Legislative Drafter's Desk Reference

Cover......Page 1
Copyright......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
List of Figures and Tables......Page 8
Preface......Page 10
About the Authors......Page 18
Part I - General Overview......Page 20
1.1 The approach in general......Page 22
1.2 The importance of understanding the rules, and of knowing when to ignore them......Page 23
1.3 Terminology......Page 24
2.1 In general......Page 28
2.2 Legislative drafting as a unique form of writing......Page 29
2.4 Nonpartisanship and impartiality......Page 33
2.5 Confidentiality and privilege......Page 34
3.1 Preliminary comments......Page 36
3.2 Bill drafting as a multistep operation; a checklist......Page 37
3.3 Bill drafting as a two-stage operation......Page 38
3.5 The drafter at different stages of the legislative process......Page 40
3.6 Easing the task......Page 41
Part II - The First Stage: Preparing to Put Pen to Paper......Page 46
4.1 In general......Page 48
4.2 Recognizing the problem......Page 50
4.3 Understanding the policy......Page 51
4.5 Approach, breadth, and specificity......Page 56
4.6 Different bills, different challenges......Page 59
4.7 The drafter as a participant in policy formulation......Page 64
4.8 Some everpresent real-life drafting problems......Page 66
4.9 Case study of a policy gone awry......Page 69
5.1 In general......Page 76
5.3 Collateral questions elsewhere......Page 77
5.4 Technical and conforming changes......Page 79
5.5 Finding aids......Page 81
6.1 In general......Page 83
6.2 Organizing a bill substantively......Page 84
6.3 Structuring a bill stylistically......Page 87
6.4 A look at structural problems generally......Page 88
6.5 Modular construction......Page 89
6.6 Split provisions and split amendments......Page 91
6.7 The virtues and self-evidence of good architecture......Page 92
Part III - Writing the Bill: Preliminary Considerations......Page 94
7.1 In general......Page 96
7.2 Using everyday English......Page 97
7.3 Short sentences, pro and con......Page 99
7.4 Directness and economy of expression......Page 101
7.6 Stylistic consensus and consistency......Page 102
8.1 The rule define......Page 105
8.3 Form and style in amendatory bills......Page 109
8.5 Case study......Page 110
8.6 Summing up......Page 112
9.1 In general......Page 113
9.2 Archaic usages......Page 114
9.3 Complexity......Page 115
9.4 Maximizing readability in the face of adversity......Page 117
9.5 Short sentences versus tabulation—a case study......Page 119
Part IV - Writing the Provisions of a Prototypical Bill......Page 122
10.1 Organization......Page 124
10.2 Stylistic considerations......Page 125
10.3 Parliamentary considerations......Page 126
10.4 Using models......Page 127
10.5 When and how the writing should begin......Page 133
11.1 Long titles......Page 137
11.2 Enacting and resolving clauses......Page 139
11.3 First sections......Page 140
11.4 Short titles......Page 141
11.5 Tables of contents......Page 145
11.6 Statements of findings and purpose; whereas clauses......Page 146
11.7 Definitions......Page 148
12.1 Preliminary comments......Page 159
12.2 The key operating provisions......Page 160
12.3 Exceptions and special rules......Page 161
12.4 Institutional structure......Page 164
12.5 Funding......Page 165
12.6 Entitlements......Page 167
12.7 Federal mandates......Page 168
12.8 Reports......Page 169
12.9 Administrative and judicial review provisions......Page 171
12.10 Sanctions......Page 175
12.11 Technical and conforming amendments......Page 179
12.12 Substantive amendments to other laws......Page 181
12.13 Appropriations bills and riders......Page 182
12.14 Provisions involving congressional procedures......Page 184
13.1 Authorizations of appropriations......Page 191
13.2 Effective date provisions......Page 193
13.3 Transitional provisions......Page 194
13.4 Savings clauses......Page 196
13.5 Preemption provisions......Page 197
13.6 Sunset provisions......Page 199
