Dates of 2022 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, 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 2022 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.

## Contents

* 1 Map of legislative sessions
* 2 State legislative sessions
* 2.1 States
* 3 Methodology
* 4 Glossary of state legislative session terms
* 5 See also
* 6 External links
* 7 Footnotes

## Map of legislative sessions[edit]

The legislative map below shows 2022 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[edit]

The state legislative session table below breaks down the start and end date of a state's 2022 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:

* a = Not yet convened
* a = State's session adjourned
* a = State in regular session
* a = State in special session
* a = No regular session scheduled
* 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[edit]

2022 state legislative sessions

State | Start date | End date (projected) | Session length limit[3] | Special sessions/Other sessions
a Alabama | January 11, 2022  | April 7, 2022  | 30 legislative days in 105 calendar days  |
a Alaska | January 18, 2022  | May 18, 2022  | 90 calendar days  |
a Arizona | January 10, 2022  | June 25, 2022  | Saturday of the last week in which the 100th calendar day falls  |
a Arkansas | February 14, 2022  | March 15, 2022  | Odd-numbered years - 60 days
Even-numbered years - 30 days  | Special session started on August 9, 2022 until August 11, 2022
a California*[4] | January 3, 2022  | August 31, 2022  | Constitution: Even-numbered years - Nov. 30
Odd-numbered years - None
Chamber Rule: Even-numbered years - Aug. 31
Odd-numbered years - Sept. 12  | Special session started on December 5, 2022 until March 27, 2023.
a Colorado | January 12, 2022  | May 11, 2022  | 120 calendar days  |
a Connecticut | February 9, 2022  | May 4, 2022  | Odd: Wednesday after the first Monday in June; Even: Wednesday after the first Monday in May  | Special session held from November 28, 2022, to November 29, 2022.
a Delaware | January 11, 2022  | June 30, 2022  | June 30  |
a Florida | January 11, 2022  | March 14, 2022  | 60 calendar days  | Special session from April 19, 2022, to April 22, 2022, special session started on May 23, 2022. Special session started on December 12, 2022, to December 14, 2022.
a Georgia | January 10, 2022  | April 4, 2022  | 40 legislative days  |
a Hawaii | January 19, 2022  | May 5, 2022  | 60 legislative days  |
a Idaho | January 10, 2022  | March 31, 2022  | None  | Special session was on September 1, 2022. Organizational session for 2023 on December 1, 2022.
a Illinois*[4] | January 5, 2022  | April 9, 2022  | None  | Veto session from November 15, 2022, to December 1, 2022. Lame duck session from January 4, 2023 to January 10, 2023.
a Indiana | January 4, 2022  | March 8, 2022  | Odd-numbered years - 61 days (April 29)
Even-numbered years - 30 days (March 14)  | Special session started on July 25, 2022, until August 5, 2022. The 2023 Organization Day was held on November 22, 2022.
a Iowa | January 10, 2022  | May 24, 2022  | Odd-numbered years - 110 days
Even-numbered years - 100 days  |
a Kansas | January 10, 2022  | May 23, 2022  | None (odd), 90 days (even)  |
a Kentucky | January 4, 2022  | April 14, 2022  | Odd-numbered years - 30 legislative days or March 30
Even-numbered years - 60 legislative days or April 15  | Special session convened August 24, 2022 until August 26, 2022.
a Louisiana | March 14, 2022  | June 6, 2022  | Even-numbered years - 60 legislative days in 85 calendar days
Odd-numbered years - 45 legislative days in 60 calendar days  | Special session from February 1, 2022, to February 18, 2022. Special session convened June 15, 2022 until June 18, 2022.
a Maine | January 5, 2022  | May 9, 2022  | Odd: 3rd Wed in June; Even: 3rd Wed in April  |
a Maryland | January 12, 2022  | April 11, 2022  | 90 calendar days  |
a Massachusetts*[4] | January 5, 2022  | August 1, 2022  | Odd: 3rd Wed in November; Even: July 31  | Informal session started on August 1, 2022 until January 3, 2023
a Michigan*[4] | January 12, 2022  | December 28, 2022  | None  |
a Minnesota | January 31, 2022  | May 23, 2022  | 120 legislative days in 2 years, or the 1st Monday after the 3rd Saturday in May each year  |
a Mississippi | January 4, 2022  | April 5, 2022  | 90 calendar days; except after a gubernatorial election then 125 days  | Special session was on November 2, 2022
a Missouri | January 5, 2022  | May 13, 2022  | May 30  | Veto and special session from September 14, 2022 to October 4, 2022.
a Montana | No regular legislative session  | No regular legislative session  | 90 legislative days in two years  |
a Nebraska | January 5, 2022  | April 20, 2022  | Odd-numbered years - 90 legislative days
Even-numbered years - 60 days  |
