What are “administrative” or “rulemaking” agencies?
Like the United States government, the government of California is divided into three separate and distinct branches or departments–the legislative, executive, and judicial. The Legislature is made up of the Senate and the Assembly whose members are elected by the citizens of the State. The judiciary includes the court system, including the trial courts, Courts of Appeal, and the California Supreme Court. The California Constitution and the statutes enacted by the Legislature create the various state agencies, departments, offices, commissions, boards, and so on to carry out the laws found in statute. These “state agencies” have and exercise the power granted to them by both statutes and the California Constitution. These powers often include “rulemaking” or the making of rules and regulations in order to carry out their duties.
