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Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions

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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 2024 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 2024 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 2024 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

2024 state legislative sessions
StateStart dateEnd date (projected)Session length limit[3]Special sessions/Other sessions
State's session adjournedaAlabamaFebruary 6, 2024May 9, 202430 legislative days in 105 calendar days
State's session adjournedaAlaskaJanuary 16, 2024May 15, 202490 calendar days
State's session adjournedaArizonaJanuary 8, 2024June 15, 2024Saturday of the last week in which the 100th calendar day falls
State's session adjournedaArkansasApril 10, 2024May 9, 2024Odd-numbered years - 60 days
Even-numbered years - 30 days
State in special sessionaCalifornia*[4]January 3, 2024August 31, 2024Constitution: Even-numbered years - Nov. 30
Odd-numbered years - None
Chamber Rule: Even-numbered years - Aug. 31
Odd-numbered years - Sept. 12		Summer recess from July 3, 2024 to August 5, 2024. Special session in the Assembly was from August 31, 2024 to October 14, 2024. Special session started on December 2, 2024.
State's session adjournedaColoradoJanuary 10, 2024May 8, 2024120 calendar days
State's session adjournedaConnecticutFebruary 7, 2024May 8, 2024Odd: Wednesday after the first Monday in June; Even: Wednesday after the first Monday in May
State's session adjournedaDelawareJanuary 9, 2024June 30, 2024June 30
State's session adjournedaFloridaJanuary 9, 2024March 8, 202460 calendar days
State's session adjournedaGeorgiaJanuary 8, 2024March 28, 202440 legislative days
State's session adjournedaHawaiiJanuary 17, 2024May 3, 202460 legislative days
State's session adjournedaIdahoJanuary 8, 2024April 10, 2024None
State's session adjournedaIllinois*[4]January 16, 2024May 29, 2024NoneVeto session was from November 12, 2024 to November 21, 2024.
State's session adjournedaIndianaJanuary 8, 2024March 8, 2024Odd-numbered years - 61 days (April 29)
Even-numbered years - 30 days (March 14)
State's session adjournedaIowaJanuary 8, 2024April 20, 2024Odd-numbered years - 110 days
Even-numbered years - 100 days
State's session adjournedaKansasJanuary 8, 2024April 30, 2024None (odd), 90 days (even)First adjournment began on April 5, 2024; recess session from April 6, 2024 to April 28, 2024; veto session began on April 25, 2024.
State's session adjournedaKentuckyJanuary 2, 2024April 15, 2024Odd-numbered years - 30 legislative days or March 30
Even-numbered years - 60 legislative days or April 15		Veto recess from March 29, 2024 to April 9, 2024.
State's session adjournedaLouisianaMarch 11, 2024June 3, 2024Even-numbered years - 60 legislative days in 85 calendar days
Odd-numbered years - 45 legislative days in 60 calendar days		Special session was from January 15, 2024 to January 23, 2024. Special session was from February 19, 2024 to February 29, 2024. Special session was from November 6, 2024 to November 25, 2024.
State's session adjournedaMaineJanuary 3, 2024April 17, 2024Odd: 3rd Wed in June; Even: 3rd Wed in AprilRegular session ended on April 17, 2024. The legislature was in special session until May 10, 2024 (veto session).
State's session adjournedaMarylandJanuary 10, 2024April 8, 202490 calendar days
State in regular sessionaMassachusetts*[4]January 3, 2024December 31, 2024Odd: 3rd Wed in November; Even: July 31Formal session ended on July 31, 2024. Informal session was from August 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024.
State in regular sessionaMichigan*[4]January 10, 2024December 23, 2024None
State's session adjournedaMinnesotaFebruary 12, 2024May 20, 2024120 legislative days in 2 years, or the 1st Monday after the 3rd Saturday in May each year
State's session adjournedaMississippiJanuary 2, 2024May 4, 202490 calendar days; except after a gubernatorial election then 125 daysSpecial sessions were on January 19, 2024, and January 25, 2024.
State's session adjournedaMissouriJanuary 3, 2024May 17, 2024May 30Veto session was September 11, 2024.
No regular session scheduledaMontanaNo regular legislative sessionNo regular legislative session90 legislative days in two years
State's session adjournedaNebraskaJanuary 3, 2024April 18, 2024Odd-numbered years - 90 legislative days
Even-numbered years - 60 days		Special session was from July 25, 2024 to August 14, 2024.
No regular session scheduledaNevadaNo regular legislative sessionNo regular legislative session120 calendar days in two years
State's session adjournedaNew HampshireJanuary 3, 2024June 13, 202445 legislative days or July 1
State's session adjournedaNew Jersey*[4]January 9, 2024December 19, 2024None
State's session adjournedaNew MexicoJanuary 16, 2024February 15, 2024Odd-numbered years - 60 days
Even-numbered years - 30 days		Special session was July 18, 2024.
State's session adjournedaNew York*[4]January 3, 2024June 8, 2024None
State's session adjournedaNorth CarolinaApril 24, 2024December 13, 2024None
No regular session scheduledaNorth DakotaNo regular legislative sessionNo regular legislative session80 legislative days in two years
State's session adjournedaOhio*[4]January 2, 2024December 19, 2024NoneA special session on elections commenced on May 28, 2024, and ended on May 31.
State's session adjournedaOklahomaFebruary 5, 2024May 30, 2024Last Friday in MaySpecial session was on January 29, 2024. Special session was on July 15, 2024.
State's session adjournedaOregonFebruary 5, 2024March 7, 2024Odd-numbered years - 160 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 35 calendar days
State's session adjournedaPennsylvania*[4]January 2, 2024November 14, 2024None
State's session adjournedaRhode IslandJanuary 2, 2024June 14, 2024None
State's session adjournedaSouth CarolinaJanuary 9, 2024May 9, 2024First Thurs in JuneVeto session convened on June 5, 2024, June 18, 2024, June 25, 2024.
State's session adjournedaSouth DakotaJanuary 9, 2024March 26, 202440 legislative daysVeto recess was from March 8, 2024 to March 24, 2024.
State's session adjournedaTennesseeJanuary 9, 2024April 25, 202490 legislative days
No regular session scheduledaTexasNo regular legislative sessionNo regular legislative session140 calendar days in two years
State's session adjournedaUtahJanuary 16, 2024March 1, 202445 calendar days
State's session adjournedaVermontJanuary 3, 2024May 10, 2024NoneVeto session is June 17, 2024.
State's session adjournedaVirginiaJanuary 10, 2024March 9, 2024Odd numbered years - 30 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 60 days		Veto session was on April 17, 2024. Special session was May 13, 2024. A special session began on June 18 and was expected to adjourn on July 1. Special session was on July 18, 2024.
State's session adjournedaWashingtonJanuary 8, 2024March 7, 2024Odd numbered years - 105 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 60 days
State's session adjournedaWest VirginiaJanuary 10, 2024March 9, 202460 calendar daysA special session began on September 30 and adjourned on October 8.
State's session adjournedaWisconsin*[4]January 16, 2024March 12, 2024NoneSpecial session expected in May.
State's session adjournedaWyomingFebruary 12, 2024March 8, 2024Odd-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. 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

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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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