a Nevada | No regular legislative session  | No regular legislative session  | 120 calendar days in two years  |
a New Hampshire | January 5, 2022  | May 26, 2022  | 45 legislative days or July 1  | Veto session was on September 15, 2022 .
a New Jersey*[4] | January 11, 2022  | December 31, 2022  | None  | In recess July 1, 2022, to September 6, 2022.
a New Mexico | January 18, 2022  | February 17, 2022  | Odd-numbered years - 60 days
Even-numbered years - 30 days  | Special session was on April 5, 2022
a New York*[4] | January 5, 2022  | June 4, 2022  | None  | Special session was on June 30, 2022. Special session was on December 22, 2022.
a North Carolina | May 18, 2022  | July 1, 2022  | None  | Reconvenes once per month from July 26, 2022 to December 31, 2022 for vetoes.
a North Dakota | No regular legislative session  | No regular legislative session  | 80 legislative days in two years  |
a Ohio*[4] | January 19, 2022  | December 15, 2022  | None  | Summer recess from June 2, 2022, to September 13, 2022.
a Oklahoma | February 7, 2022  | May 27, 2022  | Last Friday in May  | Special session was on May 18, 2022, and from June 13, 2022 to June 15, 2022. Reconvened from September 28, 2022 to October 14, 2022.
a Oregon | February 1, 2022  | March 4, 2022  | Odd-numbered years - 160 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 35 calendar days  |
a Pennsylvania*[4] | January 4, 2022  | November 30, 2022  | None  |
a Rhode Island | January 4, 2022  | June 23, 2022  | None  |
a South Carolina | January 11, 2022  | May 12, 2022  | First Thurs in June  | Budget sessions on June 15, 2022 and June 28, 2022. Special session was from August 30, 2022 to November 9, 2022. Special senate session started on September 6, 2022, until September 8, 2022. House organizational session meeting for 2023 was on December 6, 2022.
a South Dakota | January 11, 2022  | March 28, 2022  | 40 legislative days  |
a Tennessee | January 11, 2022  | April 28, 2022  | 90 legislative days  |
a Texas | No regular legislative session  | No regular legislative session  | 140 calendar days in two years  |
a Utah | January 18, 2022  | March 4, 2022  | 45 calendar days  | Special session was on March 25, 2022
a Vermont | January 4, 2022  | May 12, 2022  | None  |
a Virginia | January 12, 2022  | March 12, 2022  | Odd numbered years - 30 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 60 days  | Special session started on April 4, 2022. Special session recess was held on June 1, 2022 and June 17, 2022. Special session was held on September 7, 2022.
a Washington | January 10, 2022  | March 10, 2022  | Odd numbered years - 105 calendar days
Even-numbered years - 60 days  |
a West Virginia | January 12, 2022  | March 12, 2022  | 60 calendar days  | Special veto session April 24-26, 2022. Special session held July 25-29, 2022; reconvened and adjourned on September 13, 2022. Special session was held on September 12, 2022.
a Wisconsin*[4] | January 18, 2022  | March 8, 2022  | None  | Special session was on June 22, 2022. Special session was on October 4, 2022.
a Wyoming | February 14, 2022  | March 11, 2022  | Odd-numbered years - 40 legislative days
Even-numbered years - approximately 20 days  |

## Methodology[edit]

Ballotpedia considered four sources when compiling the data in the map and chart above:

1. MultiState
2. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
3. FiscalNote
4. Statescape

## Glossary of state legislative session terms[edit]

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[edit]

* State Legislatures
* State government trifectas
* Partisan composition of state legislatures

* State legislative special elections, 2022
* State legislative elections, 2022
* State legislative elections, 2021
* State legislative elections, 2020
* State legislative elections, 2019
* State legislative elections, 2018

|

## External links[edit]

| Suggest a link

|

* Search Google News for this topic
* National Conference of State Legislatures, Legislative Session Length
* MultiState, 2022 Legislative Session Dates
* National Conference of State Legislatures, 2022 legislative session calendar
* FiscalNote, The 2022 State Legislative Sessions Calendar
* Statescape, Session schedules

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed November 18, 2021
2. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Legislative session length," accessed November 18, 2021
3. ↑ NCSL, "Legislative Session Lengths," accessed November 18, 2021
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 This state has full-time legislators. The legislature may meet throughout the year after adjourning their regularly scheduled sessions.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 National Conference of State Legislatures, "GLOSSARY OF LEGISLATIVE TERMS," accessed May 19, 2017

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