Step 4. Locate the bill and all its versions to assess changes to the bill's language during the legislative process.
Studying the bill in all its versions is one of the best methods of determining legislative intent. Additions and deletions are indicated by italics and strikeout type. The text of each version is preceded by the Legislative Counsel’s Digest which summarizes changes. Some bills include a statement of intent or policy, which might be omitted in the codified version.
Online sources of California bills are listed below. You can also find California bills going back to 1991 on Westlaw and Lexis. For historical bills on microfilm, visit the San Francisco Public Library's Government Information Center on the fifth floor of the Main Branch of the library.