In a
legislature, a
special session (also
extraordinary session) is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal
legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year (often delayed by conflict between
political parties), such as outlining the
government's
budget for the next
fiscal year, biennium, or other period. Special sessions may also be called during an
economic downturn in order to cut the budget. In other cases, a special session may be convened to address special topics, or emergencies such as
war or
natural disaster.