Each act of the legislature shall, on becoming a law, be designated as "Chapter …. of the Laws of ….," adding its chapter number and the year in which it becomes a law; and in respect to each session of the legislature, the laws enacted at such session shall be numbered consecutively in the order, as nearly as may be practicable, in which they become laws, each year having its own independent series of consecutive chapter numbers. Whenever a bill has been duly certified as having become a law and has been deposited with the laws in the office of the secretary of state, as provided by law, it shall be the duty of the secretary of state to designate such law by its appropriate chapter number, as hereinbefore provided, and to mark such designation upon such law; and thereafter, such law, whenever cited, enumerated, referred to or amended, may be designated simply as "Chapter …. of the Laws of ….," adding its chapter number and the year in which it became a law.