Bill
HB 761
Constitutional amendment caps regular NC General Assembly sessions: 90 days odd years, 45 days even years; requires voter approval in 2026 referendum.
Status & Key Dates
- Bill number: HB 761 — "Limit Session Length."
- Introduced: November 12, 2024.
- Status: Passed first reading (added to Rules, Calendar & Operations of the House on April 7, 2025).
- Next procedural step: the bill proposes a constitutional amendment that must be approved by voters in a statewide referendum on November 3, 2026. If ratified and certified, the amendment becomes effective upon certification and applies to regular sessions beginning on or after that date.
Purpose / Intent
- To amend the North Carolina Constitution to impose explicit limits on the length of regular legislative sessions, with the stated goal of constraining how long the General Assembly may remain in session during each biennial cycle.
Key Provisions
- Amends Section 11(1) of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution to add explicit day limits for regular sessions:
- Odd-numbered years: no more than 90 legislative days.
- Even-numbered years: no more than 45 legislative days.
- Exclusions: Any reconvened session called under Article III, Section 5 and any extra session called under Article II, Section 11(2) or Article III, Section 5(7) are excluded from the day-count calculation.
- Enforcement clause: After the prescribed time limit for a regular session has expired, the General Assembly may not take any valid action other than adopting a resolution of adjournment.
Who is Affected
- Directly: Members of the North Carolina General Assembly and legislative staff (calendar, committees, bill scheduling).
- Indirectly: State agencies, lobbyists, stakeholders, and members of the public who interact with the legislative process — shorter regular sessions may change timing and opportunities for testimony, negotiations, and bill revisions.
- Voters: Because the change is a constitutional amendment, its adoption requires approval by North Carolina voters in the specified statewide referendum.
Potential Impacts (practical implications)
- Compressed legislative calendar may require earlier pre-filing, tighter committee schedules, and prioritization of bills.
- Could increase reliance on reconvened or special/extra sessions (which are excluded from the day count) to complete unfinished work.
- May affect deliberation time, bill amendment windows, and the pace of oversight activity.
- Administrative effects on legislative support services (clerk, research, counsel) and planning for stakeholder engagement.
Ballot Language (as provided)
- Voters will see: “Constitutional amendment to limit the number of days the General Assembly can be in regular session in odd-numbered years to 90 legislative days and in even-numbered years to 45 legislative days.” (For / Against)
Sponsors and Referral
- Primary sponsors identified in bill materials include Representatives Lambeth, Warren, Watford, and Willis (plus other cosponsors listed in the bill packet).
- Referred to: Rules, Calendar & Operations of the House (as of April 7, 2025).
Procedural Note
- Because this is a proposed constitutional amendment, the legislature’s passage only places the amendment on the ballot; enactment requires a majority of statewide votes in the November 3, 2026 referendum and official certification thereafter.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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