Duration of regular sessions

BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 1
STATE OF WASHINGTON, IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ASSEMBLED:2
THAT, At the next general election to be held in this state the 3
secretary of state shall submit to the qualified voters of the state 4
for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to 5
Article II, section 12 of the Constitution of the state of Washington 6
to read as follows: 7
Article II, section 12. (1) Regular Sessions. A regular session 8
of the legislature shall be convened each year. Regular sessions 9
shall convene and adjourn on such day s and at such time s as the 10
legislature shall determine by statute. ((During each odd-numbered 11
year, the regular session shall not be more than one hundred five 12
consecutive days. During each even-numbered year, the regular session 13
shall not be more than sixty consecutive days.))14
(2) Special Legislative Sessions. Special legislative sessions 15
may be convened for a period of not more than thirty consecutive days 16
by proclamation of the governor pursuant to Article III, section 7 of 17
this Constitution. Special legislative sessions may also be convened 18
for a period of not more than thirty consecutive days by resolution 19
of the legislature upon the affirmative vote in each house of two-20
thirds of the members elected or appointed thereto, which vote may be 21
taken and resolution executed either while the legislature is in 22
S-4154.1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 8208
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Senators Hasegawa and Stanford
Read first time 01/21/26. Referred to Committee on State Government,
Tribal Affairs & Elections.
p. 1 SJR 8208
session or during any interim between sessions in accordance with 1
such procedures as the legislature may provide by law or resolution. 2
The resolution convening the legislature shall specify a purpose or 3
purposes for the convening of a special session, and any special 4
session convened by the resolution shall consider only measures 5
germane to the purpose or purposes expressed in the resolution, 6
unless by resolution adopted during the session upon the affirmative 7
vote in each house of two-thirds of the members elected or appointed 8
thereto, an additional purpose or purposes are expressed. The 9
specification of purpose by the governor pursuant to Article III, 10
section 7 of this Constitution shall be considered by the legislature 11
but shall not be mandatory. 12
(3) Committees of the Legislature. Standing and special 13
committees of the legislature shall meet and conduct official 14
business pursuant to such rules as the legislature may adopt.15
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this amendment is a single amendment 16
within the meaning of Article XXIII, section 1 of the state 17
Constitution. 18
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the legislature, pursuant to its 19
authority under RCW 29A.36.020(3), specifies the statement of subject 20
and concise description shall read: "The legislature has proposed a 21
constitutional amendment concerning the scheduling of regular 22
sessions of the House and Senate. This amendment would give the 23
legislature the authority to pass laws determining the duration of 24
regular sessions in both odd and even years, to address the needs of 25
Washington's population." 26
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause 27
notice of this constitutional amendment to be published at least four 28
times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every 29
legal newspaper in the state. 30
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p. 2 SJR 8208