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Dates of 2022 state legislative sessions

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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,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 2022 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 2022 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 2022 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

2022 state legislative sessions
StateStart dateEnd date (projected)Session length limit[3]Special sessions/Other sessions
State's session adjournedaAlabamaJanuary 11, 2022April 7, 202230 legislative days in 105 calendar days
State's session adjournedaAlaskaJanuary 18, 2022May 18, 202290 calendar days
State's session adjournedaArizonaJanuary 10, 2022June 25, 2022Saturday of the last week in which the 100th calendar day falls
State's session adjournedaArkansasFebruary 14, 2022March 15, 2022Odd-numbered years - 60 days
Even-numbered years - 30 days		Special session started on August 9, 2022 until August 11, 2022
State's session adjournedaCalifornia*[4]January 3, 2022August 31, 2022Constitution: Even-numbered years - Nov. 30
Odd-numbered years - None
Chamber Rule: Even-numbered years - Aug. 31
Odd-numbered years - Sept. 12		Special session started on December 5, 2022 until March 27, 2023.
State's session adjournedaColoradoJanuary 12, 2022May 11, 2022120 calendar days
State's session adjournedaConnecticutFebruary 9, 2022May 4, 2022Odd: Wednesday after the first Monday in June; Even: Wednesday after the first Monday in MaySpecial session held from November 28, 2022, to November 29, 2022.
State's session adjournedaDelawareJanuary 11, 2022June 30, 2022June 30
State's session adjournedaFloridaJanuary 11, 2022March 14, 202260 calendar daysSpecial session from April 19, 2022, to April 22, 2022, special session started on May 23, 2022. Special session started on December 12, 2022, to December 14, 2022.
State's session adjournedaGeorgiaJanuary 10, 2022April 4, 202240 legislative days
State's session adjournedaHawaiiJanuary 19, 2022May 5, 202260 legislative days
State's session adjournedaIdahoJanuary 10, 2022March 31, 2022NoneSpecial session was on September 1, 2022. Organizational session for 2023 on December 1, 2022.
State's session adjournedaIllinois*[4]January 5, 2022April 9, 2022NoneVeto session from November 15, 2022, to December 1, 2022. Lame duck session from January 4, 2023 to January 10, 2023.
State's session adjournedaIndianaJanuary 4, 2022March 8, 2022Odd-numbered years - 61 days (April 29)
Even-numbered years - 30 days (March 14)		Special session started on July 25, 2022, until August 5, 2022. The 2023 Organization Day was held on November 22, 2022.
State's session adjournedaIowaJanuary 10, 2022May 24, 2022Odd-numbered years - 110 days
Even-numbered years - 100 days
State's session adjournedaKansasJanuary 10, 2022May 23, 2022None (odd), 90 days (even)
State's session adjournedaKentuckyJanuary 4, 2022April 14, 2022Odd-numbered years - 30 legislative days or March 30
Even-numbered years - 60 legislative days or April 15		Special session convened August 24, 2022 until August 26, 2022.
State's session adjournedaLouisianaMarch 14, 2022June 6, 2022Even-numbered years - 60 legislative days in 85 calendar days
Odd-numbered years - 45 legislative days in 60 calendar days		Special session from February 1, 2022, to February 18, 2022. Special session convened June 15, 2022 until June 18, 2022.
State's session adjournedaMaineJanuary 5, 2022May 9, 2022Odd: 3rd Wed in June; Even: 3rd Wed in April
State's session adjournedaMarylandJanuary 12, 2022April 11, 202290 calendar days
State's session adjournedaMassachusetts*[4]January 5, 2022August 1, 2022Odd: 3rd Wed in November; Even: July 31Informal session started on August 1, 2022 until January 3, 2023
State's session adjournedaMichigan*[4]January 12, 2022December 28, 2022None
State's session adjournedaMinnesotaJanuary 31, 2022May 23, 2022120 legislative days in 2 years, or the 1st Monday after the 3rd Saturday in May each year
State's session adjournedaMississippiJanuary 4, 2022April 5, 202290 calendar days; except after a gubernatorial election then 125 daysSpecial session was on November 2, 2022
