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Dates of 2020 state legislative sessions

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Each state has its own legislature. 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.[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, 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, 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 2020 legislative sessions in all 50 states.

  • The legislative map, which was updated weekly, shows what states adjourned, were in regular session, or were 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.
  • The methodology Ballotpedia used to assemble the map and chart.
  • A glossary of terms specific to legislative sessions.

Map of legislative sessions

The legislative map below shows 2020 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 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 2020 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 from MultiState and the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Key:

  • Not yet conveneda = Not yet convened
  • State's session adjourneda = State's session adjourned, suspended, or partially suspended
  • 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 state has full-time legislators.
  • (**) - This state did not adjourn on designated dates due to unfinished business.

States

2020 state legislative sessions
State Start date End date (projected) Session length limit Notes Trifecta status
State's session adjourneda Alabama February 4, 2020 May 18, 2020 30 legislative days in 105 calendar days Republican
State's session adjourneda Alaska January 21, 2020 May 20, 2020 90 calendar days Divided
State's session adjourneda Arizona January 13, 2020 May 26, 2020 Saturday of the last week in which the 100th calendar day falls Republican
State's session adjourneda Arkansas April 8, 2020 April 24, 2020 Odd-numbered years - 60 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 30 calendar days 		Republican
State's session adjourneda California*[3] January 6, 2020 August 31, 2020 Constitution: Even-numbered years - Nov. 30
Odd-numbered years - None
Chamber Rule: Even-numbered years - Aug. 31
Odd-numbered years - Sept. 12 		Democratic
State's session adjourneda Colorado January 8, 2020 June 15, 2020 120 calendar days Democratic
State's session adjourneda Connecticut February 5, 2020 May 6, 2020 Odd-numbered years: Wednesday after the first Monday in June
Even-numbered years: Wednesday after the first Monday in May 		Special session convened July 21, 2020, through July 27, 2020. Democratic
State's session adjourneda Delaware January 14, 2020 June 30, 2020 June 30 Democratic
State's session adjourneda Florida January 14, 2020 March 19, 2020 60 calendar days Republican
State's session adjourneda Georgia January 13, 2020 June 26, 2020 40 legislative days Session suspended from March 13, 2020, through June 11, 2020. Republican
State's session adjourneda Hawaii January 15, 2020 July 10, 2020 60 legislative days Session suspended March 16, 2020; reconvened May 11, 2020, through May 21, 2020; reconvened June 22, 2020. Democratic
State's session adjourneda Idaho January 6, 2020 March 20, 2020 None Republican
State's session adjourneda Illinois*[3] January 8, 2020 May 23, 2020 None Democratic
State's session adjourneda Indiana January 6, 2020 March 11, 2020 Odd-numbered years - April 29
Even-numbered years - March 14 		Republican
State's session adjourneda Iowa January 13, 2020 June 14, 2020 Odd-numbered years - 110 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 100 calendar days 		Session suspended from March 16, 2020, through June 3, 2020. Republican
State's session adjourneda Kansas January 13, 2020 May 21, 2020 Odd-numbered years - None
Even-numbered years - 90 calendar days 		Special session convened from June 3, 2020, to June 4, 2020. Divided
State's session adjourneda Kentucky January 7, 2020 April 15, 2020 Odd-numbered years - 30 legislative days
Even-numbered years - 60 legislative days 		Divided
State's session adjourneda Louisiana March 9, 2020 June 1, 2020 Odd-numbered years - 45 legislative days in 60 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 60 legislative days in 85 calendar days 		Session suspended from March 31, 2020, through May 4, 2020. Special session convened June 1, 2020, through June 30, 2020. Special session convened from September 28, 2020, to October 23, 2020. Divided
State's session adjourneda Maine January 8, 2020 March 17, 2020 Odd-numbered years - 3rd Wednesday in June
Even-numbered years - 3rd Wednesday in April 		Democratic
State's session adjourneda Maryland January 8, 2020 March 18, 2020 90 calendar days Divided
State's session adjourneda Massachusetts*[3] January 1, 2020 January 5, 2021 Odd-numbered years - 3rd Wednesday in November
Even-numbered years - July 31 		Divided
State's session adjourneda Michigan*[3] January 8, 2020 December 31, 2020 None Divided
State's session adjourneda Minnesota February 11, 2020 May 17, 2020 120 legislative days in 2 years, or the 1st Monday after the 3rd Saturday in May each year Sixth special session convened on November 12, 2020. Fifth special session convened from October 12, 2020, to October 15, 2020. Fourth special session convened September 11, 2020. Third special session convened on August 12, 2020. Previous special sessions were convened from July 13, 2020, to July 21, 2020, and from June 12, 2020, through June 19, 2020 Divided
State's session adjourneda Mississippi January 7, 2020 October 10, 2020 90 calendar days; except after a gubernatorial election then 125 days Session suspended effective July 1, 2020. Session previously suspended from March 18, 2020, through May 7, 2020. Session reconvened from August 10, 2020, to October 2, 2020. Republican
