BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 3081
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:  April 13, 2004

                           ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
                               Ellen M. Corbett, Chair
            AB 3081 (Judiciary Committee) - As Introduced: March 11, 2004

                                  PROPOSED CONSENT

           SUBJECT  :  CIVIL DISCOVERY: NON-SUBSTANTIVE REORGANIZATION

           KEY ISSUE  :  SHOULD THE CIVIL DISCOVERY STATUTES BE REORGANIZED  
          TO FACILITATE THEIR EASE OF USE?
                                      SYNOPSIS
          
          This non-controversial bill, sponsored by the California Law  
          Revision Commission is unremarkable, except in its length.  It  
          implements a Commission recommendation to reorganize the civil  
          discovery statutes without substantive change in order to make  
          them easier for litigants to use.  The bill has received no  
          opposition.

           SUMMARY  :   Revises the civil discovery laws.  Specifically,  this  
          bill  reorganizes the civil discovery statutes by dividing the  
          statutes into short sections grouped in chapters according to  
          subject matter.  The bill also makes conforming changes in  
          cross-references to the discovery statutes in other code  
          sections.

           EXISTING LAW  sets forth numerous provisions governing discovery  
          in civil actions and proceedings.  (See, generally, Code of  
          Civil Procedure section 2016 et seq.)

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   As currently in print, this bill is keyed  
          non-fiscal.

           COMMENTS  :  According to the sponsor, California Law Revision  
          Commission, the statutes governing civil discovery are logically  
          organized, but are difficult to use due to their length and  
          complexity.  The Law Revision Commission recommends a  
          nonsubstantive reorganization of the civil discovery provisions,  
          keeping the existing statutory language but dividing the  
          statutes into short sections grouped in chapters according to  
          subject matter.  The Commission states that the reorganization  
          will enhance readability for courts and practitioners, and  
          assist them in interpreting and following the law, among other  








                                                                  AB 3081
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          advantages.  The full report and recommendation is available at  
          http://www.clrc.ca.gov/pub/Printed-Reports/Rec-DiscReorg.pdf.

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           
          California Law Revision Commission (sponsor)

           Opposition 
           
          None on file
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :  Kevin G. Baker / JUD. / (916) 319-2334