As of Nov. 17, 38 state legislatures are scheduled to begin their 2026 legislative sessions in January, five are scheduled for February, one for March, and two are scheduled for April, according to the latest data from the 2026 MultiState Insider Resource.

State governments across the country hold legislative sessions where elected representatives meet 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, legislatively referred 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 two earliest states (California and Ohio) will begin their legislative sessions on Jan. 5. The two latest states (Arkansas and North Carolina) will begin their sessions in April. Arkansas, New Mexico, Oregon, and Wyoming are currently scheduled to have the shortest sessions, each lasting about one month. For the 2025 legislative term, nine states are still in regular or special session.