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Dates of 2016 state legislative sessions

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Forty-six state legislatures hold regular sessions annually. The other four states—Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas—meet in odd-numbered years.

Partisan composition

The partisan composition of state legislatures refers to which political party holds the majority of seats in the state Senate and state House. Altogether, there are 1,972 state senators and 5,411 state representatives.

See also: Partisan composition of state houses and Partisan composition of state senates

State legislative sessions

Key:

  • State's session adjourneda = This state's regular session is adjourned for 2016.
  • State in regular sessiona = This state's legislature is in regular session.
  • State's session is in recessa = This state's legislature is in recess.
  • State in special sessiona = Special session.
  • No regular session scheduleda = No regular session scheduled in 2016.
  • This state's session is not a regular or special session.a = This state's legislature was in a session that was not a regular or special session.[1]
  • (*) - This state has full-time legislators (A full-time state legislature is defined as a legislature that meets throughout the year.)
2016 state legislative sessions
State Start date End date Session length limit[2] Special sessions/Other sessions
State's session adjourneda Alabama February 2 May 4 30 legislative days in 105 calendar days Special session: August 15-September 7
State's session adjourneda Alaska January 19 May 18 90 calendar days 1st special session: May 23 to June 19; 2nd special session: July 11 to July 18
State's session adjourneda Arizona January 11 May 7 Saturday of the last week in which the 100th calendar day falls
State's session adjourneda Arkansas April 13 May 9 Odd-numbered years - 60 days/Even-numbered years - 30 days 1st special session: April 6 to April 8; 2nd special session: May 19 to May 23
State's session adjourneda California* January 4 August 31* *The formal session ended on August 31; constitutionally the session ended on November 30.
State's session adjourneda Colorado January 13 May 11 120 calendar days
State's session adjourneda Connecticut February 3 May 4 Wednesday after the first Monday in May Veto session held on June 20; 1st special session: June 2; 2nd special session: September 28
State's session adjourneda Delaware January 12 July 1 June 30
State's session adjourneda Florida January 12 March 11 60 calendar days
State's session adjourneda Georgia January 11 March 24 40 legislative days
State's session adjourneda Hawaii January 20 May 5 60 legislative days Special session: July 12 to July 20
State's session adjourneda Idaho January 11 March 25 None
State's session adjourneda Illinois* January 13 May 31 None Veto session: November 15-December 1
State's session adjourneda Indiana January 5 March 10 61 days odd-numbered years (April 29)/30 days even-numbered years (March 14)
State's session adjourneda Iowa January 11 April 29 Odd-numbered years - 110 days/Even-numbered years - 100 days
State's session adjourneda Kansas January 11 June 1 90 days Ceremonial adjournment held on June 1. Special session: June 23 to June 24
State's session adjourneda Kentucky January 5 April 15 Odd-numbered years - 30 legislative days or March 30/Even-numbered years - 60 legislative days or April 15
State's session adjourneda Louisiana March 14 June 6 60 legislative days in 85 calendar days (even-numbered years)/45 legislative days in 60 calendar days (odd-numbered years) 1st special session: February 14 to March 9; 2nd special session: June 6 to June 23
State's session adjourneda Maine January 6 April 20 3rd Wed in April Veto session was held on April 29
State's session adjourneda Maryland January 13 April 11 90 calendar days
State's session adjourneda Massachusetts* January 6 July 31 Formal sessions, July 31; informal session, no limit Informal session: August 1 to December 31[3]
State's session adjourneda Michigan* January 13 December 31 None
State's session adjourneda Minnesota March 8 May 23 120 legislative days in 2 years, or the 1st Monday after the 3rd Saturday in May each year
State's session adjourneda Mississippi January 5 April 21 125 calendar days Special session: June 28 to June 29
State's session adjourneda Missouri January 6 May 13 May 30 Veto session held on September 14.
No regular session scheduleda Montana No session No session 90 legislative days in two years
State's session adjourneda Nebraska January 6 April 20 90 legislative days (odd-numbered years), 60 days (even-numbered years)
No regular session scheduleda Nevada No session No session 120 calendar days in two years Special session: October 10-October 14
State's session adjourneda New Hampshire January 6 June 1 45 legislative days or July 1 Veto session held on June 16.
State's session adjourneda New Jersey* January 12, 2016 January 10, 2017 None
State's session adjourneda New Mexico January 19 February 18 60 days in odd-numbered years and 30 days in even-numbered years Special session: September 30-October 6
State's session adjourneda New York* January 6 June 18 None Formal session ended on June 18.
State's session adjourneda North Carolina April 25 July 1 None 1st special session: February 18 to February 19
2nd special session: March 23
3rd special session: December 13
4th special session: December 21
No regular session scheduleda North Dakota No session No session 80 legislative days in two years Special session: August 2 to August 4
State's session adjourneda Ohio* January 5 December 31 None
State's session adjourneda Oklahoma February 1 May 27 Last Friday in May
State's session adjourneda Oregon February 1 March 3 160 calendar days odd-numbered years/35 calendar days even-numbered years
State's session adjourneda Pennsylvania* January 5 November 30 None
State's session adjourneda Rhode Island January 5 June 18 None
State's session adjourneda South Carolina January 12 June 2 First Thurs in June Veto session held on June 15.
State's session adjourneda South Dakota January 12 March 29 40 legislative days
State's session adjourneda Tennessee January 12 April 22 90 legislative days Special session: September 12-September 14
No regular session scheduleda Texas No session No session 140 calendar days in two years
State's session adjourneda Utah January 25 March 10 45 calendar days 1st special session: May 18; 2nd special session: July 13; 3rd special session: November 16
State's session adjourneda Vermont January 5 May 6 None Veto session held on June 9
State's session adjourneda Virginia January 13 March 11 30 calendar days odd numbered years/60 days in even-numbered years Held a veto session on April 20
State's session adjourneda Washington January 11 March 10 105 calendar days odd numbered years/60 days in even-numbered years
State's session adjourneda West Virginia January 13 March 12 60 calendar days Special sessions: May 16 to June 14; September 18 to September 20
State's session adjourneda Wisconsin* January 12 March 15 None
State's session adjourneda Wyoming February 8 March 4 40 legislative days odd-numbered years/Approximately 20 days in even-numbered years

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Massachusetts (informal session) and Ohio (skeleton session)
  2. ↑ NCSL, "Legislative Session Lengths," accessed December 14, 2014
  3. ↑ In an informal session, 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.
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