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Dates of 2021 state legislative sessions

From Ballotpedia
Some states have made changes to state legislative sessions and legislative activity in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
For the latest, visit:Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020.
State Legislatures
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Each state has its own legislature. TheTenth Amendment of theU.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[1] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions,legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

Forty-six state legislatures hold regular sessions annually. The other four states—Montana,Nevada,North Dakota, andTexas—meet in odd-numbered years. The length of a session may be set by a state's constitution, a statute, or by the legislature and varies among the states. Special or extraordinary sessions may also be called by a state's governor or legislature over a specific subject matter during or after a regular session.

Ten state legislatures havefull-time legislators, meaning the legislature meets throughout the year. All other legislators are considered part-time because they only meet for a portion of the year.[2]

This page gives information on the 2021 legislative sessions in all 50 states.

  • Thelegislative map, which was updated weekly, shows what states adjourned, were in regular session, or were special session.
  • Thesession table breaks down the start and end date of a state's legislative session, the length of the session, special sessions, andtrifecta status.
  • Themethodology Ballotpedia used to assemble the map and chart.
  • Aglossary of terms specific to legislative sessions.

Map of legislative sessions

The legislative map below shows 2021 state legislative session information. States with full-time legislators may meet throughout the year after adjourning their regularly scheduled sessions. The map was updated every Friday with information gathered byMultiState and theNational Conference of State Legislatures.


State legislative sessions

The state legislative session table below breaks down the start and end date of a state's 2021 legislative session, the length of the session, and also covers any special sessions that were called.The table was updated weekly to reflect any notable events that occurred in a state's session. Information was gathered fromMultiState and the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Key:

  • Not yet conveneda = Not yet convened
  • State's session adjourneda = State's session adjourned
  • State in regular sessiona = State in regular session
  • State in special sessiona = State in special session
  • No regular session scheduleda = No regular session scheduled
  • This state's session is not a regular or special session.a = This state's session is not a regular or special session.
  • (*) - This statehas full-time legislators.
  • (**) - This state did not adjourn on designated dates due to unfinished business.

