Indiana legislative leaders announced Tuesday that both chambers of the General Assembly will reconvene in early December to begin work on the 2026 regular session, with congressional redistricting expected to be a central issue.
House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Pro Tem Rod Bray released separate statements outlining the schedule and procedural basis for reconvening the session weeks ahead of the traditional January start.
The Indiana House of Representatives will gavel in on Monday, Dec. 1. Huston said the House will be prepared to take up “all legislative business,” including consideration of new congressional maps. “House Republicans will gavel in on Monday, Dec. 1, reconvening the 2026 regular session,” Huston said. “All legislative business will be considered beginning next week, including redrawing the state’s congressional map. Because session will start early this year, we plan to adjust the calendar and complete our legislative business by the end of February.”
One week later, the Indiana Senate will reconvene on Monday, Dec. 8. Bray said the Senate expects to review and vote on whatever redistricting plan is adopted by the House. “The issue of redrawing Indiana’s congressional maps mid-cycle has received a lot of attention and is causing strife here in our state,” Bray said. “To resolve this issue, the Senate intends to reconvene as part of the regular 2026 session on Dec. 8 and make a final decision that week on any redistricting proposal sent from the House.”
Both leaders cited the same procedural authority for reconvening the session. Under Indiana Code 2-2.1-1-3, the General Assembly may reconvene either on a date set by concurrent resolution or when each chamber gavels in with a quorum present, regardless of whether a specific date was previously set. Because the 2026 second regular session officially convened on Organization Day on Nov. 18, lawmakers retain the ability to resume legislative business without additional legislative action.
The accelerated schedule means both chambers intend to complete their work by the end of February, several weeks earlier than the typical adjournment deadline in non-budget years. Legislative leaders indicated the earlier start is driven in part by the need to address congressional maps amid ongoing legal challenges and heightened political attention on redistricting.
Indiana’s congressional map, approved in 2021, has been the subject of increased scrutiny following recent federal court actions in other states and calls from advocacy groups for revisions. While specific proposals have not yet been released, House and Senate leadership confirmed redistricting will be taken up immediately once the chambers gavel in.
The early reconvening also allows legislators to begin work on other policy matters ahead of schedule. Huston and Bray noted that by starting earlier, the General Assembly can conclude all 2026 session business on an expedited timeline.
