Opinion ID: 1123050
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Legislative Counsel's Digest

Text: The Legislative Counsel's Digest is printed as a preface to every bill considered by the Legislature. ( Southland Mechanical Constructors Corp. v. Nixen (1981) 119 Cal. App.3d 417, 428, fn. 5 [173 Cal. Rptr. 917].) The Legislative Counsel is a state official required by law to analyze pending legislation to assist the Legislature in considering that legislation. ( California Assn. of Psychology Providers v. Rank (1990) 51 Cal.3d 1, 17 [270 Cal. Rptr. 796, 793 P.2d 2]; People v. Martinez (1987) 194 Cal. App.3d 15, 22 [239 Cal. Rptr. 272].) Therefore, It is reasonable to presume that the Legislature amended those sections with the intent and meaning expressed in the Legislative Counsel's digest. ( People v. Superior Court ( Douglass ) (1979) 24 Cal.3d 428, 434 [155 Cal. Rptr. 704, 595 P.2d 139]; see also Harris v. Capital Growth Investors XIV (1991) 52 Cal.3d 1142, 1158, fn. 6 [278 Cal. Rptr. 614, 805 P.2d 873].) Indeed, we have stated that the rule that opinions of the Attorney General are entitled to `great weight' is particularly compelling as to opinions of the Legislative Counsel, since they are prepared to assist the Legislature in its consideration of pending legislation. ( California Assn. of Psychology Providers v. Rank, supra, 51 Cal.3d at p. 17; see also Franklin v. Appel (1992) 8 Cal. App.4th 875, 890 [10 Cal. Rptr.2d 759] [applying this rule to the Legislative Counsel's Digest].) The reaction of the Legislative Counsel toward the language at issue here  such assignment shall first be made available to teachers presently employed by the district  is quite remarkable. As explained above, Assembly Bill No. 1690 did not contain this language at first. When the bill was originally introduced without this language, the Legislative Counsel's Digest summarized the significance of the entire new section 44919(b). It explained concisely that section 44919(b) would add to the circumstances under which a certificated individual could be classified as a `temporary' employee, cases in which a person was employed to serve in a limited assignment supervising the extracurricular activities of pupils. The bill would not limit such classification to employment for terms of any specified length. (Legis. Counsel's Dig., Assem. Bill No. 1690 (1977-1978 Reg. Sess.) Apr. 14, 1977, p. 138.) The bill was then amended to add the language at issue. However, the Legislative Counsel changed the digest only by replacing the words the extracurricular with athletic to reflect another change in the amendment.