Organization Day at the Indiana General Assembly

Organization Day at the Indiana General Assembly

Monday, November 21, 2016

On Tuesday, Nov. 22, the 120th Indiana General Assembly will meet at the Statehouse for the ceremonial start of the 2017 legislative session. This meeting, known as Organization Day, provides legislators an opportunity to meet with fellow lawmakers and staff to begin discussing legislative topics.

The General Assembly alternates between “short” and “long” sessions. The upcoming 2017 legislative session will reconvene in January and, by law, must end no later than April 29, making it a “long” session. Long sessions accommodate the larger workload that goes into crafting the state’s biennial budget.

Lawmakers will be working together to pass a comprehensive budget that funds all state government services including education, infrastructure and public safety for the next two years. On Organization Day, new and re-elected Senators and Representatives will also be sworn into office.

Indiana’s legislature is a “part-time, citizen legislature,” meaning it is structured so any citizen can serve as a Representative or Senator. Legislators meet for only a portion of the year, four days a week. This allows for state lawmakers to live and work in the communities they serve.

To stay informed and engaged as the legislature considers new laws, visit www.in.gov/iga to stream committee hearings and session meetings. Legislative calendars, meeting agendas, vote tallies and proposed legislation can also be found on this site.

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