HR120: HR120 General Assembly; extend regular legislative sessions to a maximum of 90 legislative days - CA

Georgia's Constitution currently caps the General Assembly's regular annual session at 40 legislative days. This resolution proposes amending Article III, Section IV, Paragraph I of the Constitution to raise that cap to 90 legislative days per year. Because this is a constitutional amendment, the General Assembly cannot make the change on its own. The resolution directs that the proposed amendment be published and put before Georgia voters on a ballot, with a yes-or-no question asking whether the session length should grow from 40 to 90 days. If a majority of voters ratify it, the change becomes part of the state Constitution. The resolution does not change how sessions are scheduled to begin (the second Monday in January) or the General Assembly's ability to adjourn and reconvene by concurrent resolution.

• Proposes a constitutional amendment raising the maximum length of the General Assembly's regular annual session from 40 to 90 legislative days.
• Keeps the existing rule that the session starts on the second Monday in January unless otherwise provided by law.
• Preserves the General Assembly's existing power to adjourn a session and set a later date to reconvene by concurrent resolution.
• Requires the proposed amendment to be published and submitted to Georgia voters for ratification or rejection at the ballot box.
• Specifies the exact yes/no ballot question voters would see asking about extending the session from 40 to 90 days.

Georgia voters, who would decide the amendment's fate at the ballot; state legislators in the House and Senate, whose annual working schedule would change; and, indirectly, state agencies, lobbyists, and citizens who track or participate in the legislative process during session.

If ratified, lawmakers could spend more than double their current time in regular session each year, potentially allowing more thorough consideration of bills and budgets, but also extending the period legislative business dominates the Capitol and lawmakers' schedules statewide.

• Section 1 amends Article III, Section IV, Paragraph I(a) of the Georgia Constitution to change the maximum regular session length from 40 to 90 days in the aggregate each year.
• Section 1 keeps the requirement that the General Assembly organize each odd-numbered year and meet starting the second Monday in January.
• Section 2 requires the amendment to be published and submitted for ratification under Article X, Section I, Paragraph II of the Constitution.
• Section 2 sets the exact ballot language voters will see, framing the choice as extending the session from 40 to 90 legislative days.
• The amendment becomes part of the Georgia Constitution only if ratified by voters.

1. 2025-02-04House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-02-03House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-01-30House Hopper (House)

• El-Mahdi Holly (D, HD-116)Primary sponsor
• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)
• Mary Ann Santos (D, HD-117)
• Mekyah McQueen (D, HD-061)

• legislative sessions
• constitutional amendment
• General Assembly rules
• Georgia ballot measures