I Developments in Washington's Law of Law-Making - Gonzaga ...
I Developments in Washington's Law of Law-Making - Gonzaga ...
I Developments in Washington's Law of Law-Making - Gonzaga ...
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
GONZAGA LAW REVIEW<br />
[Vol. 44:3<br />
a bill are listed <strong>in</strong> the m<strong>in</strong>isterial portion <strong>of</strong> the bill title and are revised throughout the<br />
legislative process as the bill changes. 269<br />
The <strong>of</strong>fset draft<strong>in</strong>g method currently used by the legislature employs text<br />
formatt<strong>in</strong>g so that legislation <strong>in</strong>ternally demonstrates how it changes the underly<strong>in</strong>g<br />
section, and the reader no longer need compare the bill to the orig<strong>in</strong>al section to<br />
discern the changes. Specifically, the <strong>of</strong>fset method uses underscor<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>in</strong>dicate that<br />
an amendatory section adds language to the statutory text and strikeout font enclosed<br />
<strong>in</strong> double parentheses to <strong>in</strong>dicate where an amendatory section deletes language. 2 70<br />
For example:<br />
Sec. 1. RCW 1.01.100 and 2007 c 1 2 are each amended to read as follows:<br />
This is a statute. ((Deletiens from this sectien are <strong>in</strong>dicated with strikeouat font<br />
and double parentheses.)) Additions to the section are <strong>in</strong>dicated with<br />
underscore.<br />
Jo<strong>in</strong>t rules <strong>of</strong> the legislature require that bills considered by the legislature use this<br />
draft<strong>in</strong>g format, 271 and by statute, ballot measures must also be pr<strong>in</strong>ted <strong>in</strong> the voters'<br />
pamphlet under the same formula. 272 Significantly, though employed <strong>in</strong> bill draft<strong>in</strong>g<br />
at least as early as 1945, the <strong>of</strong>fset method did not appear <strong>in</strong> Wash<strong>in</strong>gton's session<br />
271<br />
laws until 1969. An <strong>in</strong>troductory note to the 1969 laws expla<strong>in</strong>s that the <strong>of</strong>fset<br />
method <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g the session laws is <strong>in</strong>tended "to present the new laws <strong>in</strong> the exact<br />
form <strong>in</strong> which they were adopted by the legislature" because "the style quickly and<br />
graphically portrays the.., changes to exist<strong>in</strong>g laws. ' 274<br />
B. Article II, Section 37 and the Courts<br />
In order to determ<strong>in</strong>e whether legislative drafters have complied with the<br />
requirements <strong>of</strong> article II, section 37, Wash<strong>in</strong>gton courts have developed the two-part<br />
269. See Orig<strong>in</strong>alActs, supra note 146, at 41-43.<br />
270. BILL DRAFrTNG GUIDE, supra note 245, pt. II, § 3, at 5.<br />
271. WASH. LEGISLATURE JOINT RULE 13 (2009-2010), available at<br />
http://www.leg.wa.gov/documents/lic/Documents/Subscriptions End-<strong>of</strong> Session HistoricaliLegMa<br />
n.pdf, at 422.<br />
272. WASH. REV. CODE § 29A.32.080 (2004). There is no direct statutory requirement that<br />
the ballot measure text circulated with the petition under RCW 29A.72. 100 use the <strong>of</strong>fset formula,<br />
see <strong>in</strong>fra at 47.<br />
273. E.g., 1969 Wash. Sess. <strong>Law</strong>s ch. 6. The author would like to thank Assistant Attorney<br />
General and Statute <strong>Law</strong> Committee member Joe Panesko for call<strong>in</strong>g her attention to the history <strong>of</strong><br />
the <strong>of</strong>fset format.<br />
274. 1969 Wash. Sess. <strong>Law</strong>s at ii.