Virtual vs. in-person session status (2021 sessions as of ##/##/####)


1	Source: MultiState	Will session be in-person, virtual, or a hybrid model?			If in-person, is there public access to the capitol and other legislative buildings?			If in-person, are masks required in the capitol and other legislative buildings (for members and/or visitors)?
2	Last updated: August 3, 2021	In-person, Virtual, Hybrid, or TBD	Notes	Source(s)	Yes, No, or TBD	Notes	Source(s)	Yes, No, or TBD	Notes	Source(s)

3	Alabama	In-person	The Fourth and Fifth floors of the State House are closed to the public to allow members and staff to have more room for social distancing.	House Protocols	Yes	All employees and visitors entering the State House shall be subjected to a COVID screening.	Senate Health Safety Protocols	Yes	Members, staff, and the public are required to wear masks in all common areas.	Senate Health Safety Protocols
4	Alaska	In-person	As of 6/16/21, Covid testing no longer required for legislators or anyone entering the Capitol.	Legislative Council COVID-19 Mitigation Policy	Yes	Capitol reopened to the public as of 6/16/21	Legislative Council COVID-19 Mitigation Policy	No	Masks no longer required.	Legislative Council COVID-19 Mitigation Policy
5	Arizona	In-person	Both chambers meeting in-person; members allowed to vote remotely as needed, as long as a quorum is present in the chamber.	House Clerk	Yes	Public allowed to attend sessions in House gallery. Appointments required to meet with members.	House Clerk	No	As of 3/29/21, members encouraged to wear facial protection, but no longer required	Arizona Daily Star
6	Arkansas	In-Person	Session rules and Covid health precautions released Jan. 7.	Arkansas Senate -- Arkansas House -- Arkansas Secretary of State	Yes	All individuals will be submitted to a temperature check and onsite health screening and be given an armband indicating admittance at the entrance to either the State Capitol Building or the MAC Building that calendar day prior to entering the House or Senate chamber, a committee room, or public comment holding room.	Arkansas Senate -- Arkansas House -- Arkansas Secretary of State	Yes	With limited exceptions, a mask or other cloth face covering will be required to be worn over the mouth and nose of every individual in committee rooms and public comment holding rooms at all times.	Arkansas Senate -- Arkansas House -- Arkansas Secretary of State
7	California	In-Person	Both chambers meeting in-person; Senate committees require social distancing be maintained. Unvaccinated members or staff required to be tested weekly.	Sacramento Bee	Yes	As of 6/15/21, the Capitol is open to the public.	Sacramento Bee	Yes	Masks required in common areas of the Capitol and legislative buildings. Social distancing required in Senate. Vaccinated individuals may remove mask in offices.	Sacramento Bee
8	Colorado	In-person	Session resumed in-person Feb. 16, after one-month recess to allow for members and staff to be vaccinated	Colorado Sun	Yes		Colorado Sun	Yes	Masks required, but not enforced	Denver Post
9	Connecticut	In-person	Capitol reopens 7/5/21; had been closed since the start of the pandemic in March 2020	CT Mirror	Yes	Capitol reopens 7/5/21	CT Mirror
10	Delaware	Virtual	12/17/20 General Assembly leaders announced 2021 will meet virtually, at least through January. Decisions about future meetings will be made in weeks to come.	Delaware House Speaker Press Release	No	Legislative Hall remains closed to the public until further notice.	Delaware General Assembly
11	Florida	In-Person	Legislature determined that it is legally required to meet in-person.	Updated Covid-19 Protocols	Yes	Capitol Complex to be completely open beginning May 7, 2021.	Updated Covid-19 Protocols	No	Masks optional as of May 7, 2021.	Updated Covid-19 Protocols
12	Georgia	In-person		Atlanta Journal Constitution	Yes			Yes	Masks are required for visitors and lawmakers.	Atlanta Journal Constitution
13	Hawaii	Hybrid	House to meet in-person; Senate holding session virtually.	Hawaii Public Radio	No	State Capitol Building remains closed (as of 12/2/2020)	Hawaii State Legislature	Yes	Face coverings required in public. No exception for legislature.	Office of the Governor David Ige
14	Idaho	In-Person		Contacted Legislative Services Office	Yes	Guided tours are not available but the Capitol is open for self-guided tours	Idaho Legislature	No	Governor Brad Little has not issued a mask mandate for the state but has strongly encouraged the use of masks	The Associated Press
15	Illinois	Hybrid	House and Senate meeting in-person, but committees hearings virtual	Remote Legislative Hearing Process	No	The Capitol closed to all but employees and others with permission.	NBC5 Chicago	Yes
16	Indiana	In-Person	Senate will meet in the Statehouse while the House will move its meetings to a larger room in a nearby state government building.	Indy Star	No	Capitol is closed to the public. Committee hearings viewable online only.	The Times of Northwest Indiana	Yes	Masks are required when visiting the capitol and other legislative buildings, although legislators are exempt.	Indy Star
