Dates of 2019 state legislative sessions
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Each state has its own legislature.[1] The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[2] 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, and Texas—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 have full-time legislators which means that the legislature will meet throughout the year. All other legislators are considered part-time because they only meet for a portion of the year.[3]
This page gives information on the 2019 legislative sessions in all 50 states. The legislative map, which was updated weekly, shows what states adjourned and when they were in regular session or special session. The session table breaks down the start and end date of a state's legislative session, the length of the session, special sessions, and trifecta status. A glossary of terms specific to legislative sessions can also be found below the table.
Map of legislative sessions
The legislative map below showed 2019 state legislative session information. States with full-time legislators may have met throughout the year after adjourning their regularly scheduled sessions. The map was updated every Friday with information gathered by MultiState and the National Conference of State Legislatures.
State legislative sessions
The state legislative session table below breaks down the start and end date of a state's 2019 legislative session, the length of the session, and covered 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 from MultiState and the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Key:
= Not yet convened
= State's session adjourned
= State in regular session
= State's session is in recess
= State in special session
= No regular session scheduled
= This state's session is not a regular or special session.
- (*) - This state has full-time legislators.
- (**) - This state did not adjourn on designated dates due to unfinished business.
States
2019 state legislative sessions | |||||
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State | Start date[4][5] | End date (projected) | Session length limit[6] | Special sessions/Other sessions | Trifecta status |
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March 5, 2019 | May 31, 2019 | 30 legislative days in 105 calendar days | Special session from March 6 to March 12. | Republican |
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January 15, 2019 | May 14, 2019 | 90 calendar days | First special session: May 16-June 13. Second special session: July 8-August 6 |
Divided |
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January 14, 2019 | May 28, 2019 | Saturday of the last week in which the 100th calendar day falls | Republican | |
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January 14, 2019 | April 24, 2019 | Odd-numbered years - 60 days Even-numbered years - 30 days |
Republican | |
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January 7, 2019 | September 13, 2019 | Constitution: Even-numbered years - Nov. 30 Odd-numbered years - None Chamber Rule: Even-numbered years - Aug. 31 Odd-numbered years - Sept. 12 |
Democratic | |
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January 4, 2019 | May 3, 2019 | 120 calendar days | Democratic | |
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January 9, 2019 | June 5, 2019 | Odd: Wednesday after the first Monday in June; Even: Wednesday after the first Monday in May | Democratic | |
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January 8, 2019 | June 30, 2019 | June 30 | Democratic | |
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March 5, 2019 | May 3, 2019 | 60 calendar days | Republican | |
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January 14, 2019 | April 2, 2019 | 40 legislative days | Republican | |
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January 16, 2019 | May 2, 2019 | 60 legislative days | Democratic | |
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January 7, 2019 | April 11, 2019 | None | Republican | |
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January 9, 2019 | November 14, 2019 | None | Democratic | |
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January 3, 2019 | April 24, 2019 | Odd-numbered years - 61 days Even-numbered years - 30 days |
Republican | |
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January 14, 2019 | April 27, 2019 | Odd-numbered years - 110 days Even-numbered years - 100 days |
Republican | |
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January 14, 2019 | May 29, 2019 | None (odd), 90 days (even) | Divided | |
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January 8, 2019 | March 29, 2019 | Odd-numbered years - 30 legislative days Even-numbered years - 60 legislative days |
Special session: July 19-24 | Republican |
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April 8, 2019 | June 6, 2019 | Even-numbered years - 60 legislative days in 85 calendar days Odd-numbered years - 45 legislative days in 60 calendar days |
Divided | |
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December 5, 2018 | June 19, 2019 | Odd: 3rd Wed in June; Even: 3rd Wed in April | Democratic | |
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January 9, 2019 | April 8, 2019 | 90 calendar days | Special session on May 1 | Divided |
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January 2, 2019 | December 31, 2019 | Odd: 3rd Wed in November; Even: July 31 | Divided | |
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January 9, 2019 | December 31, 2019 | None | Divided | |
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January 8, 2019 | May 20, 2019 | 120 legislative days in 2 years, or the 1st Monday after the 3rd Saturday in May each year | Divided | |
