MANUAL OF LEGISLATIVE DRAFTING - The Alaska State Legislature

213 Pages·2015·2.61 MB·English

MANUAL
OF
LEGISLATIVE DRAFTING

For the use of Legislative Staff
Prepared by
Legislative Affairs Agency
2017
P R E F A C E

This Manual of Legislative Drafting is published principally for the use of the
staff members in the Legislative Affairs Agency, the offices of the House Chief
Clerk and Secretary of the Senate, and the Department of Law who are involved
in all phases of the drafting, processing, and disposition of legislative documents.
Adherence to it is required by AS 24.08.060(a) and the Uniform Rules. This
manual is intended to provide for the uniform and expeditious processing of all
legislative documents.

Parts I and II of the manual are intended mainly for the use of legal drafters, and
Parts III - V are intended mainly for the use of the editorial and administrative
staff members, although drafters might also be aided by knowledge of the
contents of Parts III - V.

This manual is kept current to reflect changes in the law or legislative rules that
affect the legislative process.

Executive Director
Legislative Affairs Agency

This Manual of Legislative Drafting is subject to approval of the Alaska Legislative Council.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page
PART I. GENERAL INFORMATION ..........................................................................................1
CHAPTER 1. AUTHORITY OF DRAFTING MANUAL ................................................3
CHAPTER 2. THE DIVISION OF LEGAL AND RESEARCH SERVICES ...................4
REQUESTS FOR BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS ..................................................4
REQUESTS FOR NEW VERSIONS OF MEASURES .........................................4
LEGAL OPINIONS .................................................................................................5
EDITING OF ALASKA STATUTES AND SESSION LAWS ..............................5
CONSIDERATIONS FOR DRAFTING OF BILLS ...............................................5
NEUTRALITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY..........................................................6
PART II. DRAFTING RULES FOR BILLS AND OTHER MEASURES ...................................7
CHAPTER 1. PARTS OF A BILL .....................................................................................9
OFFICIAL HEADING; SPONSORS ......................................................................9
TITLE AND SINGLE SUBJECT ..........................................................................10
(a) Expression requirement .......................................................................10
(b) Single-subject requirement ..................................................................11
(c) Bills amending court rules ...................................................................12
(d) Constitutional budget reserve fund .....................................................12
(e) Bills with special effective dates .........................................................12
ENACTING CLAUSE...........................................................................................13
ORDER OF BILL SECTIONS ..............................................................................13
SHORT TITLE, PURPOSE, AND FINDINGS ....................................................13
(a) Short title .............................................................................................13
(b) Statement of purpose or intent ............................................................14
(c) Legislative findings .............................................................................14
BODY OF THE BILL - PERMANENT LAW......................................................15
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(a) Single-subject requirement ..................................................................15
(b) Provisions amending existing statutes.................................................16
(1) Regular amendment.................................................................16
(2) Repealing and reenacting the same section .............................18
(3) Repealing a section and adding a new section ........................19
(c) Provisions creating new statutes ..........................................................19
(d) Organization ........................................................................................21
(e) Delayed enactments, amendments, and repeals ..................................22
(f) Amendments of a law that has not taken effect ...................................23
SHORT TITLE (CODIFIED) ................................................................................23
REPEALERS AND SPECIAL AND TEMPORARY SECTIONS .......................23
(a) Provisions amending uncodified laws .................................................24
(b) Provisions creating uncodified laws ....................................................24
(c) Direct amendments of, repeals of, or additions to court rules .............25
(d) Repealers of permanent law ................................................................26
(e) Repealers of temporary law .................................................................28
(f) Annulling regulations...........................................................................28
(g) Court rule change for indirect amendments to court rules ..................28
(h) Applicability or transitional provisions ...............................................28
(i) Saving clause ........................................................................................31
(j) Severability clause ...............................................................................31
(k) Repeal of uncodified sections of the bill .............................................32
(l) Instructions to the revisor .....................................................................32
(m) Retroactivity .......................................................................................33
(n) Conditional effect section....................................................................35
(o) Amendment or repeal of effective date of another Act .......................36
(p) Effective date section ..........................................................................36
CHAPTER 2. OTHER DRAFTING REQUIREMENTS .................................................39
PARTICULAR SUBJECT AREAS ......................................................................39
(a) Administrative regulations ..................................................................39
(b) Advisory votes.....................................................................................40
(c) Appropriations .....................................................................................41
(1) Supplemental appropriation ....................................................43
(2) Special appropriation...............................................................43
(3) Transfers and reappropriations ................................................43
(4) Grants to municipalities and other recipients ..........................44
(5) Revolving fund (loan fund) .....................................................44
(6) General appropriation bill (budget bill) ..................................44
(7) Multiple funds; multiple recipients .........................................44
(8) Mental health appropriations ...................................................44
(9) Constitutional budget reserve fund .........................................44
(10) Reference to the balance of a fund ........................................45
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(11) Intent language ......................................................................45
(12) Funding information ..............................................................45
