Applying FrameMaker amendments to a Lawmaker Bill

Introduction

You can't copy and paste amendments from FrameMaker directly into Lawmaker because the formatting of the FrameMaker file confuses Lawmaker's Smart Paste function.

But you can export the FrameMaker amendment list into a different document type and then copy and paste from there more easily. You can either use a PDF from FrameMaker or a plain text export.

Creating a document to copy and paste from

Creating a Word document from a PDF export

1. Export a PDF of the amendment list from FrameMaker

2. Open Microsoft Word and from there open the PDF file so Word converts it into a Word document.

3. Remove the amendment numbers as they interfere with smart paste logic (see 'Removing all amendment numbers' below)

Creating a plain text version

See https://help.adobe.com/en_US/framemaker/2019/using/using-framemaker-2019/user-guide/frm_basics_ba-documents_save-as-plain-text.html#topic_save-as-plain-text.

Applying individual amendments that insert provisions

If you need to insert a couple of provisions that do not need marking up with x-refs, it might be quicker to paste them directly into the bill (in 'Edit portion' mode if the bill is large)

If the amendment is inserting provisions that need marking up with x-refs:

• Open a LoDA

  • Copy the whole amendment (including the instruction) and paste into a blank amendment in the LoDA

    • if you encounter any issues with smart paste, see 'Smart Paste tips' to troubleshoot

    • no need to add Clause or Schedule number to the beginning of the instruction, unless you were planning on using 'auto-apply'

  • See section 'Creating x-refs' for tips on marking up any cross references

  • Remove the lock on the first provision inside a quoted structure (unless you do not want the provision renumbered).  You do this by placing your cursor in the num, right-click and select "Lock/Unlock Number".

• Inserting new clauses:

  • If your bill contains parts, chapters or cross headings and you need to paste a new clause, open up its direct parent grouping level in 'Edit portion' 

  • If your bill is only made up of clauses and no grouping levels, then you have to open the whole bill to insert the new clause

  • If your amendment includes a grouping level before the new clause e.g. a cross heading, then you would need to open the parent grouping level of the cross heading e.g. a part of chapter in 'Edit portion'

  • Remove the lock on the first provision inside the quoted structure - this lock will prevent the provision from being renumbered after it has been inserted into the bill.

Creating x-refs

The recommendation is to update amendments inside a LoDA rather than inside the bill itself as this will help with overall performance

If you are cross-referring to a provision in the bill itself, find the provision in the structure view and copy the appropriate x-ref notation. Paste it into the amendment in your LoDA.

If you are cross-referring to a provision in an amendment's quoted structure (this could be within the same amendment or to another amendment's quoted structure:

• Expand the structure view

• Find the appropriate target provision within the 'quoted structure' level

• Copy the desired x-ref notation

• Paste into the amendment 

If you are cross-referring to an unnumbered clause (i.e. where the heading is quoted)

• Add a number to the target clause

• Copy the x-ref to the newly numbered clause (or provision within it)

• Paste it over the old italicised text cross-reference

In all these cases above, when you paste the amendment into the bill, the cross reference will be automatically updated to point to the correct target provision inside the bill.  If you paste the content of an amendment before you paste the target provision in another amendment, the cross reference will be inserted with grey highlight indicating that it is 'invalid'.  However, as soon as you paste the content of the other amendment that contains the target provision and run 'update x-ref' it will convert back to 'orange' text indicating that it is a valid x-ref.  This is because, as part of the 'paste' operation, it is searching the document for its target and if it can't find it, it will flag it as 'invalid' so you know to investigate if required.

Smart paste tips and amendments

You don't need to add Clause or Schedule numbers at the beginning of the instruction unless you're intending to use 'auto-apply amendments' feature)

Remove any square brackets and add them manually after pasting

Formatted text in normal paragraph text e.g. italics is not picked up by smart paste, you will need to apply formatting to text after pasting (note that this doesn't include italic cross headings or bold clause headings as these are handled by Lawmaker's automatic styling of provisions)

Check quotes - there must be a balanced number of quotes.  In some amendments, there may be missing quotes so you might have to manually add them in for smart paste to work logically, and then remove them after pasting

If you are copying a new clause that includes a cross heading or part or chapter before it, you will need to manually number the clause for smart paste to correctly identify it as a clause. 

If the quoted structure of an amendment goes over a page in the Word document, it is easier to copy the complete amendment and paste it into notepad before pasting into a LoDA so that you can strip out any of the page furniture and double-check any incorrect line breaks.

Removing amendment numbers in one go (if downloaded in Word document)

Put your cursor in the "instruction" line of amendment 1 (i.e. the same line as the number "1")

Click on multi-level list button in the toolbar:

Open

Click on "Define New Multilevel List…" in the menu that appears:

Open

Delete "1" from "Enter formatting for number" text box so the text box is empty and then click OK: