Special Sessions of the California Legislature, 1973-1974 to 2025-2026

Largest Number of Special Sessions Occurred During the 2009-10 Legislative Cycle

This column chart shows the number of special session convened in each legislative biennium (two-year period) since the 1973-1973 biennium. The largest number of special sessions (8) were convened during the 2009-2010 legislative biennium.

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Note: The 2025-2026 legislative cycle ends on November 30, 2026. Two-year legislative cycles (formally known as a "biennial session") began in 1973-74.

Source: "California's Legislature" (1973-1974 to 2013-2014) and Senate Histories (2015-2016 to 2025-2026)Embed Download image