The Idaho House of Representatives passed a proposed constitutional amendment to allow lawmakers to call themselves back into special session.

The amendment would allow lawmakers to call themselves back whenever at least 60% of members of each body agree to the special session.

Senate Joint Resolution 102 now goes to the Office of the Secretary of State, who will draw up the exact wording of the ballot measure to be voted on in the 2022 November General Election.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will call a special session of the New Mexico Legislature tentatively for Wednesday, March 31 to address the regulation of cannabis in the state.

The Senate Majority Leader addressed the fact that there was not enough time in the 60-day session to pass House Bill 12 before the session adjourned at noon on March 20.

The length of the special session has not yet been addressed.

During a special legislative session, a lobbyist or lobbyist employer must file a report within 48 hours of making or incurring expenditures of $500 or more.

A special session or pause in the Nebraska Legislature is anticipated due to delays in delivering U.S. Census data.

This data is needed for redrawing districts served by state legislators, U.S. congressional representatives, and other elected officials.

Normally, the once-a-decade census is done by October, affording plenty of time for double-checks so that census numbers needed for redistricting can be delivered by April 1.

COVID-19 and other factors delayed the 2020 Census, and now state officials are expecting the census data to be delivered September 30.

This is three months after the regular session of the Legislature is scheduled to end.

A special meeting, session, or some of the 49-member Nebraska Legislature will be special accommodation, will be necessary.

Rather than calling a separate special session, the Legislature could decide to pause its 90-day session before its scheduled end date of June 10.

The session will, then, resume the remainder of the session in the fall.

Delaying the end of the session would also delay the implementation date for many bills until late into the year.

This created a strong argument for ending the regular session and then gaveling in a special session later.

No decision has been made yet because of the uncertainty due to the pandemic.

In a proclamation on February 3, Gov. Ralph Northam said the Virginia General Assembly will return to work on February 10.

The governor called a special session following the end of the 30-day regular session.

The session is customarily extended to 46 days but this extension did not have bipartisan support.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced he was calling a special session of the Legislature during his State of the State address, delivered virtually for the first time in the state’s history.

He called the special session to consider the State Unemployment System.

Evers explained that, due to an outdated system, the Department of Workforce Development has struggled to keep up with an unprecedented number of claims.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has announced the Legislature will convene for a special session on January 19, 2021 to address education challenges due to COVID-19.

Lee has asked lawmakers to focus on key issues including learning loss, funding, accountability, literacy, and teacher pay.

Wisconsin Lawmakers ended the third special session on December 22, with a final adjournment pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1.

The session was called by Gov. Tony Evers and began on August 31, 2020.

Wisconsin law does not require lawmakers to take any action during a special session and none was taken.

The constitution prohibits either chamber from adjourning without consent of the other for more than 3 days.

Lawmakers then convened and immediately adjourned every Tuesday and Thursday without taking any action until the final adjournment.

The New York Legislature is set to convene a special session on Monday, December 28.

Lawmakers are meeting to pass legislation extending the ban on residential evictions past its January 1, 2021 deadline.

Tenants who present a legal document attesting to lost income, inability to find employment, inability to afford the costs of moving, or have experienced increased expenses due to COVID-19 may have pending evictions within a month of the proposed bill’s effective date delayed until May 1, 2021.

Gov. Kate Brown will call lawmakers into a one-day special session on December 21.

The legislature will consider $800 million in relief for Oregonians suffering financially from the COVID-19 pandemic and the state’s wildfires.

The funding will go towards helping tenants and landlords, funding vaccine distribution and contact tracing, wildfire prevention, and community preparedness and support for reopening schools.

The one-day session will take place in person at the Capitol.

Legislative officials are consulting with the state epidemiologist to ensure they can meet in a healthy and safe environment.

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 second special session of the Missouri General Assembly has been delayed until after the Thanksgiving break.

This comes in response to a number of positive COVID-19 cases among members and staff.

The special session began on November 5 to focus on getting federal CARES Act funding distributed to the state.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced November 19 she will call a special legislative session prior to Thanksgiving to provide COVID-19 relief.

The state has about $300 million in federal aid. Gov. Grisham and lawmakers want to use the resources toward small businesses and unemployment.

The special session is scheduled to begin Tuesday, November 24, and is expected to last one day. The Roundhouse will be closed to the public during that time.

A legislative report will be due within 48 hours for each separate expenditure of $500 or more made or incurred by a lobbyist or employer during the special legislative session.

The Colorado General Assembly is preparing for a special session to provide more relief to those impacted by COVID-19.

Gov. Jared Polis wants lawmakers to take immediate action on elements of his $1.3 billion stimulus package. This would include relief for restaurant owners and other small businesses.

The special session is expected after the Thanksgiving holiday, before lawmakers return on January 13 for their next regular session. It will take at least three days to approve the legislation.

A professional lobbyist must disclose within 72 hours if a lobbyist agrees to lobby for an existing client or takes a new position in connection to legislation, standard, rules, or rates during a special session.

After nearly 12 weeks, the Virginia General Assembly ended its special session on November 9.

Lawmakers approved changes returned by Gov. Northam on a handful of bills and finally agreed on a final passage of the budget.