State's session adjournedaMissouriJanuary 5, 2022May 13, 2022May 30Veto and special session from September 14, 2022 to October 4, 2022.
No regular session scheduledaMontanaNo regular legislative sessionNo regular legislative session90 legislative days in two years
State's session adjournedaNebraskaJanuary 5, 2022April 20, 2022Odd-numbered years - 90 legislative days
Even-numbered years - 60 days
No regular session scheduledaNevadaNo regular legislative sessionNo regular legislative session120 calendar days in two years
State's session adjournedaNew HampshireJanuary 5, 2022May 26, 202245 legislative days or July 1Veto session was on September 15, 2022 .
State's session adjournedaNew Jersey*[4]January 11, 2022December 31, 2022NoneIn recess July 1, 2022, to September 6, 2022.
State's session adjournedaNew MexicoJanuary 18, 2022February 17, 2022Odd-numbered years - 60 days
Even-numbered years - 30 days		Special session was on April 5, 2022
State's session adjournedaNew York*[4]January 5, 2022June 4, 2022NoneSpecial session was on June 30, 2022. Special session was on December 22, 2022.
State's session adjournedaNorth CarolinaMay 18, 2022July 1, 2022NoneReconvenes once per month from July 26, 2022 to December 31, 2022 for vetoes.
No regular session scheduledaNorth DakotaNo regular legislative sessionNo regular legislative session80 legislative days in two years
State's session adjournedaOhio*[4]January 19, 2022December 15, 2022NoneSummer recess from June 2, 2022, to September 13, 2022.
State's session adjournedaOklahomaFebruary 7, 2022May 27, 2022Last Friday in MaySpecial session was on May 18, 2022, and from June 13, 2022 to June 15, 2022. Reconvened from September 28, 2022 to October 14, 2022.
State's session adjournedaOregonFebruary 1, 2022March 4, 2022Odd-numbered years - 160 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 35 calendar days
State's session adjournedaPennsylvania*[4]January 4, 2022November 30, 2022None
State's session adjournedaRhode IslandJanuary 4, 2022June 23, 2022None
State's session adjournedaSouth CarolinaJanuary 11, 2022May 12, 2022First Thurs in JuneBudget sessions on June 15, 2022 and June 28, 2022. Special session was from August 30, 2022 to November 9, 2022. Special senate session started on September 6, 2022, until September 8, 2022. House organizational session meeting for 2023 was on December 6, 2022.
State's session adjournedaSouth DakotaJanuary 11, 2022March 28, 202240 legislative days
State's session adjournedaTennesseeJanuary 11, 2022April 28, 202290 legislative days
No regular session scheduledaTexasNo regular legislative sessionNo regular legislative session140 calendar days in two years
State's session adjournedaUtahJanuary 18, 2022March 4, 202245 calendar daysSpecial session was on March 25, 2022
State's session adjournedaVermontJanuary 4, 2022May 12, 2022None
State's session adjournedaVirginiaJanuary 12, 2022March 12, 2022Odd numbered years - 30 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 60 days		Special session started on April 4, 2022. Special session recess was held on June 1, 2022 and June 17, 2022. Special session was held on September 7, 2022.
State's session adjournedaWashingtonJanuary 10, 2022March 10, 2022Odd numbered years - 105 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 60 days
State's session adjournedaWest VirginiaJanuary 12, 2022March 12, 202260 calendar daysSpecial veto session April 24-26, 2022. Special session held July 25-29, 2022; reconvened and adjourned on September 13, 2022. Special session was held on September 12, 2022.
State's session adjournedaWisconsin*[4]January 18, 2022March 8, 2022NoneSpecial session was on June 22, 2022. Special session was on October 4, 2022.
State's session adjournedaWyomingFebruary 14, 2022March 11, 2022Odd-numbered years - 40 legislative days
Even-numbered years - approximately 20 days

Methodology

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

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


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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