From the Congressional Glossary – Including Legislative and Budget Terms Adjourn photo credit: Gaffke Photography v2.8 Adjourn: Formal motion to end a day’s session of a chamber of Congress. A motion to adjourn in the Senate (or a committee) ends that day’s session. Adjournment is not a recess. Because procedures are so strictly determined when … Read more
When an enrolled bill becomes law, it is then sent to the Archives of the United States. If the bill becomes law by legislative override of an executive veto, Congress sends the bill to the Archives. If the bill becomes law through any other method, such as a pocket approval or signature approval, the White … Read more
Drafting a provision that repeals a law is not difficult. Any type of plain instruction will be sufficient; such as “The ABC Act is Repealed.” It is important to ensure that the provision being repealed is clearly identified, including a full citation. There are some important rules that should be observed regarding repeals. First, repealing … Read more
Why are so many people in prison in America? “Overcriminalization” describes the trend in America – and particularly in Congress – to use the criminal law to “solve” every problem, punish every mistake (instead of making proper use of civil penalties), and coerce Americans into conforming their behavior to satisfy social engineering objectives. Criminal law … Read more
Toby Dorsey’s book, Legislative Drafter’s Deskbook, to be published next month (it’s making its way – finally – next week from the printing plant in Michigan to the bookbinder in Massachusetts), is getting more positive reviews. We thank NCSL’s blog, The Thicket, for the pointer to a recent review in the American Political Science Association’s … Read more