Editing California State Legislature

{{short description|Bicameral legislature of California}}
{{use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox legislature
 | background_color  = {{party color|Democratic Party (US)}}
 | name               = California State Legislature
 | legislature        = [[California State Legislature, 2025–26 session|2025–26 session]]
 | coa_pic            = Great Seal of the State of California Colored.svg
 | coa_res            = 150px
 | coa_caption        = [[Great Seal of California|Great Seal of the State of California]]
 | house_type         = Bicameral
 | houses             = [[California State Senate|Senate]] (upper)<br />[[California State Assembly|Assembly]] (lower) 
 | leader1_type       = [[Lieutenant Governor of California|President of the Senate]]
 | leader1            = [[Eleni Kounalakis]]
 | party1             = ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
 | election1          = January 7, 2019
 | leader2_type       = [[President pro tempore of the California State Senate|President pro tempore of the Senate]]
 | leader2            = [[Mike McGuire (politician)|Mike McGuire]]
 | party2             = ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
 | election2          = February 5, 2024
 | leader3_type       = [[List of Speakers of the California State Assembly|Speaker of the Assembly]]
 | leader3            = [[Robert A. Rivas]]
 | party3             = ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])
 | election3          = June 30, 2023
 | members            = '''120'''<br />40 Senators<br />80 Assemblymembers
 | house1             = Senate
 | house2             = Assembly
 | structure1         = File:California State Senate Composition 2019-20.svg
 | structure1_res     = 250
 | structure2         = File:CaliforniaAssembly 2025.svg
 | structure2_res     = 250
 | political_groups1  =  {{Color box|blue|border=silver}}&nbsp;[[California Democratic Party|Democratic]]&nbsp;(30) <br>
 {{Color box|#ff3333|border=silver}}&nbsp;[[California Republican Party|Republican]]&nbsp;(10)
 | political_groups2  =  {{Color box|blue|border=silver}}&nbsp;[[California Democratic Party|Democratic]]&nbsp;(60) <br>
 {{Color box|#ff3333|border=silver}}&nbsp;[[California Republican Party|Republican]]&nbsp;(20)
 | last_election1    = [[2024 California State Senate election|November 5, 2024]]<br />(20 seats)
 | last_election2     = [[2024 California State Assembly election|November 5, 2024]]
 | next_election1     =[[2026 California State Senate election|November 3, 2026]]<br />(20 seats) 
 | next_election2     =[[2026 California State Assembly election|November 3, 2026]] 
 | session_room       = California State Capitol from Capitol Mall - Sacramento (26429122855).jpg
 | meeting_place      = [[California State Capitol]]<br />[[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]]
 | website            = {{URL|https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov}}
 |constitution=[[Constitution of California]]|rules=[https://clerk.assembly.ca.gov/sites/clerk.assembly.ca.gov/files/20230SCR1_97.pdf Joint Rules of the Senate and Assembly]| footnotes          =
|new_session=December 2, 2024
|term_limits=12 years}}
{{Coord|38.576572|N|121.493411|W|display=title}}

[[Image:California State Assembly room p1080879.jpg|thumb|California State Assembly chamber]]
[[Image:California Senate chamber p1080899.jpg|thumb|California State Senate chamber]]
[[File:Californialegislaturejournals.jpg|thumb|A few volumes of the journals of each house (Senate [upper chamber] is red; Assembly [lower chamber] is green).]]
[[Image:California_State_Capitol_Annex_Swing_Space,_1021_O_Street,_Sacramento,_main_entrance.jpg|thumb|Capitol Annex Swing Space. During the replacement of the Capitol Annex, starting in 2022 Legislature offices are located at [[1021 O Street]] two blocks from the Capitol.]]
The '''California State Legislature''' is the [[bicameral]] [[State legislature (United States)|state legislature]] of the [[U.S. state]] of [[California]], consisting of the [[California State Assembly]] ([[lower house]] with 80 members) and the [[California State Senate]] ([[upper house]] with 40 members).<ref name="leg_members_and_term_limits_first_m_dec">{{Cite web|url=https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CONS&sectionNum=SEC.%202.&article=IV|title=California Constitution Article IV § 2|work=[[California Office of Legislative Counsel]]|access-date=February 23, 2019|archive-date=February 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224062408/https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CONS&sectionNum=SEC.|url-status=live}}</ref> Both houses of the Legislature convene at the [[California State Capitol]] in [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]].