(d) Boards and commissions .....................................................................46
(e) Bond bills.............................................................................................47
(1) General obligation bond bills ..................................................47
(2) Revenue bond bills ..................................................................48
(f) Court rule changes ...............................................................................48
(g) Criminal laws ......................................................................................51
(h) Definitions ...........................................................................................51
(i) Errors in Alaska Statutes or session laws .............................................53
(j) Fees ......................................................................................................53
(k) Funds, establishing and dedicating......................................................54
(l) Initiatives ..............................................................................................55
(m) Local or special laws ..........................................................................55
(n) Municipalities ......................................................................................55
(o) Penalty provisions ...............................................................................56
(p) Program receipts ..................................................................................57
(q) Referenda ............................................................................................57
(r) Task forces and similar entities............................................................58
(s) Uniform acts ........................................................................................58
(t) Uniform Rules ......................................................................................59
STYLE, GRAMMAR, AND WORD USAGE (alphabetically) ............................59
(a) And/or, and, or .....................................................................................60
(b) Capitalization ......................................................................................60
(1) In bills ......................................................................................60
(2) In resolutions ...........................................................................61
(3) In joint resolutions amending the state constitution ................61
(c) Choice of words and phrases ...............................................................61
(d) Citations to other laws .........................................................................62
(e) Consistency in use of terms .................................................................64
(f) Exceptions ............................................................................................64
(g) Gender-neutral language .....................................................................65
(h) May, shall, must ..................................................................................65
(i) Numerals ..............................................................................................65
(j) Passive voice ........................................................................................66
(k) Punctuation ..........................................................................................66
(l) References ............................................................................................67
(m) Tense and other style rules .................................................................68
CHAPTER 3. DRAFTING OTHER LEGISLATIVE MEASURES ................................69
CITATIONS ..........................................................................................................69
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTES.............................................................................69
(a) In general .............................................................................................69
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(b) Restrictions ..........................................................................................69
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTES .................................................70
(a) In general .............................................................................................70
(b) Restrictions ..........................................................................................70
FISCAL NOTES ....................................................................................................71
FLOOR AMENDMENTS .....................................................................................72
(a) In general .............................................................................................72
(b) Drafting techniques .............................................................................72
(c) Restrictions ..........................................................................................75
LETTERS OF INTENT .........................................................................................76
(a) In general .............................................................................................76
(b) Restrictions ..........................................................................................76
RESOLUTIONS ....................................................................................................77
(a) In general .............................................................................................77
(b) Types of resolutions ............................................................................77
(c) Distribution of copies ..........................................................................78
SPONSOR SUBSTITUTES ..................................................................................79
(a) In general .............................................................................................79
(b) Restrictions ..........................................................................................79
PART III. CLERICAL PREPARATION OF BILLS, RESOLUTIONS, AND CITATIONS .....81
CHAPTER 1. BILLS ........................................................................................................83
Type and color ...........................................................................................83
Paper and margins ......................................................................................83
Copies and attachments required ...............................................................83
Page numbering .........................................................................................83
Footer .........................................................................................................84
Jackets ........................................................................................................84
Work order numbers ..................................................................................84
Bill heading ................................................................................................84
Funding information ..................................................................................85
Original sponsors .......................................................................................85
Title ............................................................................................................86
Line numbers .............................................................................................86
Enacting clause ..........................................................................................86
Body of the bill ..........................................................................................86
