STATE LEGISLATIVE SCHEDULES

Every state has its own legislative rules and schedules. Scroll down for a list of important dates and information for state legislatures involved in carbon pricing.

Glossary 

Cloture

A parliamentary action to stop debate on a bill and vote immediately on its advancement

Crossover

Moving from one chamber of the legislature to another 

Interim committees

A committee established by law or resolution to meet in the interval between regular sessions, and study a particular issue

Interim session

A session called in the interval between regular sessions

Interim tasks

Duties assigned in the interval between regular sessions

Prefiling

A procedure allowing legislators to offer a bill for introduction before a legislative session begins

Reconsider

To vote again on a question previously before the body

Retained

If a bill sponsor or President of the Senate does not want to hold a vote on a bill, it can be laid aside but maintain its status and place in the regular order of business until called for a debate

Special committee

A committee established by simple resolution to accomplish a specific task and report findings

Standing committee

A permanent committee to which bills and resolutions are assigned for consideration

Alaska

Legislative Session 

Alaska’s state legislature convenes on the third Tuesday in January (this year: 01/15), and is limited to 90 days by statute (this year: 04/14 before its extension), but to 121 days by constitution. The state has a two-year legislative session. 

Special sessions can be called by the Governor or a two-thirds vote of the legislature. Alaska convened a special session this year starting on 05/16, one day after its extended regular session ended. Special sessions are limited to 30 days. 

2019 Session

  • Start date: 01/15/19
  • End date:  04/14/19 (extended to 05/15/19)

2020 Session

  • Start date: 01/14/20
  • End date: 05/16/20

Legislative Recess

During the legislative recess, there are not official committee meetings. There may be occasional informal meetings and advocates can also reach out to their legislators directly during this time.

Bill timeline

Bills may be pre-filed with the Legislative Affairs Agency up until January 1st. A legislator may pre-file no more than 10 bills. Pre-filed bills are formally introduced on the first day of the session, and are read and referred to committees before other bills. 

Legislators can introduce bills at anytime during the first regular session, but must introduce bills within the first 35 days of the second regular session of the legislature.

California

Legislative Session 

California has a two-year legislative session, but an annual budget. The legislature meets for longer than most states, given that California is so large and relatively complex to run. It convenes in early December (this year: 12/03/18, then reconvening again after the holidays on 01/07/19) and meets through September (this year: 09/13/19). 

2019 Session

  • Start date: 12/03/18
  • End date: 09/13/19

2020 Session

  • Start date: 01/06/20
  • End date: 11/30/20

Legislative Recess

During the legislative recess, legislative staff actually do a lot of the bill-writing work. It is a good time for constituents to get in touch with their legislators, since the legislators typically go back to their districts in the September through November recess. 

The deadline for the Governor to sign or veto bills is during the recess (this year: 10/13/19).

Bill timeline

Bills can be introduced starting in December. This year, the deadline to submit bill requests to the Office of the Legislative Council was January 25th. The last day for bills to be introduced was February 22nd. 

There are workarounds to these bill deadlines. Emergency bills are exempted from these rules, though this is rare. A more common workaround is gutting an existing bill and amending the contents to something entirely different that you want passed, and just leaving the bill number it was filed under.

Legislators can introduce bills at anytime during the first regular session, but must introduce bills within the first 35 days of the second regular session of the legislature.

Colorado

Legislative Session 

The Colorado legislative session begins no later than the second Wednesday in January (this year: 01/04) and is limited to 120 days. 

Special sessions do not happen often, but can be called at any time by the Governor or by a two-thirds majority of the members of each chamber.

2019 Session

  • Start date: 01/04/19
  • End date: 05/03/19

2020 Session

  • Start date: 01/08/20
  • End date: 05/05/20 (118th day, unless otherwise determined)

Legislative Recess

Colorado has an interim schedule during the legislative recess from May through December. Their schedule can be found here.

The deadline for the Governor to sign or veto bills is during the recess (this year: 10/13/19).

Bill timeline

Bills must be introduced early in the session and there are strict deadlines for each step of the legislative process. The bill deadlines differ by bill type, but most Senate bills have to be introduced by the 19th day of the session and most House bills by the 22nd day of the session.