The California State Legislature is one of ten full-time [[List of United States state legislatures|state legislatures in the United States]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/full-and-part-time-legislatures.aspx |title="Full- and Part-time Legislatures" |access-date=December 6, 2018 |archive-date=March 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307002645/http://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/full-and-part-time-legislatures.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> The houses are distinguished by the colors of the carpet and trim of each house: the Senate uses red and the Assembly uses green, inspired by the [[United Kingdom]]'s [[House of Lords]] and [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Assembly & Senate {{!}} California State Capitol Museum |url=https://capitolmuseum.ca.gov/learn/about-the-government/assembly-and-senate/ |access-date=2022-09-12 |language=en-US |archive-date=September 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220912170732/https://capitolmuseum.ca.gov/learn/about-the-government/assembly-and-senate/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[California Democratic Party|Democratic Party]] currently holds veto-proof [[Supermajority|supermajorities]] in both houses of the California State Legislature.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/416351-dems-gain-veto-proof-supermajority-in-california-state-senate-after|last=Gstalter|first=Morgan|title=Dems gain veto-proof supermajority in California legislature|date=November 12, 2018|work=The Hill|access-date=December 2, 2019|language=en-US|archive-date=April 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406153012/https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/416351-dems-gain-veto-proof-supermajority-in-california-state-senate-after|url-status=live}}</ref> The Assembly consists of 60 Democrats and 20 [[California Republican Party|Republicans]], while the Senate is composed of 30 Democrats and 10 Republicans. Except for a brief period from 1995 to 1996, the Assembly has been in Democratic hands since the 1970 election. The Senate has been under Democratic control since 1975.

==History==
===1849 Constitution===
Article IV of the [[Constitution of California|1849 California Constitution]] prescribed that the legislative power of the state is invested in an Assembly and a Senate which was to be designated as the Legislature of the State of California.<ref name=1849IV1>{{Cite web |url=https://archives.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/1849-california-constitution-for-website-9-16-20.pdf |title=Cal. Const. Art. IV § 1 (1849) |access-date=April 12, 2023 |archive-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225010505/https://archives.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/1849-california-constitution-for-website-9-16-20.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Sessions were required to be annual and began on the first Monday of the January after the previous election unless if the Governor called an extraordinary session by [[proclamation]].<ref name=1849IV2>{{Cite web |url=https://archives.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/1849-california-constitution-for-website-9-16-20.pdf |title=Cal. Const. Art. IV § 2 (1849) |access-date=April 12, 2023 |archive-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225010505/https://archives.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/1849-california-constitution-for-website-9-16-20.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The terms of Assembly members lasted for one year while the terms of Senators lasted for two years.<ref name=1849IV3,5>{{Cite web |url=https://archives.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/1849-california-constitution-for-website-9-16-20.pdf |title=Cal. Const. Art. IV §§ 3, 5 (1849) |access-date=April 12, 2023 |archive-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225010505/https://archives.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/1849-california-constitution-for-website-9-16-20.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The 1849 Constitution did not prescribe the size of either house, but it did require that the Senate was to be composed of no less than one third but no more than one half of the number of members in the Assembly, with half of the Senators being up for election each year while requiring the legislature to fix the number of Senators and Assemblymembers, with there to be no less than 24 and no more than 36 members in the Assembly until the population of the state reached 100,000 residents, upon which the number of members in the Assembly was to be no less than 36 and no more than 80.<ref name=1849IV6,29>{{Cite web |url=https://archives.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/1849-california-constitution-for-website-9-16-20.pdf |title=Cal. Const. Art. IV §§ 6, 29 (1849) |access-date=April 12, 2023 |archive-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225010505/https://archives.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/1849-california-constitution-for-website-9-16-20.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Legislative districts were to be apportioned among the "several counties and districts" according to the [[White people|white population]] of said areas.<ref name=1849IV29>{{Cite web |url=https://archives.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/1849-california-constitution-for-website-9-16-20.pdf |title=Cal. Const. Art. IV § 29 (1849) |access-date=April 12, 2023 |archive-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225010505/https://archives.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/1849-california-constitution-for-website-9-16-20.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Section 25 imposed a [[single-subject rule]] on legislative bills, Section 26 prohibited the legislature from granting a [[divorce]], Section 31 prohibited the legislature from establishing a corporation with a special act (similar to a [[private bill]]), Section 34 prohibited the legislature from granting a charter "for banking purposes" while Section 35 required the legislature to enact a statute which prohibited any person or corporation from "..exercising the privileges of banking or creating paper to circulate as money", and Section 38 required all votes in the legislature to be conducted via voice vote.<ref name=1849IV25,26>{{Cite web |url=https://archives.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/1849-california-constitution-for-website-9-16-20.pdf |title=Cal. Const. Art. IV §§ 25, 26, 31, 34, 35, 38 (1849) |access-date=April 12, 2023 |archive-date=February 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225010505/https://archives.cdn.sos.ca.gov/pdf/1849-california-constitution-for-website-9-16-20.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

