The regular legislative session is fast approaching and is set to convene January 9, 2017. With 30 days before the official start date, December 10, 2016, will mark the date legislators and state executive officeholders may not solicit or accept campaign contributions until the session adjourns.

Candidates may accept contributions that were made on December 9 or earlier, including contributions that were mailed and bear a December 9 postmark.

See what’s happening in government relations this week in our News You Can Use Video Digest. Enjoy!

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives cancelled a non-voting session day scheduled for Nov. 22, 2016, effectively ending the 2015-2016 legislative session.

Adjournment sine die does not technically take place until Nov. 30; however, both chambers have completed their work. Lawmakers will reconvene for the next legislative session on Jan. 3, 2017.

Both chambers of the Florida Legislature held organizational sessions yesterday, Nov. 22, 2016. Agenda items included selection of House and Senate leadership, administering the oath of office for new members and approving the rules governing the upcoming session.

Newly minted Speaker Richard Corcoran’s agenda to reduce the influence of lobbyists will take effect during the next session through the approved House Rules. Among the changes, lobbyists are now required to disclose the issues they are lobbying by filing an electronic notice of appearance; former members of the Legislature are prohibited from lobbying the House for six years; and no member of the House may accept private plane travel from a lobbyist or a corporation employing lobbyists.

The Senate also passed its rules but did not make such sweeping changes.

Since pre-filing began for the 2017 Arkansas legislative session, multiple measures have been introduced regarding lobbying, ethics and campaign finance.

If passed, measures introduced in the House would require reporting and disclosure of electioneering communications and covered transfers (House Bill 1005), prevent a member of the General Assembly from forming more than one political action committee (PAC) as either a registered agent or an officer (House Bill 1009), require the Secretary of State to make independent expenditures and PAC reports public (House Bill 1010), prohibit PAC-to-PAC transfers (House Bill 1011)  and ban direct contributions to candidates from PACs (House Bill 1012). Several measures introduced in the Senate mirror the House bills.

Additionally, bills introduced in the Senate would bar soliciting or accepting campaign contributions before the expiration of the immediately preceding general election (Senate Bill 2), prohibit elected officials from registering as a lobbyist while serving as an elected state official (Senate Bill 3) and ban constitutional officers, like the governor, from soliciting or accepting loans from lobbyists (Senate Bill 7).

Gov. Robert Bentley is considering a special session to address funding for four new super prisons. Bentley may call the special session within or right before the 2017 session.

Despite Bentley’s failure to pass his $800 million prison plan last year, he hopes a special session will address the issues of overcrowding and violence against officers at state prisons.

A special session may be called for the New York Legislature this December.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants a special session to pass a series of ethics reforms he proposed in a statement released on Nov. 16, 2016. Lawmakers are against a special session, but Cuomo is hoping to entice state legislators to return to the capital by promising a modest salary increase.

The Utah Legislature adjourned a one day special session sine die on November 16, 2017. Lawmakers unanimously passed a bill to fix a complicated gas tax distribution formula in order to evenly distribute revenue and reflect the legislative intent of the original bill passed last year.

Lawmakers also passed a bill clarifying the definitions of solid waste and solid waste management facility, seeking approval from Gov. Gary Herbert who vetoed similar legislation earlier this year and requested changes.

Per Utah law, the ban on contributions during a special legislative session concludes at the time of adjournment.

Gov. Gary Herbert has called a special legislative session beginning November 16 to fix a flawed gas tax formula.

The session was called after the Utah League of Cities and Towns and the Utah Association of Counties negotiated a solution to redistribute the tax revenue evenly.

The special session, Utah’s fourth this year, is also expected to consider a bill aimed at exempting some recycling facilities from certain licensing requirements.

Gov. Pat McCrory announced that he expects to call a special session in early December to address Hurricane Matthew relief.

The governor said he will turn in the state’s request for federal disaster assistance on Nov. 14.

Once federal relief is approved by Congress, the state will need to provide matching funds and funding for what federal relief won’t cover.

Photo of Gov. Pat McCrory by Hal Goodtree on Wikimedia Commons.

Gov. Pat McCrory is planning to call a special session to address Hurricane Matthew disaster relief.

Information on when the session will be held is expected to be released next week.

The regular session of the General Assembly is not scheduled to meet until January 2017.

Photo of Governor McCrory by Hal Goodtree on Wikimedia Commons.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert will likely call a special session in mid-November to remedy a flawed road funding formula based on a statewide gas price increase.

The faulty gas tax bill was passed earlier this year in the Legislature’s general session to correct a mistake in the 2015 transportation funding reform. The 2016 bill was based on differing calculations resulting in a funding deficit for some cities and counties in the state.

No other items are expected to be added to the special session agenda.

In Utah, special sessions typically take place on the monthly interim study days with November 16 being the only such day remaining this year.

Photo of the Utah State Capitol by Robert Cutts on Wikimedia Commons.

See what’s happening in government relations this week in our News You Can Use Video Digest. Enjoy!

The Nevada Legislature adjourned a four-day special session sine die on October 14, 2016.

Lawmakers approved a bill allocating funding for an NFL stadium and the expansion of a convention center in Las Vegas as well as a bill to fund the hiring of more than 300 police officers.

Gov. Brian Sandoval is expected to sign the bills Monday, October 17.