Friday, February 21, marks the first legislative cutoff, meaning all bills must be voted out of their original committees. To advance, a bill must have had a hearing and received a committee vote. Bills with financial implications must also pass through a fiscal committee by February 28.
Following committee approval, bills move to the Rules Committee, which acts as a filter before they reach the full legislative body. The House Rules Committee is chaired by the Speaker of the House, while the Senate Rules Committee is led by the Lieutenant Governor. Only bills selected and voted out of these committees proceed to the floor for debate.
Once on the floor, the House Speaker or Senate Majority Leader decides when a bill will be debated and voted on by the full chamber – 98 members in the House and 49 in the Senate. Typically, a bill is only brought to a vote if it has enough support to pass. If approved, the bill moves to the opposite chamber, where the process begins again. The deadline for bills to pass their chamber of origin is March 12.
The 2025 Legislative Session is scheduled to adjourn on April 27, the 105th day of the session. The only bill the Legislature is required to pass and send to the Governor is the two-year Operating Budget, which covers the state’s fiscal cycle from July 1 to June 30 each year.