17	Iowa	In-person	Metings to be broadcast online, and some hearing moved to larger rooms to allow for more social distancing.	The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)	Yes	Capitol is open. Members of the public entering the Capitol building will have in-person health check.	The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)	No	Masks and face shields will be available for those who voluntarily want to wear one.	The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)
18	Kansas	In-person	In-person meetings with social distancing.	The Topeka Capital Journal	No	Limited access only to those with business at the capitol.	The Topeka Capital Journal	Yes	Masks are not required in the capitol building.	The Topeka Capital Journal
19	Kentucky	In-person	Legislature is meeting in-person.	Legislative Research Commission	Yes	Seating may be spaced at committee hearings to allow for social distancing, and highly attened meetings will use overflow spaces.	Legislative Research Commission	No	Vaccinated visitors are not required to wear a mask in the Capitol. Unvaccinated guests should wear a mask at all times. All guests should be prepared to wear a mask in areas controlled by the state executive branch.	Legislative Research Commission
20	Louisiana	In-person	2021 session does not convene until April 12. October 2020 special session held in person.	State of Louisiana Legislature	Yes	Temperatures taken before entering the building; those with fever over 100.4 will be denied entry. PPE encouraged to be worn. Handouts are not allowed to be distributed at committee meetings; no one allowed to approach dais. Viewing of floor proceedings only allowed from balcony in each chamber.	State of Louisiana Legislature	No	Everyone is encouraged, but not required, to wear personal protection equipment. Masks, gloves and hand sanitizer provided.	State of Louisiana Legislature
21	Maine	In-person	Returns to normal operations 6/2/21	Bangor Daily News	Yes	State House reopened to the public 5/24/21	Maine State Legislature	Yes	Legislative Council voted 5/20/21 to continue mask requirement in State House.	Bangor Daily News
22	Maryland	In-person	Returns to normal operations 5/21/21	Baltimore Sun	Yes	As of 5/21/21, the State House is open to the public.	Baltimore Sun	No	Vaccinated persons do not need to wear masks; unvaccinated individuals are asked to wear a mask inside the State House.	Baltimore Sun
23	Massachusetts	Hybrid	Members are encouraged to participate remotely.	Boston Herald \| MassLive	No	Closed in March, the state house remains barred to the public.	Bureau of the State House	Yes	11/2: Governor Baker also signed an updated order related to face-coverings. The revised order requires all persons to wear face-coverings in all public places, even where they are able to maintain 6 feet of distance from others.	Office of the Governor Charles Baker
24	Michigan	In-person	House and Senate rules require meetings and voting sessions be conducted in-person.	M-Live	Yes	Health screenings required upon entry. Social distancing enforces in committee meetings, and capacity reduced to 50% in committee meetings; House gallerty reserved for members and media; floor session viewing available in library and live-streamed.	House Session Protocols	Yes	Emergency Order Under MCL 333.2253 required people to wear face coverings when participating in gatherings in government buildings. For members, however, it is recommended but not required that they wear masks or face coverings when not able to maintain social distance.	Emergency Order under MCL 333.2253
25	Minnesota	In-person	Capitol reopened June 10.	Pioneer Press	Yes	Capitol Building reopened to the public June 10.	Pioneer Press	No	Masks not required, but strongly encouraged for unvaccinated individuals.	Dept. of Administration
26	Mississippi	In-person	Session meeting in-person beginning Jan. 5, despite earlier discussion of delaying session.	Clarion Ledger	Yes	The Capitol is open to the public, but guided tours are suspended during the pandemic.	Mississippi Legislature	Yes	Masks are required to be worn in the Capitol.	WJTV.com
27	Missouri	In-person	No masks required.	The Missouri Times	Yes			No
28	Montana	In-person	Joint Rules Committee voted 12/16/20 to hold session in-person. Rules to be voted by full House and Senate when session convenes 1/4/21. Changes and amendments to the health protocols could be adopted at that time.	NBC Montana	Yes	The capitol is open, but tours/presentations are canceled.	Montana State Legislature	No	Although Montana has a statewide rule, lawmakers ruled that the legislative branch is exempt from the executive branch's mask mandate.	NBC Montana