===1879 Constitution===
In its original form, Article IV of the 1879 California Constitution structured the legislature in a similar way to the 1849 Constitution. However, the 1879 Constitution explicitly stated that the Senate has 40 members and that the Assembly has 80 members.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://archives.cdn.sos.ca.gov/collections/1879/archive/1879-constitution.pdf |title=Cal. Const. Art. IV § 5 |access-date=April 12, 2023 |archive-date=April 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426045727/https://archives.cdn.sos.ca.gov/collections/1879/archive/1879-constitution.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The constitution also explicitly provides that Senators terms are four years and the terms of members of the Assembly are two years.

==Legislative session schedule==
New legislators convene each new two-year session, to organize, in the Assembly and Senate chambers, respectively, at noon on the first Monday in December following the election.<ref name="regsess_convene_adjourn_sine_die">{{Cite web|url=https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CONS&sectionNum=SEC.%203.&article=IV|title=California Constitution Article IV § 3|work=[[California Office of Legislative Counsel]]|access-date=February 23, 2019|archive-date=February 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190224062446/https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CONS&sectionNum=SEC.|url-status=live}}</ref>

After the organizational meeting, both houses are in recess until the first Monday in January, except when the first Monday is January 1 or January 1 is a Sunday, in which case they meet the following Wednesday. Aside from the recess, the legislature is in session year-round.<ref name=NextCa>[http://www.nextca.org/topics/entry/representation Representation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140501234054/http://www.nextca.org/topics/entry/representation |date=May 1, 2014 }}. Nextca.</ref>

==State House==
Since California was given official statehood by the U.S. on September 9, 1850, as part of the [[Compromise of 1850]],<ref>Richard B. Rice et al., ''The Elusive Eden'' (1988) 191–95</ref>  the state capital was variously [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] (1850–1851), [[Vallejo, California|Vallejo]] (1852–1853) and [[Benicia, California|Benicia]] (1853–1854), until [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]] was finally selected in 1854.

The first Californian State House was originally a hotel in [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] owned by businessman [[Pierre Sainsevain|Pierre "Don Pedro" Sainsevain]] and his associates.<ref>{{cite web |url-status=dead |url=http://prl.lib.hku.hk/record/5314 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721092643/http://prl.lib.hku.hk/record/5314 |archive-date=Jul 21, 2011 |title=California's first State House, San Jose, 1849 |website=Pacific Rim Library}}</ref>

The State Legislature currently meets in the [[California State Capitol]] in Sacramento.

