First-draft bill language in Legislative Counsel style — templates, a guided builder, and an amendment formatter. The workbench drafts the shape of the idea; Legislative Counsel drafts the law.
Drafting aid — not a substitute for Legislative Counsel review
Everything this workbench produces is a draft for counsel review, never filed legislation. Only a legislator can author a bill, and only the Office of Legislative Counsel drafts the official version with its digest and vote keys. Review every draft against current law on leginfo before it goes anywhere.
Step 1
Template library
Six starter forms in Legislative Counsel style, each with drafting notes. Bracketed text [like this] is yours to replace. Click "Use template" to load one into the workbench output.
Step 2
The workbench
Build a bill skeleton from a guided form, or format amendments to pasted bill text. Output appears on the right — save it, export it, or generate a Word doc.
Guided bill builder
Amendment formatter
Paste introduced bill text, add strike/insert instructions, and get amendments in standard committee form — plus the text as amended.
Your draft will appear here. Use a template, the guided builder, or the amendment formatter.
Saved drafts
Private to this browser (localStorage key silobbyist_drafts_v1). Nothing leaves your machine.
Reference
LC conventions — quick reference
From kb/drafting-conventions.md, compiled into Goldie's brain at build. Full cheat-sheet with sources lives in the knowledge base.
Style rules
Enacting clause (verbatim): "The people of the State of California do enact as follows:" — Gov. Code §9501.5
First section is SECTION 1.; the rest are SEC. 2., SEC. 3.
Amend: "Section ___ of the ___ Code is amended to read:" — then the full section as it will read
Add: "Section ___ is added to the ___ Code, to read:"; Repeal: "Section ___ of the ___ Code is repealed."
Title names the code section(s) + a relating clause; must convey the bill's actual scope (Joint Rules)
Bills are presumed prospective — retroactivity needs an explicit statement of intent
Pitfalls that kill drafts
Double-amending: two bills, same section, same session — the later-enacted (higher chapter) prevails on conflict (Gov. Code §9605). Draft double-jointing language.
Urgency: 2/3 of membership each house (54 Assembly / 27 Senate), section and bill voted separately by rollcall — and an urgency bill can't create/abolish offices or grant franchises/special privileges (Cal. Const. art. IV, §8(d)).
Germaneness: amendments must be germane to the bill's subject; the presiding officer decides, subject to appeal by a majority of the house.
"New bill" amendments (changed subject) get re-referred out of the Senate under Rule 29.10.
Gut-and-amend must still clear the 31-day and 72-hour print rules.
Need letters, testimony, or talking points instead? That's the Drafting Studio — this workbench is for bill text. Drafting outputs are starting points, not legal advice.