Legislative Deadlines and Exemptions

The California Legislature includes in its Joint Rules a listing of deadlines for the first and second years of its 2-year Legislative Session. These deadlines are contained in Joint Rule 61. JR 61 specifies that “the deadlines set forth in this rule shall be observed by the Senate and Assembly. After each deadline, the Secretary of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the Assembly may not accept committee reports from their respective committees except as otherwise provided in this rule.”

Joint Rule 61(a) provides the deadlines for the odd-numbered (or first) year of the Session, while JR 61(b) sets forth the deadlines for the even-numbered (or second) year of the Session.

Thereafter, Joint Rule 61 establishes a number of exceptions:

(f) The deadlines imposed by this rule do not apply to the rules committees of the respective houses.

(g) The deadlines imposed by this rule do not apply in instances where a bill is referred to committee under Rule 26.5.

(h) The deadlines imposed by this rule do not apply in instances where a bill is referred to a committee under Assembly Rule 77.2 or Senate Rule 29.10.

(i)  Either house may meet for the purpose of considering and passing a constitutional amendment, or a bill that would go into immediate effect pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 8, or subdivision (e) of Section 12, of Article IV of the California Constitution, at any time during the session.

Also, Joint and Concurrent Resolutions are exempt from these deadlines under Joint Rule 6.

Finally, under subdivision (j), Joint Rule 61 may be suspended as to any particular bill by approval of the Committee on Rules and two-thirds vote of the membership of the house.