Virginia General Assembly 2027: Session Opens Wed., Jan. 13

The Virginia General Assembly convenes Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2027, and prefiling ends at 10:00 a.m. that day, according to the Division of Legislative Services (DLS). The constitution sets the meeting day as the second Wednesday in January. The division’s 2027 prefiling schedule, adopted under 2026 House Joint Resolution 30, runs from Nov. 16, 2026 to Jan. 13, 2027, and is the only part of the 2027 calendar published so far.

Virginia General Assembly 2027 session dates

Milestone	Date	Source
Prefiling began	Mon., July 20, 2026	DLS: “Prefiling begins Monday, July 20, 2026”
General Assembly convenes (day 1)	Wed., Jan. 13, 2027	Constitution, Art. IV, Sec. 6: “The General Assembly shall meet once each year on the second Wednesday in January.”
Prefiling ends	Wed., Jan. 13, 2027, 10:00 a.m.	DLS 2027 prefiling schedule
Session length	30 days, extendable by up to 30	Constitution, Art. IV, Sec. 6
Reconvened session	Sixth Wednesday after adjournment, up to 3 days	Constitution, Art. IV, Sec. 6

The constitution says “no regular session of the General Assembly convened in an odd-numbered year shall continue longer than thirty days;” and that “any regular session may be extended for a period not exceeding thirty days.” The reconvened session “shall not continue longer than three days.”

Virginia prefiling deadlines for the 2027 session

Prefiling lets members and the public see bills before the session starts. The division’s calendar lists these steps. Days left count from today, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026.

Date	Days from Nov. 10	Deadline (DLS wording)
Mon., Nov. 16, 2026	6	“Last day for committees to act on legislation continued from the 2026 Regular Session by midnight”
Mon., Nov. 30, 2026	20	“All requests for drafts of legislation to be prefiled to DLS by 5:00 p.m.”
Thu., Dec. 31, 2026	51	“All drafts of legislation to be prefiled available for review by midnight”
Wed., Jan. 6, 2027	57	“All requests for drafts, redrafts, and corrections of legislation creating or continuing a study to DLS by 5:00 p.m.; All requests for redrafts and corrections for legislation to be prefiled to DLS by 5:00 p.m.”
Tue., Jan. 12, 2027	63	“All drafts of legislation to be prefiled available by noon”
Wed., Jan. 13, 2027	64	“Prefiling ends at 10:00 a.m.”

The calendar numbers session days from Jan. 13 as day 1, so Jan. 31 is day 19.

When does the governor’s budget proposal come due?

Section 2.2-1509(E) of the Code of Virginia says: “On or before December 20 of the year immediately prior to the beginning of each regular session held in an odd-numbered year of the General Assembly, the Governor shall submit to the presiding officer of each house printed copies of all gubernatorial amendments proposed to the general appropriation act.” December 20, 2026 is a Sunday.

What did the 2025 session calendar look like?

The last odd-year session is the nearest comparison. The division’s 2025 calendar, adopted under House Joint Resolution 430, convened the General Assembly on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, at noon. The 2027 column below is our count with the same day numbers from Jan. 13, 2027. It is not adopted, and the Assembly may set different dates.

Session day	2025 date and entry	Same day in 2027 (computed, not adopted)
10	Fri., Jan. 17: “All bills and joint resolutions filed with clerk by 3:00 p.m.”	Fri., Jan. 22
28	Tue., Feb. 4: “Each house to complete work on its own legislation except the Budget Bill” (crossover)	Tue., Feb. 9
30	Thu., Feb. 6: “Houses of introduction to complete work on the Budget Bill”	Thu., Feb. 11
36	Wed., Feb. 12: “Last day for each house to complete work on the Budget Bill and revenue bills of the other house and appoint conferees”	Wed., Feb. 17
41	Mon., Feb. 17: “Last day for any committee action on legislation by midnight”	Mon., Feb. 22
46	Sat., Feb. 22: “Adjournment Sine Die”	Sat., Feb. 27

In 2025, prefiling ended on day 6, Monday, Jan. 13, at 10:00 a.m. In 2027 it ends on day 1. The 2025 calendar said “Reconvened Session is scheduled for April 2, 2025,” and the House Clerk’s minutes list “April 02, 2025 - Reconvened Session.” The constitution puts the reconvened session on the sixth Wednesday after adjournment, so an adjournment on Feb. 27, 2027 would mean Wednesday, April 7, 2027. That is our count, not a scheduled date.

When does the governor act on bills, and when do new laws start?

Under Article V, Section 6(c), when fewer than seven days remain between a bill’s presentation and adjournment, “the Governor shall have thirty days from the date of adjournment of the regular or special session in which to act on the bills presented to him.” Article IV, Section 13 says laws enacted at a regular session “shall take effect on the first day of July following the adjournment,” with the general appropriation law excepted. For the 2027 session the default effective date is Thursday, July 1, 2027.

Print the Virginia General Assembly 2027 session tracker

The free one-page tracker lists the prefiling deadlines, opening day, the computed 2025-style session days and the July 1 default effective date, each with a box to check off. Pair it with a January 2027 calendar or a yearly calendar. For another legislature with a January start, see the Texas legislative session 2027 deadlines, and for how new officials take their seats, see when 2026 election winners take office.

Not yet announced: the 2027 session calendar, including crossover, the bill-filing deadline, adjournment and the reconvened session, which the General Assembly adopts when it convenes.