California Statutes

A legislative bill is "chaptered" by the Secretary of State once it passes through both houses of the California State Legislature and has either been signed by the Governor or has become law without the Governor's signature.

The secretary of state assigns a sequential chapter number to all bills that become law.

Since the 1950s, virtually all general laws enacted as part of the California Statutes have been drafted as modifications to one of the 29 California Codes, each covering a general area of the law.

One legislative bill may make changes in the statutes in a number of codes.

Regulations adopted by California state agencies are generally codified in the separate California Code of Regulations (CCR).