== Terms and term limits ==
Members of the Assembly are elected from 80 districts and serve two-year [[term limits in the United States|terms]]. All 80 Assembly seats are subject to election every two years. Members of the Senate are elected from 40 districts and serve four-year [[term limits in the United States|terms]]. Every two years, one half of the Senate (20 seats) is subject to election, with odd-numbered districts up for election during [[United States presidential election|presidential elections]], and even-numbered districts up for election during [[United States midterm election|midterm elections]].<ref name="leg_members_and_term_limits_first_m_dec" />

Term limits were initially established in 1990 following the passage of Proposition 140.<ref name=NextCa/> In June 2012, voters approved Proposition 28,<ref>{{cite web|title=Proposition 28 |url=http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/28/|publisher=Voter Information Guide {{!}} California Secretary of State |access-date=April 27, 2017|date=April 14, 2012|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414020127/http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/28/|archive-date=April 14, 2012}}</ref> which limits legislators to a maximum of 12 years, without regard to whether they serve those years in the State Assembly or the State Senate. Legislators first elected on or before June 5, 2012, are restricted by the previous term limits, approved in 1990, which limited legislators to three terms in the State Assembly and two terms in the State Senate.

== Record keeping ==
The proceedings of the California State Legislature are briefly summarized in regularly published journals, which show votes and who proposed or [[wikt:withdrew|withdrew]] what.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/home.xhtml|title=Legislative Publications|work=[[California Office of Legislative Counsel]]|access-date=February 23, 2019|archive-date=April 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200404165241/https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/home.xhtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Reports produced by California executive agencies, as well as the Legislature, were published in the Appendices to the Journals from 1849 to 1970.<ref>Stratford, Juri (2012). [http://escholarship.org/uc/item/42n75566 Index to Reports Published in the Appendices to the Journals of the California Legislature 1905-1970] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406153023/https://escholarship.org/uc/item/42n75566 |date=April 6, 2020 }}. Davis: University of California.</ref> Since the 1990s, the legislature has provided a live video feed for its sessions, and has been broadcast state-wide on the California Channel and local [[public-access television]] [[cable TV]].  Due to the expense and the obvious political [[wikt:downside|downside]], California did not keep [[wikt:verbatim|verbatim]] records of actual speeches made by members of the Assembly and Senate until the video feed began. As a result, reconstructing legislative intent outside of an [[Statute|act]]'s [[preamble]] is extremely difficult in California for legislation passed before the 1990s.

Since 1993, the Legislature has hosted a web or [[File Transfer Protocol|FTP]] site in one form or another. The current website contains the text of all statutes, all bills, the text of all versions of the bills, all the committee analyses of bills, all the votes on bills in committee or on the floor, and veto messages from the governor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/publicationsTemplate.xhtml|title=California Legislative Information|work=[[California Office of Legislative Counsel]]|access-date=February 23, 2019|archive-date=February 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190223043130/http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/publicationsTemplate.xhtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Before then, committees occasionally published reports for significant bills, but most bills were not important enough to justify the expense of printing and distributing a report to archives and law libraries across the state.  For bills lacking such a formal committee report, the ''only'' way to discover legislative intent is to access the state archives in [[Sacramento]] and manually review the files of relevant legislators, legislative committees, and the Governor's Office from the relevant time period, in the hope of finding a statement of intent and evidence that the statement actually reflected the views of several of the legislators who voted for the bill (as opposed to just one).

== Legislative committees ==
The most sought-after [[legislative committee]] appointments are to governance and finance, business and professions, and health. These are sometimes called "juice" committees, because membership in these committees often aids the campaign fundraising efforts of the committee members because powerful lobbying groups want to donate to members of these committees.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.laweekly.com/2011-06-02/news/worst-legislator-in-california-part-ii/ |title=Worst Legislator in California, By David Futch Thursday, Jun 2 2011 |access-date=March 29, 2013 |archive-date=January 14, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114221346/http://www.laweekly.com/2011-06-02/news/worst-legislator-in-california-part-ii/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Pocket veto ===
The legislature can "[[pocket veto]]" laws by avoiding consideration and thus avoiding a vote. The Appropriations "Suspense File", which was created in the mid-1980s,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NYRGAQAAMAAJ|title=Governing California: Politics, Government, and Public Policy in the Golden State|last=Cain|first=Bruce E.|date=January 1, 2006|publisher=Institute of Governmental Studies Press, the University of California|isbn=9780877724209|language=en|url-access=limited}}</ref> is a popular way to avoid a vote.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://calmatters.org/articles/capitol-suspense-california-bills-vanish-almost-without-trace/|title=The Suspense Files: California bills vanish almost without a trace|date=September 6, 2017|website=CALmatters|language=en-US|access-date=June 9, 2019|last1=Rosenhall|first1=Laurel|archive-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609020451/https://calmatters.org/articles/capitol-suspense-california-bills-vanish-almost-without-trace/|url-status=live}}</ref>