13.7 Severability clauses......Page 201
13.8 Sources of ambiguity......Page 202
Part V - Writing Amendatory Provisions......Page 206
14.1 Freestanding and amendatory bills compared......Page 208
14.2 Hybrid bills......Page 209
14.4 Interaction of amendments......Page 210
14.5 Problems for the occasional drafter......Page 211
14.6 Amending a bill in Congress......Page 212
15.2 Cut-and-bite amendments......Page 214
15.3 Amendment by restatement......Page 216
15.4 Other approaches; State requirements......Page 218
15.5 Repealers......Page 220
16.1 Amendatory terminology......Page 224
16.2 Amendatory punctuation......Page 229
16.3 Being literal......Page 231
16.4 Special forms......Page 232
16.5 Specific usages that vay from the freestanding......Page 235
17.1 Sequence of amendments......Page 238
17.2 Serial amendments......Page 240
17.3 Cumulative amendments......Page 242
17.4 Organizing amendments to support legislative strategy......Page 243
18.1 Redesignations......Page 245
18.2 Amendments in substance but not in form......Page 248
18.3 Amendments to amendments......Page 252
18.4 Amending the wrong law......Page 254
18.5 Annual authorization amendments and other quantitative changes......Page 255
18.6 Case study: The cost of a drafting error......Page 256
Part VI - Style, Form, and Usage Generally......Page 262
19.2 Common complaints......Page 264
19.3 Consistency......Page 265
19.4 Ambiguity, vagueness, and generality......Page 266
19.5 Rules of statutory construction......Page 268
19.6 Contributing to the legislative history......Page 269
20.1 General considerations......Page 272
20.2 The basic section......Page 273
20.3 The inferior subdivisions......Page 274
20.4 The senior components......Page 279
20.5 Headings......Page 281
21.1 Preliminary comments......Page 285
21.2 Number......Page 286
21.4 Voice......Page 287
21.5 Mood......Page 288
21.6 Punctuation......Page 289
21.7 Capitalization......Page 293
21.8 The relative pronouns “that” and “which”......Page 294
21.9 The relative pronouns “who” and “whose”......Page 296
21.10 The conjunctions “and” and “or”......Page 297
21.11 Questionable practices that can help......Page 299
22. Word Usage in General......Page 302
22.2 Use of “shall” and “may”......Page 303
22.3 Use of “such”......Page 307
22.4 Use of explicit cross-references......Page 308
22.5 Modifiers and explanatoy phrases......Page 310
22.6 Vesting functions in an agency......Page 312
22.7 Use of “person” and “individual”......Page 313
22.9 Other references to times and time periods......Page 314
22.10 Indefinite articles......Page 316
22.12 Directness, informality, and positive expression......Page 317
22.13 Circumlocutions and redundancies......Page 318
22.15 Use of “means” and “includes”......Page 319
22.17 Use of “by”, “under”, and “pursuant to”......Page 320
22.18 Use of “if”, “when”, and “where”......Page 321
22.20 “Respectively” and “as the case may be”......Page 322
22.22 Percentages......Page 323
22.23 A few closing cautions......Page 324
22.24 Case study......Page 325
23.1 Preliminary comments......Page 328
23.2 Definition......Page 329
23.3 Incorporation by reference......Page 330
23.4 Tabulated lists......Page 334
23.5 Tabulated sentences......Page 338
23.6 Parenthetical expressions......Page 340
23.7 Tables, formulas, and other graphic aids......Page 341
23.8 Summing it up......Page 345
24.1 Preliminary comments......Page 348
24.4 References to laws without short titles......Page 349
24.6 Code citations for purely informative purposes......Page 351
24.7 References within an Act or section......Page 352
24.8 References to components of a section......Page 353
24.9 References to senior components......Page 354
24.11 Abbreviated references; use of “such” or “that”......Page 355
25.2 Regulations......Page 356
25.3 Treaties and other international agreements......Page 357
25.5 Other public documents......Page 358