States

2021 state legislative sessions
StateStart dateEnd date (projected)Session length limit[3]Special sessions/Other sessions
State's session adjournedaAlabamaFebruary 2, 2021May 17, 202130 legislative days in 105 calendar daysSpecial session convened September 27, 2021, through October 1, 2021. Special session convened October 28, 2021, through November 4, 2021.
State's session adjournedaAlaskaJanuary 19, 2021May 19, 202190 calendar daysSpecial session convened October 4, 2021, through November 2, 2021.
State's session adjournedaArizonaJanuary 11, 2021June 30, 2021Saturday of the last week in which the 100th calendar day falls
State's session adjournedaArkansasJanuary 11, 2021October 15, 2021Odd-numbered years - 60 days
Even-numbered years - 30 days		Regular session adjourned on April 27, 2021, and resumed on September 29, 2021. The session concluded on October 15, 2021.
State's session adjournedaCalifornia*[4]December 7, 2020September 10, 2021Constitution: Even-numbered years - Nov. 30
Odd-numbered years - None
Chamber Rule: Even-numbered years - Aug. 31
Odd-numbered years - Sept. 12
State's session adjournedaColoradoJanuary 13, 2021June 8, 2021120 calendar daysSession paused due to COVID-19; reconvened February 16, 2021.
State's session adjournedaConnecticutJanuary 6, 2021June 9, 2021Odd: Wednesday after the first Monday in June; Even: Wednesday after the first Monday in May
State's session adjournedaDelawareJanuary 12, 2021June 30, 2021June 30Special session convened on November 1, 2021.
State's session adjournedaFloridaMarch 2, 2021April 30, 202160 calendar daysSpecial session scheduled for November 15, 2021, through November 21, 2021.
State's session adjournedaGeorgiaJanuary 11, 2021March 31, 202140 legislative daysSpecial session convened from November 3, 2021, through November 22, 2021.
State's session adjournedaHawaiiJanuary 20, 2021April 29, 202160 legislative days
State's session adjournedaIdahoJanuary 11, 2021November 17, 2021NoneThe House reconvened on November 15, 2021, and adjourned on November 17, 2021.
State's session adjournedaIllinois*[4]January 13, 2021June 1, 2021NoneVeto session convened October 19, 2021, through October 28, 2021.
State's session adjournedaIndianaJanuary 4, 2021November 15, 2021Odd-numbered years - 61 days (April 29)
Even-numbered years - 30 days (March 14)		Regular session originally scheduled to adjourn on April 22, 2021. Reconvened September 20, 2021, through October 1, 2021.
State's session adjournedaIowaJanuary 11, 2021May 19, 2021Odd-numbered years - 110 days
Even-numbered years - 100 days		Special session convened on October 28, 2021.
State's session adjournedaKansasJanuary 11, 2021May 26, 2021None (odd), 90 days (even)
State's session adjournedaKentuckyJanuary 5, 2021March 30, 2021Odd-numbered years - 30 legislative days or March 30
Even-numbered years - 60 legislative days or April 15
State's session adjournedaLouisianaApril 12, 2021June 10, 2021Even-numbered years - 60 legislative days in 85 calendar days
Odd-numbered years - 45 legislative days in 60 calendar days
State's session adjournedaMaineDecember 2, 2020March 30, 2021Odd: 3rd Wed in June; Even: 3rd Wed in AprilSpecial session convened April 28, 2021.
State's session adjournedaMarylandJanuary 13, 2021April 12, 202190 calendar daysSpecial session convened from December 6, 2021, to December 9, 2021.
State's session adjournedaMassachusetts*[4]January 6, 2021January 4, 2022Odd: 3rd Wed in November; Even: July 31
State's session adjournedaMichigan*[4]January 13, 2021December 31, 2021None
State's session adjournedaMinnesotaJanuary 5, 2021May 17, 2021120 legislative days in 2 years, or the 1st Monday after the 3rd Saturday in May each yearSpecial session convened June 14, 2021, to July 7, 2021. Special session convened September 7, 2021.
State's session adjournedaMississippiJanuary 5, 2021April 1, 202190 calendar days; except after a gubernatorial election then 125 days
State's session adjournedaMissouriJanuary 6, 2021May 14, 2021May 30Special session convened June 23, 2021.
State's session adjournedaMontanaJanuary 4, 2021April 29, 202190 legislative days in two years
State's session adjournedaNebraskaJanuary 6, 2021May 27, 2021Odd-numbered years - 90 legislative days
Even-numbered years - 60 days		Special session convened September 13, 2021.
State's session adjournedaNevadaFebruary 1, 2021June 1, 2021120 calendar days in two years
State's session adjournedaNew HampshireJanuary 6, 2021June 24, 202145 legislative days or July 1
State's session adjournedaNew Jersey*[4]January 4, 2021January 11, 2022None
State's session adjournedaNew MexicoJanuary 19, 2021March 20, 2021Odd-numbered years - 60 days
Even-numbered years - 30 days		Special session convened December 6, 2021, and adjourned on December 17, 2021.
State's session adjournedaNew York*[4]January 6, 2021June 10, 2021None
State's session adjournedaNorth CarolinaJanuary 13, 2021December 30, 2021NoneRegular session originally scheduled to conclude on October 29, 2021.
State's session adjournedaNorth DakotaJanuary 5, 2021April 29, 202180 legislative days in two yearsSpecial session convened November 8, 2021, and adjourned on November 12, 2021.
State's session adjournedaOhio*[4]January 4, 2021December 31, 2021None
State's session adjournedaOklahomaFebruary 1, 2021May 27, 2021Last Friday in MaySpecial session convened from November 15, 2021, to November 26, 2021.
State's session adjournedaOregonJanuary 21, 2021June 26, 2021Odd-numbered years - 160 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 35 calendar days		Session start pushed to January 21, 2021, due to security concerns. Special session convened from September 20, 2021, to September 27, 2021.
State's session adjournedaPennsylvania*[4]January 5, 2021December 31, 2021None
State's session adjournedaRhode IslandJanuary 5, 2021July 1, 2021None
State's session adjournedaSouth CarolinaJanuary 12, 2021May 13, 2021First Thurs in JuneSpecial session convened June 8, 2021, through June 29, 2021. Special session—House convened December 1, 2021, Senate convened December 6, 2021.
State's session adjournedaSouth DakotaJanuary 12, 2021March 29, 202140 legislative daysSpecial session convened on November 9, 2021.
State's session adjournedaTennesseeJanuary 12, 2021May 5, 202190 legislative daysSpecial session convened January 19, 2021, to January 22, 2021. Special session convened October 27, 2021, to October 30, 2021.
State's session adjournedaTexasJanuary 12, 2021May 31, 2021140 calendar days in two yearsSpecial session convened from September 20, 2021, to October 19, 2021.
State's session adjournedaUtahJanuary 19, 2021March 5, 202145 calendar daysSpecial session convened November 9, 2021, and adjourned November 12, 2021.
State's session adjournedaVermontJanuary 6, 2021May 21, 2021None
State's session adjournedaVirginiaJanuary 13, 2021February 8, 2021Odd numbered years - 30 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 60 days		Special session held from February 10, 2021, to March 1, 2021. A veto session was scheduled for April 7, 2021. Special session convened from August 2, 2021, to August 10, 2021.
State's session adjournedaWashingtonJanuary 11, 2021April 25, 2021Odd numbered years - 105 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 60 days
State's session adjournedaWest VirginiaFebruary 10, 2021April 10, 202160 calendar daysSpecial session convened October 11, 2021, to October 20, 2021.
State's session adjournedaWisconsin*[4]January 4, 2021December 31, 2021None
State's session adjournedaWyomingJanuary 12, 2021April 7, 2021Odd-numbered years - 40 legislative days
Even-numbered years - approximately 20 days		Session paused until virtual session from January 27, 2021, to February 5, 2021, due to COVID-19. Scheduled to reconvene in-person on March 1, 2021. Special session convened from October 26, 2021, to November 3, 2021.