Section number, asterisk, and indentation .................................................86
Section heading ..........................................................................................87
Section body...............................................................................................87
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Amending existing sections .......................................................................87
Adding new sections ..................................................................................88
Repealing and reenacting existing sections ...............................................88
Repealed sections .......................................................................................89
Indentation for bills and resolutions ..........................................................89
Permanent law ................................................................................89
Temporary law ...............................................................................90
CHAPTER 2. RESOLUTIONS .......................................................................................91
Heading ......................................................................................................91
Title ............................................................................................................91
Introductory resolve ...................................................................................92
WHEREAS clauses ....................................................................................92
Resolve .......................................................................................................92
Distribution of resolutions .........................................................................93
CHAPTER 3. AMENDMENTS .......................................................................................94
Type and color ...........................................................................................94
Paper ..........................................................................................................94
Headers and footers....................................................................................94
Amendment heading ..................................................................................94
Body of the amendment .............................................................................94
CHAPTER 4. LEGISLATIVE CITATIONS ...................................................................95
Title ............................................................................................................95
Text ............................................................................................................95
Copies and attachments..............................................................................95
PART IV. PROCEDURE AFTER INTRODUCTION OF BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS ........97
CHAPTER 1. NOTATIONS ADDED; SUBSTITUTES; AMENDMENTS ...................99
Bill or resolution number ...........................................................................99
Chapter number ..........................................................................................99
Special designations ...................................................................................99
Bill or resolution abbreviated designation ...............................................100
Date introduced and committee assignment ............................................101
Committee abbreviations .........................................................................102
Committee substitutes ..............................................................................102
Sponsor substitutes...................................................................................105
Corrected versions ...................................................................................105
CHAPTER 2. ENGROSSMENT ....................................................................................106
Bill designations.......................................................................................106
Carryover of measures .............................................................................106
Waiver of engrossment ............................................................................107
Reengrossment .........................................................................................107
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Engrossment in the second house ............................................................107
Engrossment of a failed effective date .....................................................107
Engrossment of a failed budget reserve fund appropriation ....................107
Engrossment of a failed court rule change ...............................................108
Renumbering ............................................................................................109
Engrossment of multiple and conflicting amendments ............................110
Engrossment of a failed measure .............................................................110
Examples of designations ........................................................................110
In the house of origin ...................................................................111
In the other house .........................................................................112
In the house of origin on concurrence..........................................114
Conference committee bill .......................................................................114
Free conference committee bill ................................................................115
Corrected conference committee substitutes ...........................................116
Authentication ..........................................................................................117
Resolution authentication.........................................................................118
CHAPTER 3. ENROLLMENT ......................................................................................120
Correction of manifest errors ...................................................................120
Bills ..........................................................................................................120
Resolutions ...............................................................................................122
Distribution of resolutions .......................................................................123
Legislative citations .................................................................................123
CHAPTER 4. RETENTION OF BILLS .........................................................................124
PART V. OTHER LEGISLATIVE DOCUMENTS ..................................................................125
CHAPTER 1. THE JOURNAL ......................................................................................127
Journal content .........................................................................................127
Supplements .............................................................................................127
CHAPTER 2. FISCAL NOTES ......................................................................................128
CHAPTER 3. HISTORIES .............................................................................................128
CHAPTER 4. DAILY CALENDAR ..............................................................................128
CHAPTER 5. INITIATIVES ..........................................................................................128
CHAPTER 6. EXECUTIVE ORDERS ..........................................................................129
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PART I

GENERAL INFORMATION
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