Additional notes

Any tax increases in Colorado must be approved by the voters, which is seen as an obstacle to enacting a carbon tax in the state. In other states such as California, a cap and trade system has been ruled as not qualifying as a tax, making that a possible avenue for action. 

Legislators are limited to proposing five bills each year. Three of these bills may be pre-filed (with a deadline of 5 days prior to the start of the session) and the other two are filed during the session. Most legislators decide on their bills prior to the start of the session, so constituents need to be aware that they need to propose their desired legislation to their representatives before the session begins.

Connecticut 

Legislative Session 

In odd-numbered years, Connecticut’s legislative session begins on the Wednesday following the first Monday of January (this year: 01/09), and ends no later than the Wednesday following the first Monday in June. In even-numbered years, the legislature convenes on the Wednesday following the first Monday of February, and ends no later than the Wednesday after the first Monday in May. During these shorter sessions, the legislature primarily considers budget, revenue, and financial bills, as well as emergency matters or bills raised by committees of the general assembly. New bills are not supposed to be introduced in short sessions, though it does happen sometimes.

Bills do not automatically carry over from the first session to the second. If a bill does not pass in the long session, it dies and needs to be reintroduced. 

Special sessions can be called by the Governor, by a two-thirds supermajority of the General Assembly, or by a joint call of the presiding officers of both chambers. Special sessions adjourn upon completion of their business. 

2019 Session

  • Start date: 01/09/19 
  • End date: 06/05/19

2020 Session

  • Start date: 02/05/20
  • End date: 05/06/20

Legislative Recess

There is not much in the way of formal activity during the legislative recess. There are not regular interim committee meetings.

Bill timeline

There is a deadline to introduce the concept of a bill in the first week of the session, and a later deadline to have the legislative language finalized. This last deadline is typically within the first 4-5 weeks of the long session. Bills are not pre-filed before the legislative session.

Delaware

Legislative Session 

Delaware’s legislature convenes on the second Tuesday in January (this year: 01/08/19) and adjourns on June 30th of each year. The legislature is part-time, meeting on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. It is a two-year session, with all bills carrying over from the first year to the second year, without a need for reintroduction.

2019 Session

  • Start date: 01/08/19
  • End date: 06/30/19

2020 Session

  • Start date: 01/07/20
  • End date: 06/30/20

Legislative Recess

During the legislative recess, the legislators go back to their districts. If they are working on getting a bill they are sponsoring passed, they may hold public hearings during this time. It is also common for local meetings to be called by organizations interested in a particular bill—in the environmental sphere, Citizens Climate Lobby, Sierra Club, Power and Light, and the Merr Institute have done this.

Bill timeline

Bills can be introduced by legislators at any point in session.

Hawaii

Legislative Session 

Hawaii has two-year legislative sessions with any bills pending at the end of a regular session in an odd-numbered year carrying over to the regular session of the next even-numbered year with the same bill number and status. The annual legislative session begins on the third Wednesday in January (this year: 01/16). The legislative session is limited to 60 working days, excluding weekends, holidays, and recess days. 

There is a mandatory five day recess during which the public in encouraged to review the bills moving through the Legislature.

2019 Session

  • Start date: 01/16/19
  • End date: 05/02/19

    2020 Session

    • Start date: 01/15/20
    • End date: 05/03/20

    Legislative Recess

    This year, the bill introduction cutoff was 01/24 and the first crossover deadline was 03/07.

    Bill timeline

    There are internal lateral deadlines where a bill must move from its lead committee/any subsequent committees to its final committee (traditionally Finance, Judiciary, and Consumer Protection and Commerce). There is a second lateral deadline if a bill needs to move from its originating chamber to the other chamber of the legislature. 

    This year, the bill introduction cutoff was 01/24 and the first crossover deadline was 03/07.

    Illinois

    Legislative Session 

    The Illinois state legislature convenes in January (this year: 01/09) and is in session until May 31st. The legislature later reconvenes for two weeks in the fall to reconsider any vetoes from the Governor.