Methodology

Ballotpedia considered four sources when compiling the data in the map and chart above:

  1. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
  2. FiscalNote
  3. MultiState
  4. Statescape


The four sites each contained a mix of projected end dates for the legislative sessions. Ballotpedia used a projected end date if three sites had the same date. If two websites had the same date but two had a different matching date, Ballotpedia used the date provided by the NCSL.

Glossary of state legislative session terms

Adjourn:

  • Termination of a legislative session. The date and time of the next meeting is set before adjournment.[5]

Informal session:

  • A type of session called by some states where no attendance is taken and only a few members attend the session. These sessions address day-to-day business and non-controversial bills. The bills do not require debate or a roll-call vote and must be passed unanimously. If one member objects, the measure is blocked.

Lame-duck session:

  • A legislative session where its members meet after their successors are elected.[5]

Organizational session:

  • The first day that legislators take office. The members are sworn in and new leadership is chosen.[5]

Recess:

  • A temporary pause for a period of time in a legislative session.[5]

Regular session:

  • A state's legislative members meet for a period of time regularly scheduled by a state's constitution, a statute, or by the legislature where they write and pass bills. Forty-six state legislatures hold regular sessions annually. Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas only meet in odd-numbered years.[5]

Skeleton session:

  • In a typical skeleton session, a clerk, a presiding officer, and another legislative member are the only people present. The presiding officer will convene the session day and adjourn it minutes later.

Sine die:

  • Final adjournment of a legislative session. It is Latin for "without a day."[5]

Special session:

  • A special meeting of the legislature called by the governor or by the legislature over a specific subject matter. This is also called an extraordinary session.[5]

Trifecta:

  • A trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governorship, a majority in the state senate, and a majority in the state house in a state's government.

Veto session:

  • Legislatures may hold a veto session where the members consider all bills vetoed by the governor.[5]

See also

External links


Footnotes

Alabama (H,S) ·Alaska (H,S) ·Arizona (H,S) ·Arkansas (H,S) ·California (A,S) ·Colorado (H,S) ·Connecticut (H,S) ·Delaware (H,S) ·Florida (H,S) ·Georgia (H,S) ·Hawaii (H,S) ·Idaho (H,S) ·Illinois (H,S) ·Indiana (H,S) ·Iowa (H,S) ·Kansas (H,S) ·Kentucky (H,S) ·Louisiana (H,S) ·Maine (H,S) ·Maryland (H,S) ·Massachusetts (H,S) ·Michigan (H,S) ·Minnesota (H,S) ·Mississippi (H,S) ·Missouri (H,S) ·Montana (H,S) ·Nebraska ·Nevada (A,S) ·New Hampshire (H,S) ·New Jersey (GA,S) ·New Mexico (H,S) ·New York (A,S) ·North Carolina (H,S) ·North Dakota (H,S) ·Ohio (H,S) ·Oklahoma (H,S) ·Oregon (H,S) ·Pennsylvania (H,S) ·Rhode Island (H,S) ·South Carolina (H,S) ·South Dakota (H,S) ·Tennessee (H,S) ·Texas (H,S) ·Utah (H,S) ·Vermont (H,S) ·Virginia (H,S) ·Washington (H,S) ·West Virginia (H,S) ·Wisconsin (A,S) ·Wyoming (H,S)
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