Adjourn Sine Die
To adjourn sine die is to end a legislative session without setting a date for that session to reconvene. The phrase is Latin for “without a day.” A chamber may later meet in a new session or a new Congress, but the session that adjourned sine die has ended.
To adjourn sine die is to end a legislative session without setting a date for that session to reconvene. The phrase is Latin for “without a day.” A chamber may later meet in a new session or a new Congress, but the session that adjourned sine die has ended.
Example: At the end of the 118th Congress in January 2025, the outgoing Congress ended its work before the 119th Congress convened.
Common misconception: Adjournment sine die means Congress can never meet again. It ends a particular session; a later session or Congress can convene under the Constitution and chamber rules.
Sources: https://www.house.gov/the-house-explained/the-legislative-process; https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/rules-procedures.htm