    Special sessions can be called by the Governor or by a joint decision by the presiding officers of both chambers. Special sessions are limited to specific subjects. 

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/09/19 
    • End date: 05/31/19

    2020 Session

    • Start date: 01/08/20
    • End date: 5/31/20

    Legislative Recess

    During the legislative recess, there are committee meetings held throughout the state. Legislators typically return to their districts.

    Bill timeline

    This year, the deadline for the introduction of House bills was February 15th. The deadline for the introduction of Senate bills was May 10th.

    Maine

    Legislative Session 

    The Maine legislative session runs on two year cycles, with the first session being a long session running from the first Wednesday in December after the general election through the third Wednesday in June (this year: 06/19). The second session is a short session running from the first Wednesday after the first Tuesday in January through the 3rd Wednesday in April.

    Regular sessions may be extended by two 5-day extensions and a veto day. Special sessions can be called by the Governor or by the presiding officers of both chambers, with the consent of a majority of the members of the Legislature of each political party.

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/02/19
    • End date: 06/19/19

    2020 Session

    • Start date: 01/03/20
    • End date: 04/15/20

    Legislative Recess

    During the legislative recess, commission meetings and public meetings can be found according to this schedule.

    Bill timeline

    A member-elect of the legislature may pre-file bills for introduction with a submission deadline of 4:00 PM on the third Friday in December. 

    Bills requested after the cloture date are sent to the Legislative Council, which requires a majority vote of approval from the council to be eligible for introduction.

    Maryland

    Legislative Session 

    Maryland’s legislative session is three months long, running from the second Wednesday in January (this year: 01/09) to April (this year: 04/08). The legislative session is the same length each year and bills do not carry over between sessions.

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/09/19 
    • End date: 04/08/19 (extended to 05/08/19)
    • Read More

    2020 Session

    Legislative Recess

    There is limited formal activity during the legislative recess, but studies may be commissioned during this time to investigate particular policy issues.

    Bill timeline

    There is no pre-filing of bills prior to the session. During the session, there is a time cutoff to add sponsors to the bill, but no cutoff for bill introduction.

    Massachusetts

    Legislative Session 

    The Massachusetts legislature has two-year sessions. The first year of the session formally runs from the first Wednesday in January (this year: 01/02) to the third Wednesday in November (this year: 11/20), at which point it enters informal session until the following January. In the second year, the legislature is in formal session from January to July. 

    The legislature can technically vote during any time in the two year session. Unanimous approval is necessary to pass a bill during informal session, versus a simple majority vote in formal session. 

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/02/19
    • End date: 11/20/19

    2020 Session

    • Start date: 01/01/20
    • End date: 07/31/20 (last day for formal sessions)

    Legislative Recess

    During the legislative recess, the legislature is in informal session and can technically still vote, as described above.

    Bill timeline

    The official deadline for submitting bills is the third Friday in January of the first year session. There are a variety of workarounds, including a formal appeal process that allows members to introduce a bill with a vote of the full body, or amending the contents of an emergency bill.

    Additional Notes

    Massachusetts has annual budgets and sometimes external policies are tacked onto the budget. Hypothetically, carbon pricing legislation could be passed as an amendment on a budget.

    Minnesota

    Legislative Session 

    The Minnesota legislature has two year sessions, alternating between long and short session years. In odd-numbered years, the session begins on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January (this year: 01/08) and runs through mid-May (this year: 05/20). In even-numbered years, the legislature convenes on a date set by joint agreement of both chambers, usually in February and runs through the end of April. Minnesota is constitutionally limited to 120 legislative days over the course of two years. It cannot meet in regular session after the first Monday following the third Saturday in May of any year. 

    The Governor can call the legislature into special session.

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/08/19 
    • End date: 05/20/19
    • Special session on budget: 05/24/19–05/25/19

    2020 Session

    • Start date: 02/11/20 
    • End date: 05/21/20

    Bill timeline

    There is no annual deadline for the introduction of bills, but there are deadlines for when committee action needs to occur for a bill to stay alive. This year, the deadline for committees to act favorably on bills in the chamber of origin was 03/15, and was 03/29 for bills that met the first deadline in the other chamber.

