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The Legislative Process: 76-1

LEGISLATIVE SESSION

REGULAR SESSION

A General Assembly is a legislative period that consists of two regular legislative sessions. The first session of a General Assembly is held in odd-numbered years and lasts for approximately 110 calendar days. The second session is held in even-numbered years and lasts for approximately 100 calendar days. This rough estimation of the length of a session is based upon the number of calendar days for which legislators receive a per diem reimbursement for expenses of office. A session may exceed the number of days listed above; however, legislators will not be paid the per diem for expenses of office.

Regular legislative sessions convene at 10:00 a.m. on the second Monday in January. The Legislature usually convenes at 10:00 a.m. on Monday and at an earlier time, usually 8:45 a.m. or 9:00 a.m. on other days. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, it recesses for committee meetings at 9:30 a.m. Typically, committee meetings take up most of the morning and the better part of the afternoon until the end of February. Debate usually is scheduled for late in the afternoon. Joint appropriations subcommittees usually meet from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the beginning of session. Other standing committees meet when joint appropriations subcommittees are not meeting. At the beginning of a legislative session, the Legislature does not usually convene on Fridays. As the session progresses, debate takes up more time each day. Toward the end of session, only the Appropriations and Ways and Means committees continue to meet and debate takes up most of each day.

The Legislature operates under a schedule which sets deadlines for legislative action. This schedule is referred to as the "funnel" and exists to make the session more manageable. The funnel dates are set by joint rule and chamber rules. The proposed 1995 funnel dates are listed below.

January 9:
First day of session.
February 24:
Final day for individual requests for bill drafts.
March 17:
Final date for House bills to be reported out of House committees and Senate bills out of Senate committees.
March 20 - 24:
House considers only House bills and unfinished business and Senate considers only Senate bills and unfinished business.
March 27 - April 7:
Debate not limited by rule.
April 7:
Final date for Senate bills to be reported out of House committees and House bills out of Senate committees.
April 10 - 14:
House considers only Senate bills and unfinished business and Senate considers only House bills and unfinished business.
April 17:
Amendments in the House need not be filed on the day preceding floor debate.
April 17:
Only the following bills are eligible for consideration:

Appropriations bills, Ways and Means bills, legalizing acts, bills cosponsored by Majority and Minority Leaders, companion bills sponsored by Senate and House Majority Leaders, conference committee reports, bills passed by both chambers in different forms, concurrent or simple resolutions, bills on the veto calendar, Administrative Rules Review Committee bills, joint resolutions nullifying administrative rules, and unfinished business.

April 28:
110th day of session.
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Last update: 1995
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