or fully understand.
Billing codes set a universal language among health care providers, including audiologists and SLPs; people who bill for health care services, such as hospital coders or office managers; and the payers that cover and reimburse for the services, such as public programs like Medicare and Medicaid as well as commercial ...
The bills are numbered consecutively in the order in which they are received, and the resulting sequence is presumed to be the order in which the Governor approved the bills. ( Government Code Section 9510) When the Governor vetoes a bill, he or she returns it to the House of origin, with his or her objections.
How are U.S. bills numbered? ›
A unique combination of eleven numbers and letters appears twice on the front of the note. Each note has a unique serial number. The first letter of the serial number corresponds to the series year. A “star” suffix is used to identify notes that serve as replacements during the production process.
How are bills cited? ›
Citing a Federal Bill
Include the name of the bill (if relevant), the abbreviated name of the house (H.R. or S.) and number of the bill, the number of the Congress, and the year of publication.
What is a bills first reading? ›
First reading. A first reading is when a bill is introduced to a legislature. Typically, in the United States, the title of the bill is read and the bill is immediately assigned to a committee. The bill is then considered by committee between the first and second readings.
What is the sequence of the bill? ›
First, a Representative sponsors a bill. The bill is then assigned to a committee for study. If released by the committee, the bill is put on a calendar to be voted on, debated or amended. If the bill passes by simple majority (218 of 435), the bill moves to the Senate.
Is a bill negative or positive? ›
A positive number indicates the amount you still owe from the previous period and a negative number indicates a credit balance (overpayment).