State's session adjourneda Missouri January 8, 2020 May 15, 2020 May 30 Second special session held from November 5, 2020, to December 16, 2020. Special session held from July 27, 2020, to September 16, 2020. Veto session convened on September 16, 2020. Republican
No regular session scheduleda Montana No regular legislative session No regular legislative session 90 legislative days in two years Divided
State's session adjourneda Nebraska January 8, 2020 August 13, 2020 Odd-numbered years - 90 legislative days
Even-numbered years - 60 days 		Session suspended from March 16, 2020; reconvened July 20, 2020 to August 13, 2020. Republican
State's session adjourneda Nevada No regular legislative session No regular legislative session 120 calendar days in two years Second special session convened from July 31, 2020, to August 5, 2020. A previous special session was convened on July 8, 2020, to July 19, 2020. Democratic
State's session adjourneda New Hampshire January 8, 2020 June 30, 2020 45 legislative days or July 1 Session suspended from March 14, 2020, through June 11, 2020. Divided
State's session adjourneda New Jersey*[3] January 14, 2020 December 17, 2020 None Democratic
State's session adjourneda New Mexico January 21, 2020 February 20, 2020 Odd-numbered years - 60 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 30 calendar days 		Democratic
State's session adjourneda New York*[3] January 8, 2020 December 31, 2020 None Recessed June 10, 2020, reconvened July 20, 2020. Democratic
State's session adjourneda North Carolina April 28, 2020 September 3, 2020 None In recess beginning July 8, 2020, reconvened September 2, 2020, through September 3, 2020. Divided
No regular session scheduleda North Dakota No regular legislative session No regular legislative session 80 legislative days in two years Republican
State's session adjourneda Ohio*[3] January 6, 2020 December 31, 2020 None Republican
State's session adjourneda Oklahoma February 3, 2020 May 22, 2020 Last Friday in May Republican
State's session adjourneda Oregon February 3, 2020 March 5, 2020 Odd-numbered years - 160 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 35 calendar days 		Second special session convened on August 10, 2020. A previous special session was convened on June 24, 2020, to June 26, 2020. Democratic
State's session adjourneda Pennsylvania*[3] January 7, 2020 November 30, 2020 None Divided
State's session adjourneda Rhode Island January 7, 2020 August 30, 2020 None Session reconvened from December 16, 2020, to December 18, 2020. Session suspended March 16, 2020; reconvened June 12, 2020, through June 18, 2020; reconvened July 13, 2020, through July 16, 2020. Democratic
State's session adjourneda South Carolina January 14, 2020 June 25, 2020 First Thursday in June Reconvened June 23, 2020, through June 25, 2020. Senate reconvened September 2, 2020, through September 3, 2020. Both chambers reconvene September 15, 2020, through September 24, 2020. Republican
State's session adjourneda South Dakota January 14, 2020 March 30, 2020 40 legislative days Republican
State's session adjourneda Tennessee January 14, 2020 June 19, 2020 90 legislative days Session suspended from March 19, 2020, through June 1, 2020. Special session convened from August 10, 2020, to August 12, 2020. Republican
No regular session scheduleda Texas No regular legislative session No regular legislative session 140 calendar days in two years Republican
State's session adjourneda Utah January 27, 2020 March 12, 2020 45 calendar days Republican
State's session adjourneda Vermont January 7, 2020 August 30, 2020 None Session in recess after June 26, 2020, reconvened August 25, 2020, to September 25, 2020. Divided
State's session adjourneda Virginia January 8, 2020 March 12, 2020 Odd numbered years - 30 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 60 calendar days 		Special session held from August 18, 2020, to November 9, 2020. Democratic
State's session adjourneda Washington January 13, 2020 March 12, 2020 Odd numbered years - 105 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 60 calendar days 		Democratic
State's session adjourneda West Virginia January 8, 2020 March 7, 2020 60 calendar days Republican
State's session adjourneda Wisconsin*[3] January 14, 2020 May 13, 2020 None Special session convened August 31, 2020. Divided
State's session adjourneda Wyoming February 10, 2020 March 12, 2020 Odd-numbered years - 40 legislative days
Even-numbered years - 20 legislative days 		Republican

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.[4]

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.[4]

Organizational session:

  • The first day that legislators take office. The members are sworn in and new leadership is chosen.[4]

Recess:

  • A temporary pause for a period of time in a legislative session.[4]

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.[4]

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."[4]

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.[4]

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.[4]

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed November 8, 2018
  2. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Legislative session length," accessed March 5, 2019
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 This state has full-time legislators. The legislature may meet throughout the year after adjourning their regularly scheduled sessions.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 National Conference of State Legislatures, "GLOSSARY OF LEGISLATIVE TERMS," accessed May 19, 2017
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