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January 8, 2019 | March 29, 2019 | 90 calendar days; except after a gubernatorial election then 125 days | Republican | |
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January 9, 2019 | May 30, 2019 | May 30 | Special session: September 9-24 | Republican |
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January 7, 2019 | April 25, 2019 | 90 legislative days in two years | Divided | |
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January 9, 2019 | May 31, 2019 | Odd-numbered years - 90 legislative days Even-numbered years - 60 days |
Republican | |
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February 4, 2019 | June 3, 2019 | 120 calendar days in two years | Democratic | |
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January 2, 2019 | June 30, 2019 | 45 legislative days or July 1 | Veto session: September 18 | Divided |
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January 9, 2019 | January 14, 2020 | None | Democratic | |
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January 15, 2019 | March 16, 2019 | Odd-numbered years - 60 days Even-numbered years - 30 days |
Democratic | |
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January 9, 2019 | January 8, 2020 | None | Democratic | |
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January 9, 2019 | October 31, 2019 | None | Reconvened from November 13-15 over redistricting. Reconvened on January 14, 2020, over redistricting, vetoes, and healthcare. | Divided |
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January 3, 2019 | April 26, 2019 | 80 legislative days in two years | Republican | |
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January 7, 2019 | December 31, 2019 | None | Republican | |
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February 4, 2019 | May 31, 2019 | Last Friday in May | Republican | |
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January 22, 2019 | June 30, 2019 | Odd-numbered years - 160 calendar days Even-numbered years - 35 calendar days |
Democratic | |
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January 1, 2019 | December 18, 2019 | None | Divided | |
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January 1, 2019 | June 30, 2019 | None | Democratic | |
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January 8, 2019 | May 21, 2019 | First Thurs in June | Republican | |
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January 8, 2019 | March 29, 2019 | 40 legislative days | Republican | |
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January 8, 2019 | May 2, 2019 | 90 legislative days | Special session: August 23 | Republican |
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January 8, 2019 | May 27, 2019 | 140 calendar days in two years | Republican | |
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January 28, 2019 | March 14, 2019 | 45 calendar days | Republican | |
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January 9, 2019 | May 29, 2019 | None | Divided | |
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January 9, 2019 | February 24, 2019 | Odd numbered years - 30 calendar days Even-numbered years - 60 days |
First special session: April 11, 2018 - January 8, 2019 (adjourned) Second special session: August 30, 2018 - January 8, 2019 (adjourned) Third special session: July 9, 2019 - November 18, 2019 (adjourned) |
Divided |
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January 14, 2019 | April 28, 2019 | Odd numbered years - 105 calendar days Even-numbered years - 60 days |
Democratic | |
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January 9, 2019 | March 9, 2019 | 60 calendar days | Special session: March 10 to July 31. | Republican |
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January 7, 2019 | December 31, 2019 | None | Divided | |
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January 8, 2019 | February 28, 2019 | Odd-numbered years - 40 legislative days Even-numbered years - approximately 20 days |
Republican |
Glossary of state legislative session terms
Adjourn:
- Termination of a legislative session. The date and time of the next meeting is set before adjournment.[8]
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.[8]
Organizational session:
- The first day that legislators take office. The members are sworn in and new leadership is chosen.[8]
Recess:
- A temporary pause for a period of time in a legislative session.[8]
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.[8]
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."[8]
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.[8]
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.[8]
See also
- State Legislatures
- State legislative special elections, 2019
- State legislative elections, 2019
- State legislative elections, 2018
- State government trifectas
- Partisan composition of state legislatures
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Whitehouse.gov, "State & Local Government," accessed November 8, 2018
- ↑ Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed November 8, 2018
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Legislative session length," accessed March 5, 2019
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2019 state legislative calendar," November 9, 2018
- ↑ Quorum, "2019 state legislative calendar," accessed November 9, 2018
- ↑ NCSL, "Legislative Session Lengths," accessed December 14, 2014
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 This state has full-time legislators. The legislature may meet throughout the year after adjourning their regularly scheduled sessions.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 National Conference of State Legislatures, "GLOSSARY OF LEGISLATIVE TERMS," accessed May 19, 2017