Frequently Asked Questions about the Middle Part of the Legislative Session

Frequently Asked Questions about the Middle Part of the Legislative Session By Chris Micheli

What generally happens in the middle part of the California Legislative Session? Immediately after the house of origin deadline, the budget deliberations are in full swing and bills must quickly be considered in the second house. The first half of June is spent mainly on the adoption of the budget bill as well as about two dozen trailer bills, which often implement significant statutory changes as part of the adoption of the state budget.

            For the month that follows, the policy committees in both houses work diligently to consider and vote on the hundreds of bills that have made their way over from the other house. This is followed by a month-long summer recess before the final month of the Session.

What is the usual legislative calendar in the middle part of the Session? The Assembly Chief Clerk and the Senate Secretary prepare a calendar for the Session with the corresponding authority for these dates:

Budget Bill must be passed by midnight (Art. IV, Sec. 12 (c)(3)).

Last day for policy committees to hear and report fiscal bills to fiscal committees (J.R. 61(a)(10)).

Last day for policy committees to meet and report bills (J.R. 61(a)(11)).

Summer Recess begins upon adjournment of this day’s session, provided Budget Bill has been passed (J.R. 51(a)(3)).

            What are the constitutional requirements in the middle part of the Session? The Governor may reduce or eliminate one or more items of appropriation while approving other portions of a bill. In such a case, the Governor must include a statement of the items reduced or eliminated with the reasons for his or her action. Any appropriation item reduced or eliminated must be considered separately and can be passed over the Governor’s objections by a 2/3 vote (Article IV, Section 10).

Until the budget bill is enacted, the Legislature cannot send any bills to the Governor that propose to appropriate funds during the upcoming fiscal year unless it is an emergency bill recommended by the Governor. No bill, except the budget bill (and budget bill junior), may contain more than one item of appropriation (Article IV, Section 12).

All appropriations bills require a 2/3 vote, except the budget bill, budget trailer bills with appropriations, and those for public school appropriations (all of which require a simple majority vote). The Legislature can control the submission, approval and enforcement of budgets and the filing of claims for all state agencies. Legislators shall not be paid any salary of expenses if any year in which the budget bill is not passed by the Legislature by midnight on June 15 (Article IV, Section 12).

            What are the statutory requirements in the middle part of the Session? All meetings of a house of the Legislature or a committee must be open and public, and all persons must be permitted to attend the meetings (Government Code Section 9027). Any meeting that is required to be open and public must be held only after full and timely notice to the public as provided by the Joint Rules of the Assembly and Senate (Government Code Section 9028).

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