29	Nebraska	In-person	Only members of the media are allowed to view session from the balcony. The public and lobbyists not permitted in the legislative chamber during session meetings.	Omaha World-Herald	Yes	Th capitol is open	Nebraska State Legislature	No	City of Lincoln mask mandate does not apply inside the state Capitol. Members and visitors requested, but not required, to wear a mask in the Statehouse.	Lincoln Journal Star
30	Nevada	In-person	As of 5/20/21, the Legislative Building is 100% open.	Nevada Legislature	Yes	As of 5/20/21, the Legislative Building is open to the public. Proof of negative COVID test or vaccinations required for entry. Beginning 5/21/21, testing will be available 7 days per week.	KTNV	No	Masks are required to be worn in the legislative building only by those who are unvaccinated.	KTNV
31	New Hampshire	In-person	Beginning 6/14/21, the House and Senate will be meeting in-person in the State House.	The General Court of New Hampshire	Yes	The State House and Legislative Office Building reopen to beginning 6/14/21.	The General Court of New Hampshire	No	Mask mandate lifted 5/7/21 by vote of the Joint Facilities Committee.	Associated Press
32	New Jersey	Hybrid	AB 3852 and SB 2296 allow conduct of State business and legislative sessions at locations other than Trenton during periods of emergency or other exigency and allow conduct of legislative business using electronic means.	Office of the Governor Phil Murphy	No	Due to the current Public Health Emergency and State of Emergency, access to the interior of the State Capitol Complex is limited to members of government, government employees/contractors, credentialed members of the press, and invited participants with business in the Complex.	New Jersey Legislature	Yes	In New Jersey, individuals must wear face coverings in indoor spaces open to the public, including government buildings open to the public. (Executive Order 163)	Executive Order 163
33	New Mexico	Virtual	The 2021 session will be held almost entirely online.	New Mexico Legislature \| Associated Press	No	The State Capitol is closed to visitors.	Santa Fe New Mexican
34	New York	Hybrid	As of 5/19/21, the Capitol is open and lawmakers are meeting in person, but members are allowed to continue to meeting remotely if they so choose.	Speaker Carl Heastie Statement	Yes	Capitol is open to the public as of 5/19/21.	Speaker Carl Heastie Statement	Yes	Masks are required.	Speaker Carl Heastie Statement
35	North Carolina	In-person		WRAL.com	Yes		WRAL.com	Yes	Masks are required for the public and are recommended, but not required for legislators inside the Legislative Building.	WRAL.com
36	North Dakota	In-person	Lawmakers can participate remotely from home if sick or from office space in the Capitol if desired.	KX News \| The Bismarck Tribune	Yes	All individuals entering the Capitol Complex are required to complete health screening via a kiosk daily when they first enter the facility.	COVID-19 Screening Instructions	No	Rule change adopted March 8 drops face coverning requirement for legislators in both chambers, effective March 15	KXNet.com
37	Ohio	In-person	Sessions continue in-person.		Yes	Tours of the Capitol are suspended, but the public is permitted to visit.	Ohio Statehouse.org	No	Visitors urged to wear masks and practice social distancing, but not required.	Ohio Statehouse.org
38	Oklahoma	In-person	Members have plexiglass installed between desks, and the public is requested to socially distance in the galleries.	Oklahoma House 2021 Session COVID-19 Protocols	Yes	Visitors allowed.	Oklahoma House 2021 Session COVID-19 Protocols	Yes	Masks requested, but not required, to be worn when social distancing is not possible.	Oklahoma House 2021 Session COVID-19 Protocols
39	Oregon	In-person	Capitol Building reopened July 12.	Oregon Legislature	Yes	Capitol Building reopened July 12.	Oregon Legislature	No
40	Pennsylvania	In-person	In-person, but both House and Senate rules allow for full remote participation by members.	Patriot-News	No	The Pennsylvania Capitol Complex is closed to the public until further notice.	Pennsylvania Department of General Services	No	Masks encouraged, not required for members.	Pittsburgh Post Gazette
41	Rhode Island	In-person	Sessions will be in-person, but not at the state house. They will be held in an auditorium at RI College. Committees will be virtual and so will testimony.	Contacted Senate President's office	No	Capitol is closed to the public, as of 12/11/2020	Contacted Senate Secretary's office	Yes	Masks will be required for all staff and legislators.	Contacted Senate President's office
42	South Carolina	In-person		The State	No		The State	No	Masks not required, but "strongly encouraged"	The State
43	South Dakota	In-person	Remote participation by a legislator will be allowed by the chamber’s presiding officer under one of three situations: The member has COVID-19; the member is in quarantine; or the member or a person in the household has a pre-existing medical condition that requires the member to stay remote.	KELOLAND News	Yes		KELOLAND News	Yes	Senators and representatives will wear masks — with some caveats.	KELOLAND News
