When do state legislatures start?
Each state sets its own calendar, and many legislatures open their regular sessions in January. Some let lawmakers file bills weeks before that, so the first bills can appear soon after election day.
Updated 8 November 2026.
What to look for in your state
- Session start. Your legislature’s website lists when the regular session opens. Dates differ from state to state.
- Prefiling. Some states let members file bills before the session. In Texas, prefiling opens on the first Monday after the general election; in 2024, 1,511 bills and resolutions were filed on the first day (Texas Legislative Reference Library).
- Tracking tools. Many legislatures let you follow bills online. Washington’s Selected Bill Tracking, for example, lets you make a list and add bills by number (Washington Legislature).
- Committee hearings. Notice rules and testimony rules differ by state. Check your legislature’s site for how to sign up to testify.
What to expect
Notice rules for hearings differ by state, so watching the calendar early gives you time to prepare.
Your state legislators are separate from your members of Congress: find both, because they decide different things.
Get ready for your state legislature
Find your state legislators, then use the Public Comment Timer to prepare for a hearing. Stop 5 of eight. On Between Votes, my letter on Substack, the letter for this stop (Tuesday 8 December) covers fifty legislatures starting over, and how much warning each one gives.
Questions people ask
When does my state legislature start its session?
It depends on the state. Your legislature’s website lists the date; many open in January.
What is prefiling?
Filing bills before a session opens. In Texas it opens on the first Monday after the general election.
How do I testify at my state legislature?
Each legislature has its own process. Check its website for committee schedules and how to sign up.
Sources
- Texas Legislative Reference Library, First day of prefiling statistics, 89th session (2024)
- Washington State Legislature, How to track a bill
- Between Votes, Tomer Rozenberg’s letter on Substack
Rules differ by state and city: check your own government’s pages before you rely on a detail.
The states start early
Put your legislature’s opening date in your own calendar, and the first hearing on your issue after it.