Arkansas Legislative Session 2027: Prefiling Nov. 16, Starts Jan. 11

Arkansas members-elect can start prefiling bills and resolutions on Monday, Nov. 16, 2026, and the 96th General Assembly convenes Monday, Jan. 11, 2027, according to the Arkansas Bureau of Legislative Research (BLR). The BLR sheet, “2027 Regular Session Important Dates and Deadlines,” says prefiling opens Nov. 16 “or the date the election results are certified (whichever is later).” The certification date is not posted on an official page read for this story. A free printable tracker puts the dates in order.

The Arkansas House said on Oct. 23, 2026 that members can begin prefiling on Nov. 16, that the House holds its organizational meeting the next day, Tuesday, Nov. 17, and that the General Assembly officially convenes Jan. 11. No 2027 adjournment date is set.

Arkansas legislative session 2027 deadlines, with weekdays and day numbers

The BLR sheet prints dates, not weekdays or session days. The weekdays and day numbers below are computed, counting Jan. 11, 2027 as day 1. The last column is the same item on the BLR’s 2025 sheet, where it lists one.

Date	Weekday	Session day	What the BLR sheet says	Rule cited	2025 session
Nov. 16, 2026	Monday	Before session	Prefiling of bills and resolutions opens, or on certification of results if later	Joint Rule 23(A)	Nov. 15, 2024
Dec. 11, 2026	Friday	Before session	Feasibility study for certain health care legislation introduced by a member	House Rule 72(a), Senate Rule 7.18(h)	Not listed
Jan. 11, 2027	Monday	Day 1	Regular session convenes at noon	Arkansas Code 10-2-101(a)	Jan. 13, 2025
Jan. 25, 2027	Monday	Day 15	Deadline to file retirement legislation (*)	Joint Rule 14(B)(2), Code 10-2-115	Jan. 27, 2025
Jan. 25, 2027	Monday	Day 15	Deadline to file certain health care legislation	Joint Rule 15	Not listed
Jan. 25, 2027	Monday	Day 15	Deadline to file State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Program legislation (*)	Joint Rule 14(E)	Not listed
Feb. 10, 2027	Wednesday	Day 31	Deadline to file constitutional amendments	Joint Rule 19(D)	Not listed
Feb. 10, 2027	Wednesday	Day 31	Deadline to file lottery-funded scholarship legislation (*)	Code 6-85-501, Joint Rule 14(F)	Not listed
March 1, 2027	Monday	Day 50	Deadline to file appropriation bills	Joint Rule 14(A)	March 3, 2025

The asterisk is the sheet’s: “This deadline may be extended if House and Senate recess for more than four (4) days.” The 2025 dates come from the BLR’s 2025 sheet dated 08-29-24 and are shown only for comparison. They are the deadlines of the 95th General Assembly, not this one.

When does the Arkansas Legislature start in 2027?

The Regular Session of the 96th General Assembly convenes on Monday, Jan. 11, 2027, per the Arkansas Legislature’s session page. Arkansas Code 10-2-101(a) sets the hour as 12:00 noon on the second Monday in January of each odd-numbered year. Noon Central Time is 1 p.m. ET. The 2025 session convened Monday, Jan. 13, 2025.

When can Arkansas lawmakers prefile bills for 2027?

Joint Rule 23(A) lets members-elect prefile bills and resolutions once the Secretary of State certifies the election results of the members-elect of the next General Assembly. The sheet turns that into Nov. 16, 2026 or the certification date, whichever is later. In 2024 the 2025 sheet listed Nov. 15.

Earlier steps on the sheet are over. Pre-session budget hearings ran Oct. 6 to Nov. 6, 2026. The executive balanced budget was due “prior to November 12, 2026,” under Arkansas Code 19-4-304(b), which says no later than 60 days before the regular session begins. The sheet’s next date before the session is Friday, Dec. 11, 2026, the feasibility study for certain health care legislation, at least 30 days before the session convenes under House Rule 72(a) and Senate Rule 7.18(h).

Which Arkansas bill filing deadlines fall in 2027?

Filing deadlines follow a staggered schedule counted from Jan. 11.

• Monday, Jan. 25 (day 15): retirement legislation, certain health care legislation, and State and Public School Life and Health Insurance Program legislation.
• Wednesday, Feb. 10 (day 31): constitutional amendments and lottery-funded scholarship legislation.
• Monday, March 1 (day 50): appropriation bills, which Joint Rule 14(A) sets no later than the 50th day of each regular session.

The 2025 sheet lists retirement bills Jan. 27, 2025 and appropriation bills March 3, 2025.

How long is the Arkansas legislative session?

Article 5, Section 17 of the Arkansas Constitution, as amended by Amendment 86, says a regular biennial session “shall not exceed sixty (60) calendar days in duration, unless extended by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members elected to each house.” It adds that the session “shall not exceed seventy five (75) calendar days in duration, unless extended by a vote of three-fourths (3/4) of the members elected to each house.”

Counting Jan. 11, 2027 as day 1, day 60 is Thursday, March 11, 2027, and day 75 is Friday, March 26, 2027. Those are computed limits, not adjournment dates. The 2025 session convened Jan. 13, 2025 and adjourned sine die on Monday, May 5, 2025, per the Arkansas Legislature. The 2027 adjournment date is not set.

Print the Arkansas Legislature 2027 session tracker

The free tracker lists six dates from Nov. 16, 2026 to March 1, 2027 with days left to the appropriation deadline and a box to check off each. Pair it with a November 2026 calendar, a January 2027 calendar or a March 2027 calendar. For neighboring states, see the Oklahoma Legislature 2027 session, the Texas legislative session 2027 and the Missouri General Assembly 2027 session.