44	Tennessee	In-person	House meeting in-person, but limited public in-person viewing for floor sessions or hearings; Senate meeting in-person, but public is not allowed to attend in-person. Testimony at Senate hearings to be done remotely only.	Tennessean	No	State Capitol temporarily closed to visitors.	Tennessee General Assembly	Yes	Masks required for the public, but not legislators inside the Capitol	Chattanooga Times Free Press
45	Texas	In-person	Legislative offices open by appointment only. Registration system created for those wishing to testify in-person in committee hearings.	Texas State Capitol Preservation Board	Yes	Public visitor capacity limits will be observed and social distancing required in all public areas at all times.	Texas State Capitol Preservation Board	Yes	Members no longer required to wear masks as of 4/30/21. Masks encouraged, but not required for members of the public visiting the Capitol.	Texas Tribune
46	Utah	Hybrid	Legislators have option to meet in-person or virtually. Public may watch hearings and submit hearing testimony online only.	COVID-19 Legislative Procedures - Utah House of Representatives	No	The Utah State Capitol remains temporarily closed to visitors.	Utah State Capitol homepage	Yes	Masks are required to be worn in indoor areas of the Capitol Complex at all times.	COVID-19 Legislative Procedures - Utah House of Representatives
47	Vermont	Virtual	The session will be conducted virtually when it begins in January, and will be reassessed on a monthly basis	Contacted Sergeant at Arms	No	State House is closed to the public during the COVID crisis.	Vermont General Assembly	Yes	Visitors are not allowed, and staff members must wear masks	Contacted Sergeant at Arms
48	Virginia	In-person	The Capitol and legislative buildings reopen 7/1/21. Occupancy limits will be closely monitored in committee rooms, with no standing allowed in committee rooms or in doorways. Clerks’ offices will continue to provide and promote the live-streaming of committee meetings, and other opportunities for the public to engage virtually in the legislative process via the General Assembly website.	Virginia General Assembly - Visiting the State Capitol	Yes	As of 7/1/21, the Virginia Capitol will be open to the public.	Virginia General Assembly - Visiting the State Capitol	No	Masks encouraged for unvaccinated individuals.	Virginia General Assembly - Visiting the State Capitol
49	Washington	Virtual (House) / Hybrid (Senate)	Only in-peson meeting for House is the first day, which will be held in a Thurston County facility large enough to allow for social distancing. After opening day, the House to meet virtually for remainder of session. In Senate, all members to meet in-person on first day. After opening day, some members to meet in-person, others virtually.	House Session Operations Plan / Senate Session Guidelines	No	Access restricted to legislators and certain staff only.	House Session Operations Plan / Senate Session Guidelines	Yes	Facemasks required to be worn in the Capitol.	House Session Operations Plan / Senate Session Guidelines
50	West Virginia	In-person	Lawmakers meeting in-person, but public is not permitted in the building except for official business. House to hold some hearings in House chamber to allow for more distancing. Senators allowed to meet virtually from their offices.	WV Metro News	No	Public is not permitted in the Capitol. Public participation in hearings will be virtual.	WV Metro News	Yes	Masks are required for members and the public. Members choosing not to wear masks must remain in the gallery.	WV Metro News
51	Wisconsin	In-person	Session meeting in-person. Members asked to wear masks and be socially distant, but not mandated.	Wisconsin Examiner	Yes	Resolution adopted by legislature 1/4/21 to reopen the Capitol building.	Capital Times	No	Masks encouraged, but not required in the Capitol.	Wisconsin Examiner
52	Wyoming	Virtual	Lawmakers meeting virtually Jan. 28 - Feb. 5; then recessed until March 1. Beginning March 1, the session moves to a hybrid model, with some members meeting in-person and others allowed to meet via remote meeting technology if they so choose.	Governor and Legislative Leadership Outline Protocols for a Safe Legislative Session in March	No	Session meeting virtually until at least March 1; public will be allowed into building beginning March 1.	Governor and Legislative Leadership Outline Protocols for a Safe Legislative Session in March	Yes	Mask usage by legislative members is required in legislative spaces unless the member is seated at their desk or when proper social distancing can be maintained. Masks are required in other parts of the Capitol per state health orders. Mask usage is required for the public in legislative spaces.	Governor and Legislative Leadership Outline Protocols for a Safe Legislative Session in March