Peer-to-Peer Drafting and Editing Software

Montana’s

Bill Drafting Application

Montana Legislature and Legislative Services Division

• Legislature meets every other year for 90 days

• Legislative Services = full-time, nonpartisan, bill drafting, legal, editing, research, IT, central services

• 22 Drafters (12 non-attorneys, 10 attorneys)

• 3 Technical editors and one proofer

• Montana Constitution affords citizens a strong “right to know”• Bill drafts and drafting materials are public documents

Change on the Horizon

• Draft with WordPerfect based system since 1994

• Old drafting system features:• Macros for many drafting processes, strike/add

• Pulls in current MCA sections

• Diagnostics

• Limited workflow steps (send to legislator, send for legal review, introduce)

• Amendment instructions and delivery to floor (no amendments in context)

Drivers for Change

• Mainframe Database• Key staff had retired; database was obsolete

• Process had become cumbersome and inefficient

• Drafting • WordPerfect not supported

• Retirement of key staff looming

• New technologies

• Develop fully electronic system

• Publication • Inconsistent end products (printed MCA volumes, web site display, Folio)

Redesign Keys for Drafters

• Keep existing functionality as much as possible• Keystroke shortcuts• Standardized section language• Ability to check internal references

• Create system that allows (not requires) entirely electronic drafting and review

• Add new functionality to save time• Electronic “junque”• Workflow• Amendments in Context (Grey Bills)

One of Many

• Other legislative systems involved in system redesign

• Multi-year process

• Legislative Services contracted with Propylon• Domain Experience

• Technology

• Partnership Approach

System Redesign Status

• Implemented• Mainframe migration• Codification software• Publication software• Draft entry and tracking dashboard (2017 session)

• Drafting software new for 2021 session• Next steps: Install for all drafters and train• Continue training, testing, and revising system using interim committee

draft bills

• Amendments in Context for 2021 session

Paper to Paperless

1994 to 2019 Process

• Electronic drafting until legal review

• Paper copy printed for legal review, edit, proofing

• Use dashboard for workflow since 2017

My Dashboard

Create New Draft

Review and Manage Workflow

Checklist

Drafting Tools

• Import most recent MCA sections and session law sections

• Create new statutes

• Use standardized language for common sections• Effective dates, codification instructions, termination dates, savings

clauses, etc

• Track changes functionality to “strike” existing language and “add” new language to existing law

Drafting Tools

Track changes before and after Apply Formatting

Before

After

Imports multiple MCA

sections at once.

Retains diagnostic tests

to fix drafter errors. (Also,

to ensure consistency in

underlying formatting.)

Compare Against the Master Code

Shows conflicts with

other bills and draft

documents.

Adds electronic

editing

functionality.

Using track

changes in Word,

we can interact

electronically

with the editors

and legal

director.

Reorders bill

sections

quickly. No

more

cut/paste. It

also

enforces

numerical

order for

existing

MCA

sections.

Reorders bill sections

quickly. No more cut/paste.

It also enforces numerical

order for existing MCA

sections.

Electronic Archives

• In Montana, Article II, section 9, provides people with the right to examine documents and observe deliberations of all public bodies

• Includes access to bill drafts, versions of those drafts, and drafting materials (ie, emails)

• “Junque Files” = Our term for the drafts and other materials collected and created during the drafting process

• Can be extensive and are often requested by the public

This is a

junque file for

a rather

complicated

campaign

finance bill

from a past

session.

With new system, draft versions

will archive automatically. Saves

time and paper.

Other Improvements

• Drafter can open multiple bills and/or amendments documents at same time

• Have to switch between drafting and amendment functions now

• Draft stays in focus while using the other tools – conflicts, diagnostics

• Amendments in context capability• Easy to create grey bills

• Still determining if committees will vote on amendment instructions or full in-context version

Draft Amendments in Bill Context – Software Creates Amendment Technical Language

Questions?

Rachel Weiss

Research Analyst

Montana Legislative Services Division

rweiss@mt.gov

406-444-5367

Video Walkthrough of Montana Application

• https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AjfFEDEN4NlqOrI&cid=88FEB94CBAA35044&id=88FEB94CBAA35044%219782&parId=88FEB94CBAA35044%216496&o=OneUp

• https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AsLPID9VQ2djdP0&cid=88FEB94CBAA35044&id=88FEB94CBAA35044%219783&parId=88FEB94CBAA35044%216496&o=OneUp