Legislative Liaison
Legislative Liaison
Sine Die 2025: Legislative Session Wrap-Up
And that’s a wrap. Kentucky’s 2025 legislative session has officially adjourned Sine Die, capping off a whirlwind 30 working days. Members were asked to clean out their desks, which will be moved to temporary chambers on the Capitol grounds (er, parking lot) as contractors get to work on a three-year renovation of the Capitol building. The legislature is scheduled to return to the Capitol proper for the 2029 session, and if the recent turnover in the legislature holds, Friday will have been the last day legislating in the century-old building for many members, new and old.
To the work itself, the final two days of session were focused primarily, but not exclusively, on overriding gubernatorial vetoes. When the General Assembly returned from the veto recess, they had 29 veto messages from Democratic Governor Andy Beshear. For reference, during the 2024 60-day session, Beshear penned 26 veto messages. Kentucky has a very low threshold for overriding vetoes; the Constitution only requires a Constitutional majority of 51 House and 20 Senate members to override. But for two line-item vetoes, the legislative supermajorities flexed their override muscles on all 29 bills. The House and Senate committed the bulk of their work on Thursday to those overrides, filling downtime with Senate confirmations, honorary resolutions, and moving bills that require concurrence by the other chamber.
On the waterfront – bills relating to water fluoridation programs (HB16 & SB180), eminent domain (SB171& HB353), sanitation districts (HB 85), Public Service Commission (SB8), and PFAs (HB102), among others did not pass this session.
However, Senate Bill 89, initially vetoed and later overridden, has now been delivered to the Secretary of State to become law. SB 89 revises the definition of Waters of the Commonwealth to more closely align with federal Waters of the US definitions. In its final form, the bill reflects input from KRWA and industry stakeholders, working collaboratively with legislators to more effectively address some key water quality concerns.
Stay Connected
- Contact Lawmakers: You can leave messages for your representatives and senators through the Legislative Research Commission’s toll-free line at 800-372-7181 or find your legislator at legislature.ky.gov using the "Find Your Legislator" tool.
- Track Bills and Meetings: Stay updated on legislative proceedings by visiting legislature.ky.gov, watching live at KET.org/Legislature, or accessing archived footage on the LRC YouTube Channel at THIS LINK or KET.org/legislature/archives.
This issue of e-Liaison contains summary information for bills that we are tracking with details on the most recent activity for each bill. We will continue to highlight timely legislative news that is important to our members in each weekly issue. If you would like to suggest that we add a bill to the e-Liaison for tracking purposes, please contact KRWA.
HB1 |
INCOME TAX RATE (PETRIE J) AN ACT relating to the individual income tax rate. |
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Current Status: |
2/6/2025 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR; (Acts Ch. 1) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB16 |
WATER FLUORIDATION PROGRAMS (HART M) AN ACT relating to water fluoridation programs. |
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Current Status: |
3/4/2025 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Health Services (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB67 |
WAGES (GROSSBERG D) AN ACT relating to wages. |
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Current Status: |
2/4/2025 - (H) Referred to Committee House Economic Development & Workforce Investment (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB85 |
SANITATION DISTRICTS (ROBERTS T) AN ACT relating to sanitation districts. |
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Current Status: |
3/12/2025 - received in Senate |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB88 |
WASTE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS (CALLAWAY E) AN ACT relating to waste management districts. |
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Current Status: |
3/4/2025 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S) |
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HB102 |
PFAS SUBSTANCES (KULKARNI N) AN ACT relating to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. |
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Current Status: |
2/4/2025 - (H) Referred to Committee House Natural Resources & Energy (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB171 |
SPECIAL PURPOSE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES (THOMAS W) AN ACT relating to special purpose governmental entities. |
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Current Status: |
2/4/2025 - (H) Referred to Committee House Local Government (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB308 |
EXEMPTING KENTUCKY FROM DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME (DOAN S) AN ACT relating to exempting the Commonwealth of Kentucky from the observance of daylight saving time. |
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Current Status: |
2/7/2025 - (H) Referred to Committee House State Government (H) |
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HB326 |
UTILITY DISCONNECTION PROTECTION (WILLNER L) AN ACT relating to utility disconnection protections. |
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Current Status: |
2/7/2025 - (H) Referred to Committee House Natural Resources & Energy (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB327 |
UTILITY SERVICE DISCONNECTION REPORTS (WILLNER L) AN ACT relating to utility service disconnection reports by retail electric suppliers. |
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Current Status: |
2/7/2025 - (H) Referred to Committee House Natural Resources & Energy (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB331 |
BACKGROUND CHECKS ON THE SALE OR TRANSFER OF FIREARMS (BROWN JR. G) AN ACT relating to background checks on the sale or transfer of firearms. |
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Current Status: |
2/7/2025 - (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB336 |
COST OF LIVING INCREASE FOR STATE RETIREMENT BENEFITS (HANCOCK E) AN ACT relating to a cost-of-living increase to the retirement benefits for retired state employees, making an appropriation therefor, and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
2/7/2025 - (H) Referred to Committee House Appropriations & Revenue (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB345 |
PUBLIC CONTRACTS (FLANNERY P) AN ACT relating to public contracts. |
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Current Status: |
2/7/2025 - (H) Referred to Committee House State Government (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB353 |
EMINENT DOMAIN (ROBERTS T) AN ACT relating to eminent domain. |
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Current Status: |
2/7/2025 - (H) Referred to Committee House Judiciary (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB386 |
PUBLIC NOTICES (LEHMAN M) AN ACT relating to public notices. |
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Current Status: |
2/12/2025 - (H) Referred to Committee House Local Government (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB387 |
METROPOLITAN SEWER DISTRICTS (BAUMAN J) AN ACT relating to metropolitan sewer districts. |
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Current Status: |
3/11/2025 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB407 |
RAILROAD CROSSINGS (CALLOWAY J) AN ACT relating to railroad crossings. |
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Current Status: |
2/12/2025 - (H) Referred to Committee House Transportation (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB422 |
ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS (LEWIS D) AN ACT relating to administrative regulations. |
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Current Status: |
3/25/2025 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR; (Acts Ch. 88) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB615 |
ELECTRIC UTILITIES (MCCOOL B) AN ACT relating to electric utilities. |
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Current Status: |
2/26/2025 - (H) Referred to Committee House Natural Resources & Energy (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB616 |
INVESTOR OWNED ELECTRIC UTILITIES (MCCOOL B) AN ACT relating to investor-owned electric utilities. |
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Current Status: |
2/26/2025 - (H) Referred to Committee House Natural Resources & Energy (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB659 |
ENERGY (GOOCH JR. J) AN ACT relating to energy. |
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Current Status: |
2/26/2025 - (H) Referred to Committee House Natural Resources & Energy (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB660 |
NATURAL RESOURCES (GOOCH JR. J) AN ACT relating to natural resources. |
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Current Status: |
3/28/2025 - received in House w/ Letter |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB682 |
UTILITY RELOCATION (UPCHURCH K) AN ACT relating to utility relocation. |
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Current Status: |
3/24/2025 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR; (Acts Ch. 77) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB741 |
PUBLIC WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS (BRAY J) AN ACT relating to public water and wastewater systems and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
3/13/2025 - (S) Returned to Committee Senate Appropriations & Revenue (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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HB769 |
LOCAL GOVERNMENT (RUDY S) AN ACT relating to local government. |
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Current Status: |
3/11/2025 - (H) Returned to Committee House Local Government (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB8 |
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION (STIVERS R) AN ACT relating to the Public Service Commission. |
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Current Status: |
2/26/2025 - Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S), (Bill Scheduled for Hearing) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB50 |
SPECIAL DISTRICTS (MILLS R) AN ACT relating to special districts. |
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Current Status: |
3/27/2025 - (H) Returned to Committee House Local Government (H) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB64 |
KEY INFRASTRUCTURE ASSETS (STORM B) AN ACT relating to key infrastructure assets and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
3/19/2025 - SIGNED BY GOVERNOR; (Acts Ch. 42) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB89 |
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (MADON S) AN ACT relating to environmental protection and declaring an emergency. |
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Current Status: |
3/28/2025 - delivered to Secretary of State |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB171 |
EMINENT DOMAIN (WEST S) AN ACT relating to eminent domain. |
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Current Status: |
3/4/2025 - Senate Agriculture (S), (Bill Scheduled for Hearing) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB180 |
WATER FLOURIDATION PROGRAMS (TICHENOR L) AN ACT relating to water fluoridation programs. |
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Current Status: |
2/19/2025 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Health Services (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB204 |
ENERGY (WHEELER P) AN ACT relating to energy. |
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Current Status: |
2/20/2025 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB205 |
PUBLIC UTILITIES (WHEELER P) AN ACT relating to public utilities. |
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Current Status: |
2/20/2025 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB211 |
ENERGY (CARROLL D) AN ACT relating to energy. |
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Current Status: |
2/20/2025 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB212 |
ENVIRONMENT (CARROLL D) AN ACT relating to the environment. |
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Current Status: |
2/20/2025 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB216 |
ENERGY (WHEELER P) AN ACT relating to energy. |
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Current Status: |
2/20/2025 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB248 |
ENERGY (SMITH B) AN ACT relating to energy. |
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Current Status: |
3/6/2025 - (S) Returned to Committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB251 |
REORGANIZATION (STIVERS R) AN ACT relating to reorganization. |
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Current Status: |
2/20/2025 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate State & Local Government (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB252 |
ENVRIONMENT (SMITH B) AN ACT relating to the environment. |
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Current Status: |
2/20/2025 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SB259 |
ENERGY (WISE M) AN ACT relating to energy. |
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Current Status: |
2/20/2025 - (S) Referred to Committee Senate Natural Resources & Energy (S) |
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State Bill Page: |
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SCR67 |
ESTABLISHING THE DISATER PREVENTION AND RESILIENCY TASK FORCE (WEBB R) A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION establishing the Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task Force to study disaster mitigation, risk assessment, infrastructure resilience, and planning for natural disasters that impact the Commonwealth. |
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Current Status: |
3/6/2025 - received in House |
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State Bill Page: |
Keeping up with the Legislature has never been easier! The state has updated its Legislative website. From this site, you can view all bills and resolutions, contact legislators, by email and check on legislative committee schedules and calendars. You can reach a legislator in person by calling 502-564-8100 (not toll-free).
The toll-free meeting schedule information line is 1-800-633-9650. The toll-free message line is 1-800-372-7181, to leave a message for a legislator or an entire committee. The TTY message line is 1-800-896-0305. En Espanol, el nombre es 1-866-840-6574. The toll-free bill status number is 1-866-840-2835.
Every issue of e-Liaison will contain summary information for each bill that we track with a section that details the most recent activity with the bill. We will continue to highlight timely legislative news that is important to our members in each issue. If you would like to suggest that we add a bill to the e-Liaison for tracking, please contact KRWA. By clicking on the link, you will be taken to the bill summary on the LRC’s website.
The Kentucky legislature convenes in regular session on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January for 60 days in even-numbered years and for 30 days in odd-numbered years. It convenes in special sessions at the call of the governor.
The Kentucky Constitution mandates that a regular session be completed no later than April 15 in even-numbered years and March 30 in odd-numbered years.
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