Frequently Asked Questions About California Bill Deadlines

Frequently Asked Questions About California Bill Deadlines By Chris Micheli

Can bills be voted upon after midnight on August 31 so long as the “clock is stopped”? “Stopping the clock” is the term used to describe the process of continuing legislative business after the passage of a deadline imposed by legislative rule. However, there is no provision in the law to “stop the clock” and the California Constitution (i.e., not a legislative rule) prohibits bills from being considered after August 31 in the second year of a Session except for specified bills.

Do the Joint Rules related to committee deadlines apply to all measures? Joint and Concurrent Resolutions are exempt from these deadlines pursuant to Joint Rule 6. Bills related to the budget under subdivision (e) of Section 12, of Article IV of the Constitution are exempt from these deadlines as well. Bills which are referred to a committee pursuant to Joint Rule 26.5, Assembly Rule 77.2, or Senate Rule 29.10 are also exempt from these deadlines

Do all measures introduced in the first year of the session have to pass out of their house of origin by January 31 of the second year? This is the general rule for bills, but Joint Rule 56 does not apply to constitutional amendments.

            Where are the legislative deadlines found? These deadlines are contained in Joint Rule 61, which specifies that “the deadlines set forth in this rule shall be observed by the Senate and Assembly. After each deadline, the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the Assembly may not accept committee reports from their respective committees except as otherwise provided in this rule.”

            Are there different deadlines for the two years of the Legislative Session? Yes, Joint Rule 61(a) provides the deadlines for the odd-numbered (or first) year of the Session, while JR 61(b) sets forth the deadlines for the even-numbered (or second) year of the Session.

            What are the exceptions to the Joint Rule 61 deadlines? They are: Rules Committees meeting; bills referred to committee under JR 26.5; bills referred to committee under AR 77.2 or SR 19.10; joint and concurrence resolutions; constitutional amendments; and, urgency clause bills.

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