Guidance for Drafting a “Declaratory of Existing Law” California Statute
Guidance for Drafting a “Declaratory of Existing Law” California Statute By Chris Micheli On occasion, you may see a bill in the California Legislature that has the following provision: “The amendments made by this act do not constitute a change in, but are declaratory of, existing law.” This statement is straightforward and easy to draft. But what are some considerations for the bill drafter when asked to draft a bill with this language? First, if the courts view the bill as representing a clarification of existing law, then the bill is applied to all instances, both retroactively and prospectively. Second, if the courts view the bill as representing a change in the law, then the court looks to determine whether the Legislature intended for the law change to be applied retroactively. In this regard, the court basically asks, did the Legislature make a clear intent to apply the amendment retroactively? As a result, I believe that