Drafting Federal Legislation and Amendments helps anyone draft, revise, and review bills and amendments, with lessons especially useful to those who review legislation, prepare reports, or draft legislation and other formal legislative documents. In this course our expert faculty explain the role of the OMB, examine various formats and explore ways to choose the most appropriate one for your issue.
You will learn how to: • Define your audience and broaden your measure’s appeal • Assess existing law and policy objectives before beginning to draft • Structure bills and amendments to streamline the drafting process • Comply with the United States Code (U.S.C.) rules of construction, style, grammar and punctuation guide • Use drafting styles that work in your favor • Apply drafting language to your ideas and goals via hands-on exercises • Review legislation drafted by others
Drafting Federal Legislation and Amendments provides accessible training for professional drafters as well as other legal professionals, congressional staff, government affairs professionals, advocates, and students.
Preparing to Draft • Analyze the problem, facts, and existing law — determine the policy to be drafted and the law to be addressed • Decide which approach and drafting style to use • Understand the differences between positive and non-positive law • Understand the amendment process: form and technique • Use special provisions designed to clarify and simplify
Organization and Structural Guidelines • Consider who the “audience” of your legislation or amendment will be • Review organizational guidelines of a legislative measure
Drafting “Rules,” Style and Practical Tips • Learn punctuation rules, practical tips and suggestions on legislative style, grammar, and specific wording • Gain awareness of general drafting problems • Review basic rules of construction as outlined in the United States Code • Discuss the executive orders on “writing in plain English” and legislative branch requirements
The fee for this program depends on the location, number of attendees, length, and training materials. For more information reach out to training@sunwater.org
“I now have a better understanding of the working of Congress and I see why the legislative process can be so long. It all was very useful since this is a new area of work for me-I feel better equipped to perform the duties of my job.” — Attendee, Administrative Office of the US Courts
“Better able to strategize regarding lobbying efforts and better able to inform my members on status of legislation.” — Government Affairs staffer, national association