Bill drafting guide

0. Table of Contents

PART I WORKING PROCEDURES
PART II FORMAL AND TECHNICAL REQUISITES
(1) SAMPLE BILL
(2) AMENDATORY SECTIONS—BASIC LANGUAGE
(3) AMENDATORY SECTIONS—INDICATING DELETIONS AND ADDITIONS
(4) NEW SECTIONS
(5) CODIFICATION DIRECTIONS
(6) ADDING CHAPTERS TO RCW
(7) RECODIFICATION DIRECTIONS
(8) BILL TITLES
(9) ENACTING CLAUSE
(10) REPEALERS
(11) SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMONLY USED CLAUSES
(a) Advisory committees
(b) Age
(c) Alternative initiative clauses
(d) Appropriations
(e) Civil service
(f) Consumer protection clause
(g) Creating a new crime or amending a criminal statute—A checklist
(h) Definitions—Introducing
(i) Double amendments—Correcting
(j) Effective date clauses
(k) Emergency clause
(l) Expiration date clauses
(m) Funds
(n) Gifts or grants to an agency
(o) Joint select committees or legislative task forces
(p) Licensing scheme
(q) Null and void clauses
(r) Penalty clauses—Sentencing
(s) Prospective or retroactive effect clauses
(t) Referendum clauses
(u) Reports to the legislature/governor
(v) Savings clauses
(w) Severability clauses
(x) Short title
(y) Staggered terms
(z) Sunset and termination clauses
(aa) Tax-exempt entities
(bb) Tax preference legislation—Performance statements and expiration dates
(cc) Travel expenses—Reimbursement
(dd) Waivers
(12) GENERAL DRAFTING PRINCIPLES
(a) Length of sections
(b) Internal references in a bill
(c) Reference to "this act"
(d) References to other bills
(e) Reference to Washington statutes
(f) Incorporation by reference
(g) Gender
(h) Delegation of legislative authority
(i) Provisos
(j) The "one subject" rule
(k) Enrolled bill doctrine
(l) Amending without setting forth in full—Amendments to sections by reference
(m) Articles
(n) Grammatical changes
(o) Style
(p) Captions
(q) Bond bills
(r) Reference materials
(s) Limitations, exceptions, and conditions
(t) Special legislation
(u) Time
(v) Last antecedent rule
(w) Respectful language
(13) RESOLUTIONS AND MEMORIALS
(a) Types enumerated
(b) Uses summarized
(c) Sample forms
(i) Concurrent Resolution
(ii) Floor Resolution
(iii) Joint Memorial
(iv) Joint Resolution (Constitutional Amendment)
(14) COMMITTEE AND FLOOR AMENDMENTS TO BILLS
(a) Heading
(b) Form and style of amendments
(c) Title amendments
(d) Amendments to engrossed bills
(e) Striking amendments
(f) Conference reports
(g) Effect statements
PART III AVOIDING UNINTENDED LIABILITY
(1) OVERVIEW
(2) GUIDELINES
(3) INTENT SECTIONS
(4) CREATING IMMUNITY OR IMPOSING A HIGHER STANDARD OF CULPABILITY
(5) PRESERVING THE LEGISLATURE'S ABILITY TO RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CANCEL OR CHANGE CERTAIN BENEFIT ENHANCEMENTS
PART IV INSTRUCTIONS ON STYLE
(1) GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION
(a) Voice
(b) Buried verbs
(c) "Shall," "may," and "must"
(d) Tense and mood
(e) Tabulation
(f) Commas
(g) Semicolons
(h) Provisos
(i) Colons
(j) Quotation marks
(k) "Which" v. "that."
(l) Fewer, less
(m) "Data" v. "datum"
(n) Words and phrases to avoid
(o) Italics
(2) NUMBERS
(3) CAPITALIZATION
(4) SPELLING
(5) SUBSECTIONS
(6) CITATIONS