Bill Evaluation Form

Bill Evaluation Form

Fiscal Impact

Some fiscal impact statements spread out the impact across different categories. Be sure to read the statement carefully and add up all fiscal impacts in the statement.

Lack Substance

Bills lack substance if they fail to change the law in any significant way. For instance, bills that establish study committees lack substance.

Non-binding or Unenforceable

Bills are non-binding or unenforceable if they have no legal force of law, lack penalties for breaking the law, lack an enforcement mechanism, or if enforcement is impractical.

Unlawful or Unconstitutional

Bills are unlawful or unconstitutional if they arguably violate constitutional federal law or the state or federal constitution.

Grow Government

Bills grow government if they create a new government program or increase the number of government employees.

Reduces Accountability

Bills reduce accountability when they put degrees of separation between government agents and the voters.

Contradicts Separation of Powers

Bills contradict separation of powers when they allow the legislature to handle matters which should be handled by the executive branch, or vice versa.

Legal Plunder

Bills constitute legal plunder if they redistribute wealth from one party to another party.

Infringes on Rights or Liberties

Bills infringe on rights or liberties when they violate the bill of rights or add new regulations that do not previously exist where they do not belong.

Non-government Alternative Exists

Bills should not create government programs to solve problems that are already being solved or could be solved by the private sector.

Raises Taxes

Bills raise taxes when they raise tax rates, carve out exceptions for certain parties, create new fees, or broaden the number of people that must pay the tax or fee in a way that causes the government to receive more funding than before.

Increases Debt

Bills increase debt when they explicitly authorize new debt or when they provide a mechanism which allows new debt to occur.

Other

Outline any other reason why this bill is a bad bill.