    Additional Notes

    Minnesota has a split legislature — the House is Democratic, and the Senate is Republican.

    All seats in each body are up for election in 2020. 

    This year a House Energy and Climate Finance and Policy Division was established.

    Montana

    Legislative Session 

    Montana’s legislative session begins the first Monday in January (this year: 01/07) and can last no longer than 90 days (this year: 04/25). The legislature meets only in odd-numbered years

    Special sessions can occur in Montana, but only for critical legislation. The last special session was called in November of 2017, to address a budget crisis and shortfall. 

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/07/19
    • End date: 04/25/19

    2020 Session

    • NO SESSION

    Legislative Recess

    There are interim legislative committees that meet during the legislative recess from the end of April to the following January to work on legislation for the next session. These meetings are open to public comment and are where a lot of the real policy work gets done, given the relatively short and rushed sessions. Some legislators are calling for an update to the legislative proceedings in Montana to accommodate the higher bill loads these days.

    Bill timeline

    The official deadline to introduce general bills is the halfway point of each session. Revenue bills must be introduced by the two-thirds mark of the session. There are common workarounds in the Montana legislature, such as introducing blank or vague “generally revise” bills in case something comes up that needs a bill.

    Nebraska

    Legislative Session 

    The Nebraska state legislature alternates between a long session of 90 legislative days in odd-numbered years, and a short session of 60 legislative days in even-numbered years. The session begins on the first Wednesday following the first Monday in January (this year: 01/09).

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/09/19
    • End date: 05/31/19

    2020 Session

    • Start date: 01/08/20
    • End date: 04/15/20

    Legislative Recess

    There can be interim studies during the legislative recess. The Committee Chair and sponsor of an interim study resolution can decide to hire staff for a study and have a series of hearings, which are generally open to public testimony.

    Bill timeline

    Most bills are introduced in the first ten days of the session.

    Additional Notes

    The Nebraska legislature is unicameral (only one chamber). The Unicameral is supposed to be nonpartisan, but this is not the case in practice. 

    Bills introduced in Nebraska are limited to a single subject, in an effort to avoid tagging on unrelated measures to a separate bill that is more likely to pass.

    New Hampshire 

    Legislative Session 

    New Hampshire’s state legislature operates on a two year cycle. The legislative session runs from the first Wednesday after the first Tuesday in January through the end of June in the first year, and generally concludes by the end of May in the second year. 

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/02/19
    • End date: 06/30/19

    2020 Session

    • Start date: 01/08/20 
    • End date: To be determined

    Legislative Recess

    During the legislative recess, bills that are retained are worked on by a sub-committee. A report is filed by the end of the year.

    Bill timeline

    Bills are pre-filed in the fall during two short periods, one in September (this year: 09/04/19-09/20/19) and one in November. In an election year, the second filing period allows newly-elected legislators to file a bill. Senators can file bills for a longer period than Representatives can. 

    All bills must be voted on by the deadline in late March. Then they cross over to the other body for a new hearing and vote. 

    Additional Notes

    New Hampshire has two-year terms for all positions—senators, representatives, governors and the executive council—unlike many states, which have four-year senate and gubernatorial terms.  

    New Jersey

    Legislative Session 

    The New Jersey legislative session is two years long, beginning on the second Tuesday in January of each even-numbered year. This year, the session opened on 01/09/19 and ends on 01/14/20, at which point the next session begins. 

    Committees generally meet on Mondays and Thursdays a few times a month throughout the session. Voting sessions are also held on Mondays and Thursdays. 

    Bills can carry over from the first to the second year of the session, though with limitations. Members of the State Assembly can carry over or pre-file a maximum of 40 bills each, while State Senators can carry over 25 bills each. All other bills have to be reintroduced through the regular process.

    Special sessions rarely occur, generally only when the Governor and Legislature are opposing each other and the Governor wants to make the Legislature stay in Trenton to force them to make concessions. 

