The North Dakota Legislature convened January 5 for the 2021 session with improvements to live streaming and remote technology, making remote testimony by the public possible.

Committee meetings and floor sessions will be carried live.

House and Senate floor sessions have been live-streamed, archived, and indexed online.

Anyone wishing to testify remotely must register online.

In-person testimony may be permitted by the committee chair, although committee rooms will have limited seating due to social distancing, and masks are required.

State lawmakers may participate remotely from home if infected, or from office space in the Capitol if desired.

While some lobbyists have indicated they may testify remotely, no lawmakers have indicated an intent to work remotely.

Both the Vermont House and Senate are scheduled to begin their 2021 sessions Wednesday, January 6.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of lawmakers will be attending remotely to swear in new members of both chambers and to elect the speaker of the House and the president pro tem of the Senate.

Gov. Phil Scott will remotely give his inaugural address on Thursday, January 7.

In 2021, every state—along with the District of Columbia, Federal Government, and Puerto Rico—will be in session…but not at the same time.

A good number of them are starting this week…but which ones?

1. Federal
2. Connecticut
3. District of Columbia
4. Indiana
5. Kentucky
6. Maine
7. Massachusetts
8. Minnesota
9. Mississippi
10. Missouri
11. Montana
12. Nebraska
13. New Hampshire
14. New York
15. North Dakota
16. Ohio
17. Pennsylvania
18. Rhode Island
19. Vermont

It’s a big start for a big year. Stay in touch with lobbycomply.com to see when the other starts will convene.

The Legislature pushed its return date to Sacramento for the start of the 2021 legislative session back by a week to January 11 due to staggering COVID-19 numbers.

Both houses have instituted pandemic protocols ranging from temperature checks, mandatory masking and social distancing, plexiglass installations at the Capitol’s entrance and more frequent cleaning.

The delay underscores how challenging it will be to continue working uninterrupted in 2021.

Almost daily, new cases in the Capitol community prompt email alerts to all staff and members to announce another case in state government buildings.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the seventh special session of the Legislature beginning December 14.

This session will focus on extending the COVID-19 peacetime emergency by 30 days.

Additionally, Walz will urge lawmakers to pass a COVID-19 relief package for small businesses, workers, and families.

Walz is obligated by law to call a special session for the Legislature to approve the extension of his emergency rule-making powers in response to the pandemic.

The Legislature will, then, determine the length of the session.

The Illinois Legislature canceled the veto session originally scheduled for this week and December 1-3, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

State lawmakers hope to meet in January, though no date has been set.

Generally, the veto session, a short session in the fall, is used to override bills that have been vetoed and resolve conflicts with the governor.

There are no vetoes to address this year, but lawmakers could address other matters.

The next General Assembly will be inaugurated on January 13, 2021.

Therefore, the veto session would have to take place before then if it is held.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the sixth special session of the Legislature beginning November 12.

Walz plans to extend the COVID-19 peacetime emergency by 30 days to continue to respond to the pandemic.

The governor is obligated by law to call a special session for the Legislature to approve the emergency declaration.

The length of the session will be determined by the Legislature.

Lawmakers adjourned the fifth special session of the Legislature on October 15 after passing four bills.

This included the bonding bill, which requires a three-fifths supermajority in each house to pass.

Gov. Tim Walz called the session to extend the COVID-19 peacetime emergency by 30 days.

Walz is obligated by law to call a special session for lawmakers to approve the emergency declaration.

The Mississippi Legislature met for the final time in the extended 2020 session on October 2 after passing several measures related to COVID-19 and the distribution of CARES Act funding.

The session will officially end when the Legislature adjourns sine die on October 10.

This does affect lobbyist dates reporting.

An end-of-session report is due on October 20, 10 days following adjournment sine die of the Legislature.

The Vermont General Assembly adjourned sine die on September 25.

The Legislature normally adjourns in May but was extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lawmakers adjusted to the pandemic by holding remote online meetings.

During the remote legislative session, lawmakers were able to pass bills relating to the 2021 fiscal year budget, police reform, and a land use reform.

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced a special session to convene on Tuesday, September 29.

The General Assembly will consider legislation for several policy issues including: performance-based regulation of the state’s electricity, gas, and water companies; securing absentee ballots for the general election; school construction projects; and opportunities for the state’s hemp program.

The Legislature will also consider four nominations announced by the governor in July to fill a vacancy in the state Supreme Court and three seats in the Appellate Court.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem announced she is calling a special legislative session on Monday, October 5, 2020.

The main purpose of this session is to consider legislation related to the use of federal stimulus relief funds, including the $1.25 billion allocated to South Dakota in Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF).

Unless an extension is granted, South Dakota has until December 30, 2020 to spend all CRF dollars.

The administration has spent about $114 million of the $1.25 billion in federal funds allocated to the state.

Noem has mapped out a plan to spend the bulk of the money, including up to $400 million in small business grants.

However, some House members said lawmakers should be included in the decision.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called a special session beginning September 11 to extend the COVID-19 peacetime emergency.

The emergency will be extended by 30 days to continue to respond to the pandemic.

Walz is obligated by law to call a special session for the Legislature to approve the emergency declaration.

The length of the session will be determined by the Legislature.

Wisconsin lawmakers convened the special session called by Gov. Tony Evers on August 31.

The session met for less than a minute and adjourned until September 3, in what is termed a skeletal session.

No Senate Republicans were present for the session.

Wisconsin law does not require lawmakers to take any action during a special session.

The session is adjourned for three days to comply with the constitutional requirement that neither house may adjourn without the consent of the other for more than 3 days.

They may continue in this manner until both houses agree on a course of action or to adjourn sine die.