Georgia CommonsHouse · Passed · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HR 998: Adjournment; relative to
Last action January 12, 2026 · Senate Transmitted House
House Resolution 998 sets the day-by-day meeting schedule for the Georgia General Assembly's 2026 regular session, running from January 12 through the Sine Die adjournment on April 2.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Introduced version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
Each year the Georgia General Assembly must adopt a resolution laying out which days it will meet during its regular session. This resolution sets that schedule for 2026, listing 40 numbered legislative days between January 12 and April 2, along with committee work days when neither chamber convenes for regular business. It marks March 6 as Crossover Day, the deadline by which bills typically must pass one chamber to remain eligible in the other, and April 2 as Sine Die, the last day of the session. The resolution also lets the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate jointly suspend this schedule and reconvene the General Assembly elsewhere if an emergency or disaster makes meeting at the State Capitol unsafe or impossible, using procedures tied to the Governor's emergency powers over the seat of government. Adopting the resolution also counts as both chambers' consent for adjournment purposes under the Georgia Constitution.
What the bill does
- Establishes the specific calendar of convening dates, legislative day numbers, and committee work days for the General Assembly's 2026 session from January 12 to April 2.
- Designates March 6, 2026 as Crossover Day and April 2, 2026 as Sine Die, the final adjournment day of the session.
- Requires each chamber to remain adjourned between legislative days until it convenes again, per Code Section 28-1-2.
- Allows the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate to jointly suspend the set schedule and relocate or reschedule meetings during a declared emergency or disaster.
- Requires prompt notice to all House and Senate members if the schedule is discontinued because of an emergency.
- States that adopting this resolution serves as both chambers' consent for adjournment purposes under Article III, Section IV, Paragraph I(b) of the Georgia Constitution.
Who it affects
This resolution directly affects the members and staff of the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate, the Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate, and the Governor's office, since it governs when lawmakers meet and how the legislature would respond to an emergency disrupting normal session dates.
Why it matters
The schedule determines the practical rhythm of Georgia's legislative session, including the crossover deadline that shapes when bills must move to stay alive and the final day for passing legislation. The emergency provisions ensure the legislature can keep functioning if the Capitol becomes unusable.
Key provisions
- Part I lists convening dates for legislative days 1 through 40, plus specific committee work days such as February 23, March 2, March 5, March 11, March 17, March 24, and March 26.
- Part I sets March 6, 2026 as Crossover Day (legislative day 28) and April 2, 2026 as Sine Die (legislative day 40).
- Part I incorporates Code Section 28-1-2 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated for how meetings are held, while letting each chamber set its own daily convening and adjournment hours.
- Part II authorizes the Speaker and the President of the Senate, by joint agreement, to discontinue the schedule and reconvene at a temporary location the Governor has proclaimed under Code Section 38-3-52 during an emergency.
- Part II separately allows the same officers to discontinue the schedule and later reconvene back at the State Capitol if no gubernatorial proclamation of a temporary location has been made.
- Part II requires prompt notice to all members of both chambers if the schedule is discontinued, with each house remaining adjourned until the officers jointly set a new convening date.
- Part II states that adopting the resolution constitutes both chambers' consent for purposes of the adjournment provision in Article III, Section IV, Paragraph I(b) of the Georgia Constitution.
From the bill
“Each house, upon its own adjournment for a legislative day, shall remain in a period of adjournment until it convenes for the next legislative day.”
“the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate may, by joint agreement, order the discontinuation of the schedule for meetings provided by this resolution and provide for reconvening the House and the Senate at such temporary location”
Discussed in meetings (4)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
Senate floor session, January 12, 2026 (legislative day 1)
From 2:04:40 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Passed/Adopted)
Summary by Georgia Commons: The secretary read HR 998, concerning the General Assembly’s meeting and adjournment schedule. The majority leader supported the resolution, saying a settled schedule would help staff and constituents plan visits and understand the legislature’s work. One senator asked whether the dates could change if needed. The majority leader answered that changes would require action by both chambers. Another senator said the calendar did not accommodate Jewish and Muslim holidays, including Passover and Eid, and called for a more inclusive calendar in the future while indicating support for the current resolution. The Senate adopted the resolution 51–0.
House floor session, January 12, 2026 (legislative day 1)
From 1:23:42 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the 2026 House Journal, p. 29
Summary by Georgia Commons: The majority leader presented HR 998 as a full 40-day calendar negotiated with Senate leadership, with the final session day on April 2. The majority leader said advance scheduling would help members, staff, security and residents plan, and outlined budget hearings and committee workdays. The majority leader said the calendar accommodated an April 1 Passover Seder. One member asked to swap a committee workday with March 20 to accommodate Eid prayers, travel and affected staff. The majority leader said that concern had reached them that morning and urged members to raise dates earlier. A second member requested advance consideration in future years. The minority leader requested minority leadership input before publication. Another member questioned whether consultation had been broad enough and asked for a March 20 amendment. The majority leader defended the process as open to advance input and did not offer a change. Another member praised the early calendar, and the chair supported it, citing budget and scheduling needs. After an objection to adoption without a recorded vote, the House adopted the resolution 150 to 27. The House then ordered immediate transmission to the Senate without objection.
Senate floor session, January 29, 2026 (legislative day 9)
From 2:23:26 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The majority leader moved to adjourn under HR 998 until 10 a.m. Monday, February 2. After committee announcements, the chair put the motion to a voice vote and declared that the ayes prevailed.
Senate floor session, March 25, 2026 (legislative day 37)
From 7:42:02 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The majority leader moved to adjourn pursuant to HR 998 until 10 a.m. on Friday, March 27, 2026. After committee announcements, the Senate approved adjournment by voice vote.
Status timeline
- Senate Transmitted House (Senate)
- Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
- House Immediately Transmitted to Senate (House)
- House Read and Adopted (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Chuck Efstration (R, HD-104)
Votes
- House voteJanuary 12, 2026
150 yea, 27 nay (0 not voting, 1 excused)
- Senate voteJanuary 12, 2026
51 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 3 excused)
Topics
- legislative schedule
- General Assembly session
- Crossover Day
- Sine Die
- legislative emergency procedures