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Article VI, Section 2
Article VI, Section 15
Article VI, Section 16
Article IX, Section 1
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Proposal to Amend Utah Constitution - Legislative Duties
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Daniel McCay
House Sponsor:
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This joint resolution of the Utah Legislature proposes to amend the Utah Constitution to
modify provisions related to the annual general session.
Highlighted Provisions:
This resolution proposes to amend the Utah Constitution to:
authorize the Legislature to convene in an annual general session on nonconsecutive days;
require both houses of the Legislature to meet in general session on the same days; and
make conforming changes.
Other Special Clauses:
This resolution directs the lieutenant governor to submit this proposal to voters.
This resolution provides a contingent effective date of
January 1, 2028
for this proposal.
Utah Constitution Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
Article VI, Section 2
Article VI, Section 15
Article VI, Section 16
Article IX, Section 1
Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, two-thirds of all members elected to each
of the two houses voting in favor thereof:
Section 1. It is proposed to amend Utah Constitution, Article VI, Section 2 to read
Article VI, Section 2
. [Time and location of annual general sessions -- Location
of sessions convened by the Governor or Legislature -- Sessions convened by the
Legislature.]
(1)
(a)
Annual general sessions of the Legislature shall be held at the seat of government
and shall begin on the day in January designated by statute.
(b)
An annual general session may occur on nonconsecutive days throughout the
calendar year, provided the time period described in Article VI, Section 16, is not
exceeded.
(c)
Both houses shall meet in annual general session on the same days of the calendar
year.
(2)
A session convened by the Governor under Article VII, Section 6 and a session
convened by the Legislature under Subsection
(3)
shall be held at the seat of
government, unless convening at the seat of government is not feasible due to epidemic,
natural or human-caused disaster, enemy attack, or other public catastrophe.
(3)
(a)
The President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives shall by
joint proclamation convene the Legislature into session if a poll conducted by the
President and Speaker of their respective houses indicates that two-thirds of all
members elected to each house are in favor of convening the Legislature into session
because in their opinion a persistent fiscal crisis, war, natural disaster, or emergency
in the affairs of the State necessitates convening the Legislature into session.
(b)
The joint proclamation issued by the President and Speaker shall specify the business
for which the Legislature is to be convened, and the Legislature may not transact any
business other than that specified in the joint proclamation, except that the
Legislature may provide for the expenses of the session and other matters incidental
to the session.
(c)
The Legislature may not be convened into session under this Subsection
(3)
during
the 30 calendar days immediately following the adjournment sine die of an annual
general session of the Legislature.
(d)
In a session convened under this Subsection
(3)
, the cumulative amount of
appropriations that the Legislature makes may not exceed an amount equal to 1% of
the total amount appropriated by the Legislature for the immediately preceding
completed fiscal year.
(e)
Nothing in this Subsection
(3)
affects the Governor's authority to convene the
Legislature under Article VII, Section 6.
Section 2. It is proposed to amend Utah Constitution, Article VI, Section 15 to read
Article VI, Section 15
. [Sessions to be public.]
All sessions of the Legislature, except those of the Senate while sitting in executive
session, shall be public
; and neither house, without the consent of the other, shall adjourn for
more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which it may be holding session
.
Section 3. It is proposed to amend Utah Constitution, Article VI, Section 16 to read
Article VI, Section 16
. [Duration of sessions.]
Except in cases of impeachment:
(1)
no annual general session of the Legislature may exceed 45 calendar days, excluding
state holidays and federal holidays
days provided by statute
;
(2)
no session of the Legislature convened by the Governor under Article VII, Section 6
may exceed 30 calendar days; and
(3)
no session of the Legislature convened by the Legislature under Article VI, Section 2,
Subsection
(3)
may exceed 10 calendar days.
Section 4. It is proposed to amend Utah Constitution, Article IX, Section 1 to read
Article IX, Section 1
. [Dividing the state into districts.]
No later than the
start of the
annual general session next following the Legislature's
receipt of the results of an enumeration made by the authority of the United States, the
Legislature shall divide the state into congressional, legislative, and other districts accordingly.
Section 5.
Submittal to voters.
The lieutenant governor is directed to submit this proposed amendment to the voters of
the state at the next regular general election in the manner provided by law.
Section 6.
Contingent effective date.
If the amendment proposed by this joint resolution is approved by a majority of those
voting on it at the next regular general election, the amendment shall take effect on January 1,
2028.
2-26-26 9:04 AM