Bill drafting guide
The bill drafting guide provides step-by-step instructions for drafting legislation. It covers the basics of bill structure, common drafting conventions, and specific formatting rules. Includes examples and templates to help drafters create clear, effective legislation.
Preface
2025 version of the Bill Drafting Guide is in PDF format only.
- 0. Table of Contents 2023 version
- Part I. Working Procedure 2023 version
- Part II. Formal and Technical Requisites 2023 version
- 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
- 12. GENERAL DRAFTING PRINCIPLES
- 13. RESOLUTIONS AND MEMORIALS
- 14. COMMITTEE AND FLOOR AMENDMENTS TO BILLS
- Part III. Avoiding Unintended Liability 2023 version
- Part IV. INSTRUCTIONS ON STYLE 2023 version
Part I. Working Procedure 2023 version
Part 1. Working Procedure
The bill drafting process includes preliminary work by legislative staff or other requesters and final preparation by the code reviser's office. The process typically begins by a requester bringing a written request or emailing the request (CROfrontdesk@leg.wa.gov) to the code reviser's office. The Revised Code of Washington is in computer-accessible form. The code reviser's office has bills from current and recent past legislative sessions available electronically that may be used for drafting purposes. It is not necessary to retype a previously computerized bill or an RCW section.
If you have computer access to the Revised Code of Washington and want to do your work electronically, clearly show us the deletions and additions on the computer version of your bill draft. If you expect extensive revision or restructuring of a bill or statute, you may request a computer printout, also known as a "pull," of those sections and do your drafting on the printout. In addition, you may order a "wide pull," which is done on continuous-feed 11 x 17-inch paper and has a large space beside the text that can be used for drafting.
Some other tips to move your request through our office as fast as possible:
(1) Get your bill request in as soon as you can, identifying who the request is for, such as a legislator, committee, or agency, who may be contacted to answer questions about the request, and who is authorized to pick up the draft or receive the draft electronically.
(2) Make sure your bill request is clear and complete. If submitted electronically, try to make your changes or edits to documents in MS Word format only, with changes clearly marked using colored fonts, and not in a .pdf style format. It is not necessary to give us retyped or perfected copy. If you are using a bill or law from another state, submit a copy of it with your request. Also, have an idea how the request will fit into current state law on the subject. Try to have the policy decisions worked out before bringing the request to us. We do not do substantive research and will rely on your expertise.
(3) Keep a copy of the request for any telephone discussion with the bill drafting attorney and for your own records as we keep the original for archive purposes.
(4) To revise existing drafts, make your changes on a copy of our latest draft. Using the marked-up copy and the computer version, our typists go directly in at the points of change to make revisions. This can save an enormous amount of time and improves accuracy.
Following these tips will reduce turnaround time, eliminate unnecessary typing, and provide a greater degree of accuracy in the drafting process.
The bill drafting guide is also available on the office of the code reviser's website at http://www.leg.wa.gov/codereviser. Contact the code reviser's office at (360) 786-6777 for further assistance.