 Bill Drafting: Revision Suggestions
Need more information on a bill review suggestion?
Check below for a detailed explanation of each suggestion you might have received.
Many of the suggestions include links to various other resources that you might find useful.
Thank you for taking the time to ensure that your bill is well-written and correctly formatted.
Bill Incomplete OR Overall Bill Format Incorrect:
This bill is missing essential elements, such as a complete guidelines section. See additional comments below for more information. While the bill may be complete, it is formatted incorrectly.
Make sure to read Chapter 4 of the RedBook carefully to ensure that your bill is separated into appropriate sections, and that the sections appear in the correct order in the body of the bill.
Remember that the ‘meat’ of the legislation must be in the Guidelines Section of the bill.
Bill Sections Out of Order:
Moratorium Issue:
The topic addressed by this bill is on the legislative moratorium. As such, the bill cannot be docketed for consideration in chambers.
Federal Issue:
The issue presented in this bill is federal in nature. Under the U.S. Constitution, the State of Florida cannot make laws concerning this issue.
Title Missing:
Title Formatting Incorrect:
The title of this bill is formatted incorrectly. Bill titles must begin with “An act relating to” followed by a short statement of the action passage of the bill would elicit. Ensure that the title includes clauses for each section of the bill.
Title Grammar/Spelling Errors:
The title of this bill includes errors of convention. Please ensure that these errors are corrected and that you have proofread your bill before final submission.
Enacting Clause Missing:
This bill has no enacting clause. All bills require this section.
Enacting Clause Formatting Incorrect:
The enacting clause of this bill is formatted incorrectly. Enacting clauses must state exactly the words found in the RedBook.
Joint Resolutions require a resolving clause.
Enacting Clause Grammar/Spelling Errors:
The enacting clause of this bill includes errors of convention. Please ensure that these errors are corrected and that you have proofread your bill before final submission.
Needs Legislative Intent Section:
This bill has no Legislative Intent. All bills require this section.
Legislative Intent Formatting Incorrect:
The legislative intent of this bill is formatted incorrectly. Legislative Intent should be a short series of clauses beginning with the word “Whereas” followed by a concluding phrase beginning with the word “Therefore.”
Legislative Intent Grammar/Spelling Errors:
The legislative intent of this bill includes errors of convention. Please ensure that these errors are corrected and that you have proofread your bill before final submission.
Needs Definitions Section:
This bill has no definitions. Not all bills require this section, but this bill would be improved by including one.
Definitions Formatting Incorrect:
The definitions section of this bill is formatted incorrectly. A bill should include definitions of any technical word used in the bill, as well as any common word used in a technical sense. Separate each definition from the word it defines with a colon.
Definitions Grammar/Spelling Errors:
The definitions of this bill include errors of convention. Please ensure that these errors are corrected and that you have proofread your bill before final submission.
Guidelines Missing:
This bill has no guidelines. This section of the bill should lay out what your law would do. If you are adding something to a law, the addition should be underlined. If you are removing something from a law, it should be struck through.
Guidelines Formatting Incorrect:
The guidelines section of this bill is formatted incorrectly. Guidelines set forth the language that is to become codified in the Florida Statutes, and so must state the action required by the bill.
Guidelines Have No/Wrong Statute:
The guidelines of this bill have no statutory placement or have been designated to be inserted in the Florida Statutes in the wrong section. Check carefully to find where your new law should be codified.
Guidelines Grammar/Spelling Errors:
The guidelines of this bill include errors of convention. Please ensure that these errors are corrected and that you have proofread your bill before final submission.
Needs Penalties Section:
This bill has no penalties. Not all bills require this section, but this bill would be improved by including one.
Penalties Formatting Incorrect:
The penalties of this bill are formatted incorrectly.
Penalties should either refer to a section of the Florida Statutes already prescribing penalties (e.g. Section 775.082(1), F.S., if the penalty for violation of your law is capital punishment), or set forward a scheme of penalties (fines, etc.).
Penalties Grammar/Spelling Errors:
The penalties section of this bill includes errors of convention. Please ensure that these errors are corrected and that you have proofread your bill before final submission.
Needs Appropriations Section:
This bill has no appropriations. Not all bills require this section, but this bill would be improved by including one.
Appropriations Formatting Incorrect:
The appropriations section of this bill is formatted incorrectly. Appropriations should state clearly what section of the Florida budget funding is coming from, or authorize the collection of fees or taxes to pay for the legislation.
Appropriations Grammar/Spelling Errors:
The appropriations section of this bill includes errors of convention. Please ensure that these errors are corrected and that you have proofread your bill before final submission.
Needs Nullification Clause Section:
This bill has no nullification clause.
Nullification Clause Formatting Incorrect:
The nullification clause of this bill is formatted incorrectly. The nullification clause should read “All laws or any portions thereof in conflict with these provisions are hereby null and void.”
Nullification Clause Grammar/Spelling Errors:
The nullification clause of this bill includes errors of convention. Please ensure that these errors are corrected and that you have proofread your bill before final submission.
Needs Effective Date Section:
This bill has no effective date.
Effective Date Formatting Incorrect:
The effective date of this bill is formatted incorrectly. The effective date should clearly state when the law is to take effect.
Effective Date Grammar/Spelling Errors:
The effective date of this bill includes errors of convention. Please ensure that these errors are corrected and that you have proofread your bill before final submission.
On Legislative Agenda:
We suggest that you be in contact with a lobbyist firm and/or a member of the executive cabinet if you would like to coordinate lobbying, research, and committee support as the Cabinet would like to see your bill reach the Governor’s desk.
Check out facebook for pages and groups posted by this year's Lobbyist firms or email lobbyist@floridayig.net to be put in touch with one.
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