    2019 Session

    2020 Session

    Legislative Recess

    During the legislative recess, legislators spend time working in their districts, and wait for bills to come from the other chamber. Legislative leadership or committees may spend the time further examining bills that are waiting to be voted on.

    Bill timeline

    Legislators may propose bills during routine business, when a quorum or majority of the membership is present.  For a voting session, the quorum is 41 members of the State Assembly and 21 members of the State Senate.

    New Mexico

    Legislative Session 

    New Mexico’s state legislature alternates years between a long session of two months (this year: 01/15 to 03/16) and a short session of one month (next year: 01/21 to 02/20). During short session years, the bills considered tend to be limited to budget and taxation bills, as well as any bills requested by the Governor.  

    Special sessions can occur in New Mexico, but only if legislation is particularly critical. The most common reason a special session is called is when a budget gets vetoed by the Governor and needs to be revised. 

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/15/19
    • End date: 03/16/19

    2020 Session

    • Start date: 01/21/20
    • End date: 02/20/20

    Legislative Recess

    During the legislative recess, the only formal work done is by interim committees. The committee most relevant to us is the Water and Natural Resources Interim Committee. It is comprised of members of both chambers  and parties, with a rotating chair from either the House Energy Committee or Senate Natural Resources Committee. The group holds 4-5 public meetings each year, and the public is invited to attend and present at those conversations. Legislation can be prefiled in these committees or by any legislator in the last month of the legislative recess (this year: 12/16/19-01/17/20) during the recess, which is important due to New Mexico’s very short sessions. 

    Last year, the Water and Natural Resources Interim Committee heard a presentation on carbon pricing. This is a setting where New Mexico climate pricing advocates could promote legislation and push to get it pre-filed.

    Bill timeline

    The deadline for introducing bills is the midpoint day of any given session (this year: 02/14). However, New Mexico has a special workaround to keep in mind. Certain members of the leadership get a number of “dummy bills” which are blank bills with only a title that get prefiled. Committee leadership can take one of these bills past the bill introduction deadline and amend it to introduce the contents.

    New York

    Legislative Session 

    New York’s state legislature has two-year sessions, of which we are in the first year. Bills do not need to be reintroduced in January 2020, but they start at the beginning of their approval process in their initial committee. 

    Special sessions can be called by a two-thirds majority of both legislative chambers.

    2019 Session

    2020 Session

    • Start date: 01/13/20
    • End date: To be determined (June 2020)

    Legislative Recess

    During the legislative recess, legislators and staff are available to speak with  advocates. They are supposed to be researching and developing new legislation ideas during this time.

    Bill timeline

    Bills can be introduced at any time of year, not only when the legislature is in session. The Climate and Community Investment Act has already been introduced in the Senate this session.

    Additional Notes

    A carbon price could be enacted in New York as part of the state budget, which is proposed in late January by the Governor and adopted by the legislature around April 1st each year.

    Oregon

    Legislative Session 

    The Oregon state legislature holds regular sessions in odd-numbered years, limited to 160 calendar days, generally starting on the second Monday in January. There is a short session in even-numbered years that is limited to 35 calendar days and begins in February. Five day extensions to the regular sessions are allowed with a two-thirds vote in each house. 

    Special sessions are called in cases of emergency by the Governor or by a majority vote of both chambers of the legislature. The last special session was in 2012.

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/22/19
    • End date: 06/30/19

    2020 Session

    • Start date: 02/03/20
    • End date: 03/07/20

    Legislative Recess

    During the legislative recess, special study groups are formed to investigate issues to be addressed during the next legislative session.

    Bill timeline

    This year, Oregon’s deadline to file bills with the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Clerk was February 26th. The deadline next year is January 17th. There are a series of subsequent deadlines for scheduling work sessions in the first chamber and for crossing over into the second chamber which can be found on the legislative calendar.

    Pennsylvania 

    Legislative Session 

    Pennsylvania has a full-time legislature. The session begins on the first Tuesday in January (this year: 01/01) and meetings are held throughout the year. The state has a two year legislative session, so bills introduced in the first year carry over into the second year without a need for reintroduction. 

