By the Numbers: The 2025 California Legislative Session

For those who thrive on the mechanics of lawmaking as much as the outcomes, this week’s MMR highlights some fascinating statistics from the just-concluded 2025 Legislative Session. Lobbyist and legislative scholar Chris Micheli compiled the official “scorecard” of activity, and the numbers reveal both the scope and quirks of lawmaking in Sacramento

The Scale of the Session

California legislators introduced 2,397 bills this year, 864 in the Senate and 1,533 in the Assembly. Despite frequent criticism that “nothing gets done,” the data show a high rate of movement:

• 936 Assembly bills passed (61% of those introduced)

• 600 Senate bills passed (69% of those introduced)

Those figures highlight both chambers’ tendency to move more than half of their workload across the finish line. Clearly, half of the state often disagrees with the finish line the legislature chooses to cross, sticking with the metaphor.

Spot, Intent, and Urgency Bills

Among those thousands of measures were 390 “spot bills” which are placeholders without substantive language when introduced. There were 481 “intent bills,” essentially statements of purpose in search of later text. Legislative Counsel also tagged 162 bills with urgency clauses, requiring a two-thirds vote and allowing immediate effect upon the governor’s signature.

Voting Thresholds and Fiscal Keys

The breakdown of vote requirements underscores how most bills are decided by a simple majority. Of the total introduced: 

• 2,232 bills required only a majority vote

• 203 required a two-thirds vote

• 78 were deemed tax levies (defined as bills altering the base, rate, or burden of tax, not necessarily increasing them)

• 179 bills carried appropriations

• 1,959 were keyed fiscal, meaning they had potential costs to the state
  

Mandates, Special Statutes, and Severability

The Legislature also imposed its will on local governments, with 728 bills creating state-mandated local programs. While reimbursement is not always guaranteed, these measures are often costly for cities and counties.

Other notable tallies:

• 100 bills were special statutes (applying narrowly rather than generally)

• 124 contained severability clauses, insulating the remainder of a law if one section is struck down
  

Odds and Ends

The most amended bill received 13 amendments.

The bill with the most legislative findings included 18 declarations.

The Senate reviewed one Governor’s Reorganization Plan (GRP), 15 tribal-state gaming compacts, and 219 gubernatorial appointments.

On the constitutional amendment front, the Assembly advanced one ACA (out of 15 introduced), while the Senate moved none of its four SCAs.

The Session in Context

Governor Newsom called one special session in 2025, continuing the trend of using extraordinary sessions as a policy tool.

For perspective, these numbers are broadly consistent with past sessions, though the high count of fiscal bills (over 80%) and state mandates suggests that lawmakers continue to legislate with significant budgetary implications.

Why It Matters

For CIPA members and the broader business community, these statistics are not just trivia. They underscore the high likelihood of encountering fiscal impacts, appropriations, or local mandates in nearly any bill, even those not directly related to energy or natural resources. Understanding the procedural landscape helps in anticipating political leverage points, amendment opportunities, and coalition dynamics.

As Chris Micheli, the “legislative geek” behind this analysis, puts it: “the raw numbers reveal the inner wiring of Sacramento. For those navigating the policy process, the statistics confirm what industry has long experienced: legislation is often more about volume, velocity, and fiscal tags than about targeted outcomes.”

CIPA will continue to track not only the high-stakes policy debates but also the procedural currents shaping how bills rise, fall, or quietly morph during a session.