26.1 When an explicit effective-date provision is unnecessary; the “default” rule......Page 359
26.2 Delayed effective dates......Page 360
26.3 Retroactive effective dates......Page 361
26.4 Event-related effective dates......Page 362
26.5 Hybrid effective dates......Page 363
26.6 Placement of effective-date provisions......Page 364
26.7 Form and style in effective-date provisions......Page 365
26.8 Internal effective dates......Page 368
27.1 Numerals......Page 370
27.2 Provisos......Page 371
27.3 Gender......Page 372
27.4 Abbreviations......Page 373
27.5 Rounding......Page 374
27.6 Bills and Acts......Page 375
27.7 Choosing the right antecedents......Page 376
27.8 Case study: A reality check......Page 377
Part VII - The Role of the Courts......Page 384
28.1 General comments......Page 386
28.2 Theories of statutory interpretation......Page 388
28.4 Textual canons......Page 389
28.6 Substantive canons......Page 393
28.7 Additional canons......Page 395
28.8 Appropriations Acts......Page 397
28.9 Facing the canons: Case studies......Page 398
28.10 Summing up......Page 401
29.2 Tensions in the Federal system......Page 405
29.3 The Commerce Clause......Page 406
29.4 Maintaining the “delicate balance”......Page 408
29.5 Separation of powers......Page 410
29.6 Agency interpretations of statutes......Page 414
29.7 Summing up......Page 415
Part VIII - The Uniquely Federal Forms and Styles......Page 418
30.1 Preliminary comments......Page 420
30.2 Placement and structure......Page 421
30.3 Characteristics of type......Page 422
30.4 Other typographical terms and symbols......Page 424
30.5 The Federal drafting styles......Page 425
30.6 Using the terminology......Page 426
30.8 Marking copy......Page 427
31.1 Preliminary comments......Page 429
31.2 Slip laws......Page 430
31.3 The Statutes at Large......Page 432
31.4 The United States Code—positive-law titles......Page 433
31.5 The United States Code—other titles......Page 435
31.6 Compilations and loose-leaf services......Page 441
31.7 Interim sources......Page 442
31.8 Omnibus, appropriations, and reconciliation Acts......Page 444
31.9 Federal regulations......Page 445
31.10 Equipping yourself for the job......Page 446
32.1 Preliminary comments......Page 448
32.2 Bills......Page 449
32.3 Joint resolutions......Page 450
32.4 Concurrent resolutions......Page 453
32.5 Simple resolutions......Page 455
32.6 Using forms......Page 457
32.7 Amendments in committee and on the floor......Page 460
32.8 Reported bills......Page 463
32.9 Engrossed bills......Page 471
32.10 Conference reports......Page 473
32.11 Enrolled bills......Page 483
32.12 Last-minute corrections......Page 484
32.13 Committee prints......Page 490
32.14 Tracking a bill through Congress......Page 491
33.1 Preliminary comments......Page 499
33.2 The traditional or classic style......Page 501
33.3 United States Code style......Page 503
33.4 Revenue style......Page 504
33.5 Modified revenue styl......Page 507
33.6 Superior headings......Page 508
33.7 Maverick styles......Page 509
33.8 Comparison and critique......Page 512
34.1 Preliminary comments......Page 515
34.2 Committee referral and jurisdiction......Page 517
34.3 Procedure generally (on the floor and in committee......Page 519
34.4 Amendments......Page 529
34.5 Amendment to Substitute......Page 532
34.6 Prohibited Appropriations......Page 533
34.7 Legislation in appropriations bills......Page 535
34.8 The budget process......Page 538
34.9 Conference limitations......Page 540
Part IX - State and Regulatory Drafting Considerations......Page 546
35.1 Preliminary comments......Page 548
35.2 Constitutional requirements......Page 549
35.3 Statutes on statutory construction......Page 552
35.4 General defined term......Page 555
35.5 Preemption......Page 556
35.6 Summing up......Page 557
36.1 Introduction......Page 558
36.2 Federal Register Document Drafting Handbook......Page 559
36.3 A closer look at regulations......Page 560
Index......Page 580
List of Cases Cited......Page 598