    Generally, preliminary legislative activity happens in January, the governor releases a proposed budget in February, in April and May legislators are positioning bills they want to move, and June and July (sometimes longer) are spent finalizing the budget. Legislators then take a recess in the summer after the budget is passed, and reconvene in the fall. 

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/01/19
    • End date: Legislature meets throughout the year

    2020 Session

    • Start date: 01/07/20
    • End date: 11/30/20

    Legislative Recess

    As a full-time legislature, there is no deadline to introduce bills in the session. Introducing bills earlier just leaves more opportunity to move the bill through the entire process in time.

    Bill timeline

    The Pennsylvania Constitution requires each chamber to consider a bill three times, on three separate days, before taking a vote on final passage.

    Pennsylvania has a strong single subject rule in bills.

    Rhode Island

    Legislative Session 

    Rhode Island’s legislative session begins the first Tuesday in January (this year: 01/01) and ends in mid- to late-June (this year: 06/30). Though elections are held every two years, the legislature does not run in two year sessions, meaning that bills that are not passed by June need to be reintroduced the following year. 

    Special sessions do occur, but very rarely, and only for critical legislation. The last one was in 2017, when there was a one day session in September to resolve budget conflicts.

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/01/19 
    • End date: 06/30/19

    2020 Session

    • Start date: 01/07/20
    • End date: To be determined

    Legislative Recess

    There is limited formal activity during the legislative recess. Legislative commissions may be appointed to meet, but there are generally not formal interim committees that meet and take public comment. 

    Advocacy groups in our network have explained that the fall during legislative recess is a good time for public outreach around policies that they want to have introduced as bills in the next session. Any activists that advocate for bills for an organization, not just as themselves, are required to register as state lobbyists. 

    Bill timeline

    The deadline for any legislator to introduce bills is about a month into the session, typically in mid-February. With permission from the House or Senate leadership, bills can be introduced until the end of the session, but an average legislator could not introduce his/her bill independently. It is best to introduce bills early and have their hearings before budget negotiations take over in the spring.

    Additional Notes

    The Rhode Island legislature is part-time, in addition to meeting for half the year. There are no meetings on Monday and Friday, and the legislators come in on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday around 2:00-3:00 PM. The sessions on these days can go as late as 10:00 PM due to these time pressures. 

    Democrats in Rhode Island would not necessarily be considered Democrats in other states. Nearly everyone runs as a Democrat in Rhode Island to increase their chances of being elected, so there ends up being conservative legislators elected who are technically in the Democratic Party.

    Texas

    Legislative Session 

    The Texas legislature only meets in odd-numbered years. In these years, the legislative session convenes on the second Tuesday in January (this year: 01/08). The regular session is limited to, at most, 140 days. 

    The Governor can call special sessions for “critically important” legislation, and these sessions are limited to 30 days, during which the legislature may only pass laws on the subjects submitted by the Governor. 

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/08/19
    • End date: 05/27/19

    2020 Session

    • NO SESSION

    Legislative Recess

    During the legislative recess, studies on policy issues are frequently conducted by committees. Generally, the Lieutenant Governor assigns interim tasks for Senate committees and the Speaker of the House does so for House committees.

    Bill timeline

    Pre-filing is allowed to begin the first Monday after the general election preceding a regular session, or up to 30 days before a scheduled special session. Legislators can introduce bills on any subject during the first 60 days of the session, after which, only local bills and emergency bills from the Governor can be introduced without the consensus of four-fifths of the members present.

    Utah

    Legislative Session 

    Utah’s legislature convenes on the fourth Monday in January (this year: 01/28) and meets for 45 days. The legislature has an interim session of one day a month (usually on the third Wednesday) from May to December, with the exception of July. It can hold hearings and study bills during these interim sessions, but cannot pass bills at that time.

    Special sessions can be called by the Governor or the legislature can call itself into special session in case of emergency. Special sessions are more common here than the average state—last year there was a special session called to modify a citizen initiative on medical marijuana and a special session is expected this year on sales tax reform.