When a committee refuses to vote a bill out of committee, a [[discharge petition]] can typically be passed by the broader membership. In California, as of 2019 this was governed by Senate Rule 28 which requires 21 members and Assembly Rule 96(a) which requires 41 members;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://calafco.org/sites/default/files/resources/Leg_Procedure.pdf|title=Legislative Procedure|date=January 1, 2007|publisher=California State Assembly Office of the Chief Clerk|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231001726/https://calafco.org/sites/default/files/resources/Leg_Procedure.pdf|archive-date=December 31, 2018}}</ref> the procedure was notably used in 1998.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-28-mn-39200-story.html|title=GOP Forces Assembly Vote on Porno Vending Machines|date=January 28, 1988|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=June 9, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035|archive-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609044412/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-28-mn-39200-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2019, a rule change in the Assembly allowed committee chairs to avoid considering bills, which effectively kills the proposal.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://calmatters.org/articles/blog/california-legislators-killing-bills-committee-democrats/|title=How powerful lawmakers are killing California bills—without a peep|website=CALmatters|date=May 2019|language=en-US|access-date=June 9, 2019|last1=Rosenhall|first1=Laurel|archive-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609020255/https://calmatters.org/articles/blog/california-legislators-killing-bills-committee-democrats/|url-status=live}}</ref> A proposed amendment to the constitution (ACA-23<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180ACA23|title=Bill Text - ACA-23 Legislative committees: prohibition on holding bills in committee.|website=leginfo.legislature.ca.gov|access-date=June 9, 2019|archive-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609020954/http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml%3Fbill_id%3D201720180ACA23|url-status=live}}</ref>) was proposed for the 2017–2018 session to require a vote.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-california-s-legislature-should-no-1518553858-htmlstory.html|title=California's Legislature should require a formal vote to kill bills, Republican lawmaker says|last=Myers|first=John|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=May 2018 |access-date=June 9, 2019|archive-date=June 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190609064444/https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-california-s-legislature-should-no-1518553858-htmlstory.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Across the country, pocket veto powers are not uncommon in legislatures; in Colorado, the power was notably repealed in a citizen initiative constitutional amendment in 1988 driven by various reform groups.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Cox|first1=Gary W.|last2=Kousser|first2=Thad|last3=McCubbins|first3=Mathew D.|date=2010|title=Party Power or Preferences? Quasi-Experimental Evidence from American State Legislatures|journal=The Journal of Politics|volume=72|issue=3|pages=799–811|doi=10.1017/s0022381610000174|issn=0022-3816|jstor=10.1017/s0022381610000174}}</ref>

== Overview of legislative procedure ==
A [[Bill (proposed law)|bill]] is a proposal to change, repeal, or add to existing [[California law|state law]]. An Assembly Bill (AB) is one introduced in the Assembly; a Senate Bill (SB), in the Senate.

Bills are designated by number, in the order of introduction in each house. For example, AB 16 refers to the 16th bill introduced in the Assembly. The numbering starts afresh each session. There may be one or more "extraordinary" sessions. The bill numbering starts again for each of these. For example, the third bill introduced in the Assembly for the second extraordinary session is ABX2 3. The name of the author, the legislator who introduced the bill, becomes part of the title of the bill.

The [[legislative procedure]], is divided into distinct stages:<ref name="leginfo_overview_leg_process">{{cite web|url=http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bil2lawx.html|title=Overview of Legislative Process|work=[[California Office of Legislative Counsel]]|access-date=February 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190223192548/http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/bil2lawx.html|archive-date=February 23, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

