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This Week Inside the Capitol

February 14, 2011

Bill “Deadline” is Friday

by Rebecca Burgoyne, 
CFC Research Analyst

Thousands of bills – potential laws affecting millions of Californians – are introduced each session in the California Legislature. These bills move through the process, undergoing study, review, debate, vote and amendments, with many dropping along the path. 

Over 700 pieces of legislation – bills, resolutions, and constitutional amendments – have been introduced since the current crop of legislators gathered in their inaugural meeting last December. Starting slowly, bills have joined the flow, building to a crescendo of nearly 300 since the first of February. All legislation must be introduced by Friday, February 18, which means – if past-year trends hold – hundreds, if not thousands, of bills will be introduced this week. 

But that bill deadline is a misnomer. Many “placeholder” bills are being introduced, simply changing technical language, changing a “the” to “a” in current law, for example; or stating the “intent” of the legislature to deal with an issue. Still other bills will be totally rewritten – often becoming totally new bills – through the amendment process. 

What are some of the current crop of 2011 bills?
  • AB 9 (Ammiano, D-San Francisco) expresses theintent of the Legislature to “enact legislation to protect pupils from acts of bullying by requiring school personnel to report known or suspected instances of bullying to law enforcement entities.” 
  • AB 65 (Gatto, D-Silver Lake) would require the official state ballot pamphlet to include information on the 5 highest contributors to committees supporting each initiative.
  • AB 66 (Chesbro, D-Arcata) would extend vehicle license fees slated to expire June 30.
  • ACA 10 (Gatto, D-Silver Lake) would allow the Legislature to repeal voter-passed initiatives four years after their enactment.
  • SB 40 (Correa, D-Santa Ana) establishes a framework to authorize intrastate Internet poker.
  • SB 48 (Leno, D-San Francisco) would require that public education curriculum include the role and contributions of homosexuals in California and American history, “with particular emphasis on portraying the role of these groups in contemporary society.
  • SCA 5 (Simitian, D-Palo Alto) would reduce the required voter margin for local education parcel taxes from two-thirds to 55 percent.
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