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/28/19
    • End date: 03/14/19

    2020 Session

    • Start date: 01/27/20
    • End date: 03/12/20
    • Read More

    Legislative Recess

    In addition to meeting one day each month during the legislative recess, Utah has interim committee meetings, including a Natural Resources, Agriculture & Environment committee.

    Bill timeline

    For the upcoming year, 02/06/20 will be the last day a legislator can introduce a bill without floor approval. In practice, most legislators will make bill requests before the session begins and finalize language later, so the deadline does not mean much.

    Vermont

    Legislative Session 

    Vermont’s legislative session runs from early January (this year: 01/09) to late May (this year: 05/29), with the possibility of extension into June. The state has two year sessions; bills that are not passed during the first year can carry over into the second year of the session, without needing to be reintroduced.

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/09/19
    • End date: 05/29/19

    2020 Session

    • Start date: 01/07/20
    • End date: 05/12/20

    Legislative Recess

    During the legislative recess, there are standing committees that meet intermittently as well as special interim committees for specific pieces of legislation. This legislative session, the Joint Energy Committee was reconstituted and is scheduled to meet a handful of times during the off session.

    Bill timeline

    The House must propose bills by the end of January, while the Senate does not have a deadline for bill introduction. Committee bills also face no limitations on introduction.

    Additional Notes

    Vermont has a joint Climate Solutions Caucus that meets Thursdays at noon during most of the session. Its 82 members come primarily from the House, and currently there are no Republicans. There are members of the Progressive Party as well as the Democratic Party.

    The first Tuesday in March is Town Meeting Day, during which legislators generally go back to their districts and constituents, hold a town hall, and give their opinions to their legislators.

    Virginia 

    Legislative Session 

    Virginia’s legislative session convenes on the second Wednesday in January (this year: 01/09). It alternates between a short session of 30 calendar days in odd-numbered years (though this is typically extended to 46 calendar days), and a long session of 60 calendar days in even-numbered budget years. Extensions are allowed, but are limited to 30 additional calendar days. 

    Special sessions can be called by the Governor or a two-thirds vote of both chambers. This year, the House convened on July 9th for a special session. 

    The legislature reconvenes on the sixth Wednesday after the adjournment of any session (regular or special) in order to consider any amendments or vetoes by the Governor. This usually lasts one to three days, but can be extended an additional seven days. 

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/09/19
    • End date: 02/24/19

    2020 Session

    Legislative Recess

    During the legislative recess, Virginia has interim studies and committee meetings, the schedule of which can be found here. A large amount of advocacy work needs to be done between sessions, particularly direct conversations with legislators.

    Bill timeline

    There is a pre-filing period for bills before each regular session. For the 2020 session, this period begins on November 18, 2019 and continues until December 5, 2019. Corrections can be submitted on bills until January 7, 2020—one day before the session begins. Bills could be filed after this deadline by unanimous consent, or with permission from the majority leader. There is a crossover deadline halfway through the legislative session, in which bills need to pass out of their original chamber and move to the other chamber to stay alive.  

    Washington

    Legislative Session 

    Washington’s state legislature alternates between 105 day long sessions in odd-numbered years and 60 day short sessions in even-numbered years. The long sessions begin on the second Monday in January (this year: 01/14) and run to April (this year 04/28), while the short sessions take place January to March. 

    A two-year budget is proposed in the long session and the main product coming out of the short sessions is amendments to the budget. In theory, the short year is considered the “policy” year, where new ideas are introduced and explored, and the long year is where the policies are adopted and worked into the budget.

    Special sessions are fairly common, but typically reserved for passing the budget. This often extends the session to six months instead of three or four. 

    Washington has two-year sessions, so a bill that passed one chamber in an odd-numbered year can be revived the following year from the procedural place it left off. 

    2019 Session

    • Start date: 01/14/19
    • End date: 04/28/19

    2020 Session

    • Start date: 01/13/20
    • End date: 04/22/20

    Legislative Recess

    During the legislative recess, Washington has interim committee meetings, following this schedule.

    Bill timeline

    Legislators can pre-file bills in the month leading up to a session. February 22, 2019 was the deadline to pass bills out of committee and read them into the record on the floor in their house of origin.