* [[wikt:draft|Drafting]]. The procedure begins when a Senator or Assembly Member decides to author a bill. A legislator sends the idea for the bill to the [[California Office of the Legislative Counsel]], which drafts it into bill form and returns the draft to the legislator for introduction.
* Introduction or [[First Reading]]. A legislator introduces a bill for the first time by reading or having read: the bill number, name of the author, and descriptive title on the floor of the house. The bill then goes to the Office of State Publishing. The legislator can not act on a bill, except the [[Budget Bill]], until 30 days after its introduction.
* [[Committee hearing]]. After introduction, a bill goes to the rules committee of the house, which assigns it to the [[policy committee]] appropriate to the subject matter, for its first hearing. During the committee hearing, the author presents the bill to the committee, which may hear testimony in support of or opposition to the bill. The committee then votes on whether to pass the bill out of committee, or that it be passed as amended. Bills may be amended several times. It takes a majority vote of the committee membership to pass a bill and send it to the next committee or to the [[floor of the house|floor]].
* The Fiscal committee reviews the bill if it contains an [[Appropriation (law)|appropriation]] or has financial implications for the state.
* A [[second reading]] on the floor of the house happens when a bill is [[recommended for passage]]. Ordinarily there is little or no debate. If a bill is amended at this stage, it may be referred back for another committee hearing.
* [[Floor vote]]. A [[roll call vote]] is taken. An ordinary bill needs a [[majority vote]] to pass . An urgency bill or a bill with tax increases requires a [[two-thirds vote]].  The [[California Constitution]] used to require a two-thirds vote of both houses on the yearly budget and on any bill that would increase taxes, but since the passage of [[California Proposition 25 (2010)]], the two-thirds vote is required only for tax increases.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101106063747/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-03/california-voters-approve-simple-majority-rule-for-state-budget.html "California Voters Pass Simple-Majority Budget Rule"], November 3, 2010</ref> Before this change, the two-thirds vote requirement was faulted for much of what had been termed "legislative gridlock",<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-may-28-oe-chemerinsky28-story.html "A California constitutional convention"], by [[Erwin Chemerinsky]], ''[[Los Angeles Times]],'' May 28, 2009</ref> enabling a minority party to block approval of a budget before the previous one expired.<ref group="b">The [[California Constitution]] was amended by voters in 2004 to include a [[balanced budget amendment]] that allowed the minority party to negotiate sizable budget cuts, versus revenue increases, by not providing enough votes to pass a budget if certain demands were not met. In 2009, when California faced a major revenue crisis due to the global economic downturn, the state was forced to issue revenue anticipation warrants ("RAWs", or more commonly, "IOUs") for two months because it lacked budgetary authority to issue payments.  In 2010, California voters again amended the state's constitution with the approval of [[California Proposition 25 (2010)|Proposition 25]], which lets a simple majority pass an "all cuts budget" to meet the balanced budget requirement, and provide budgetary authority to issue payments and avoid revenue anticipation warrants, but continued the requirement of a two-thirds vote to increase revenues and reduce budget cuts.</ref>
* Second house. If it receives a favorable vote in the first house, a bill repeats the same steps in the other house. If the second house passes the bill without changing it, it is sent to the governor's desk.
* Resolution of Differences ([[concurrence]] or conference). If a measure is [[Bill (proposed law)|amended]] in the second house and [[Pass (legislature)|passed]], it is returned to the house of origin for consideration of amendments. The house of origin may [[concur]] with the amendments and send the bill to the governor or reject the amendments and submit it to a two-house [[conference committee]]. If either house rejects the conference report, a second (and even a third) conference committee can be formed. If both houses adopt the conference report, the bill is sent to the governor.
* Governor's action. Within 30 days after receiving a bill, the governor may [[sign into law|sign it into law]], allow it to become law without his/her signature, or veto it.  
* [[Veto override|Overrides]]. A vetoed bill is returned to the house of origin, where a vote may be taken to override the governor's veto; a two-thirds vote of both houses is required to override a veto. (There has been no override in the California Legislature since 1979.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article103302897.html|title=Override Jerry Brown's veto? Not likely to happen|last1=Siders|first1=David|date=September 22, 2016|work=The Sacramento Bee|access-date=September 4, 2018|last2=Miller|first2=Jim|language=en-US|issn=0890-5738|archive-date=December 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191204010011/https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article103302897.html|url-status=live}}</ref>)
* [[California Law]] and [[effective date]]. Each bill that is passed by the Legislature and approved by the Governor is assigned a chapter number by the [[California Secretary of State|Secretary of State]]. These chaptered bills are [[statute]]s, and ordinarily become part of the [[California Code]]s. Ordinarily a law passed during a regular [[Session (parliamentary procedure)|session]] takes effect January 1 of the following year. A few [[statute]]s [[go into effect]] as soon as the governor signs them; these include acts calling for elections and urgency measures necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety.

