By FOCUS, A Leonine Business
Though the new year is just beginning, state legislatures are wasting no time getting to work. Legislatures in 46 states will convene for a regular legislative session in 2026, while Montana, Nevada, North Dakota and Texas do not have scheduled sessions this year. With the vast majority of legislatures convening in January, the next few weeks will be critical for anyone tracking legislative and regulatory developments across the country.
The First Month
In January alone, 36 of the 46 convening states will meet for the first time this year; that’s about 78 percent of states with regularly scheduled sessions. Indiana was the only state to convene prior to the new year, meeting on December 1, 2025. States scheduled to convene in January are:
- January 5: California and
- January 6: Kentucky, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
- January 7: Massachusetts, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire and New York.
- January 12: Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas and Washington.
- January 13: Alabama, Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
- January 14: Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Virginia and West Virginia.
- January 20: Alaska and New Mexico.
- January 21: Hawaii.
February
By the end of January, all but nine states that are meeting in 2026 will be in session. February will be the next busiest month, with five states convening. They are:
- February 2: Oklahoma and Oregon.
- February 4: Connecticut.
- February 9: Wyoming.
- February 17: Minnesota.
The Last Four States
The remaining four states will convene in either March or April. By the time North Carolina convenes on April 21, 16 states will have already adjourned for the year, which shows how quickly some legislatures work and stresses the need for closing monitoring. The remaining states are:
- March 9: Louisiana.
- March 20: Utah.
- April 8: Arkansas.
- April 21: North Carolina.
With legislative sessions already underway, the early concentration of convening dates underscores the importance of real-time monitoring and engagement. Bills introduced in the opening weeks often set the tone for the rest of the year and can move rapidly through the process. FOCUS will continue to monitor legislative activity and session timing across the country throughout the 2026 cycle.
Be sure to check out our State Sessions Information page for the most recent updates.
by Will Beacom 1/5/26