== Compensation ==
From December 4, 2023, members of the California State Legislature receive an annual salary of $128,215. The Assembly Speaker, Senate President pro tempore, and minority floor leaders receive salaries of $147,446. Majority floor leaders and second ranking minority leaders receive salaries of $137,832. As of 2023, California legislators are paid the second highest salary of any state. Senators receive per diem of $211 and Assembly members receive per diem of $214.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Salaries |url=https://www.calhr.ca.gov/cccc/pages/cccc-salaries.aspx |access-date=July 16, 2024 |website=ca.gov |language=en |archive-date=July 4, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240704124040/https://www.calhr.ca.gov/cccc/Pages/cccc-salaries.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=2023 Legislator Compensation |url=https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/2023-legislator-compensation |access-date=July 16, 2024 |website=ncsl.org |language=en |archive-date=January 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109042135/https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/2023-legislator-compensation |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Reform proposals ==

=== Expansion proposals ===

'''The Neighborhood Legislature Reform Act'''

In July 23, 2015, then former Republican presidential primary candidate [[John H. Cox|John Cox]] submitted a ballot measure named "The Neighborhood Legislature Reform Act" which proposed that the Legislature's districts be subdivided into "neighborhood districts" of approximately 5000 people within each Assembly district and 10000 people within each Senate district. The representatives of these "neighborhood districts" within each district would then elect 40 Senate members and 80 Assembly members by majority vote.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/15-0045%20%28Legislature%20Reform%20V2%29.pdf |title=Re: Request for Title and Summary for Proposed Initiative |access-date=July 7, 2022 |archive-date=July 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707230532/https://www.oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/15-0045%20%28Legislature%20Reform%20V2%29.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> It has been argued that while this proposal would make it easier for citizens to get the attention of any individual community representative, it would also in turn make it harder for these representatives to get the attention of their state legislators.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-12-20 |title=How Many Lawmakers Does a Legislature Need? |url=https://www.governing.com/archive/gov-california-legislature-ballot-size.html |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=Governing |language=en}}</ref> The measure failed to acquire enough signatures to qualify as a proposition for the [[2016 California elections#Propositions|2016 November elections]] ballot.<ref>{{Cite web |title=California Legislature Expansion Initiative (2016) |url=https://ballotpedia.org/California_Legislature_Expansion_Initiative_(2016) |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en |archive-date=July 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707230518/https://ballotpedia.org/California_Legislature_Expansion_Initiative_(2016) |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Sessions ==
{{main|List of California state legislatures}}

==See also==
{{Portal|California}}
*[[California Statutes]]
*[[Government of California]]
*[[List of California state legislatures]]

=== Districts, elections and members ===
*[[California State Assembly Districts]]
*[[California State Senate Districts]]
*[[Districts in California]]
*[[Members of the California State Legislature]]

===Legislative caucuses===
*[[California Legislative Progressive Caucus]]
*[[California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus]]
*[[California Legislative Black Caucus]]

==Footnotes==
<references group="b"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}
*For in-depth look at California's legislative process, see also: ''California's Legislature'' (2007), by Chief Clerk E. Dotson Wilson and Brian [[Ebbert]] (ed). Sacramento: California State Assembly.

==External links==
{{div col}}
*[https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/ California Legislative Information]
*[https://www.assembly.ca.gov/ California State Assembly]	
*[http://www.sen.ca.gov/ California State Senate]
*[http://www.calchannel.com/ California Channel]
*[http://www.lao.ca.gov/ Legislative Analyst's Office]
*[http://www.joincalifornia.com/ JoinCalifornia archive]&nbsp;&mdash; an online archive of California election results
{{div col end}}

{{California State Senate}}
{{California State Assembly}}
{{California}}
{{United States legislatures}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1849 establishments in California]]
[[Category:California State Legislature| ]]
[[Category:Bicameral legislatures]]