THIRD EXTRAORDINARY SESSION CALLED 
Governor Davis has called a special session on Tuesday, October 9 to consider and act upon legislation affecting the operation, maintenance, finances, and financial viability of investor-owned utilities that provide electricity or natural gas to California residents and businesses, including their procurement portfolios and practices, and service by alternate energy providers in their service territory. 
Extraordinary (Special) Session Rules and Procedures
Call of Special Session: 
Only the Governor has the authority to convene a special session of the Legislature. In convening the session, the Governor must issue a proclamation outlining the reasons for the special session, and only issues specified in the proclamation may be acted upon. 
Election of Special Session Officers, Committees and Bill Referrals: 
The election of officers and the appointment of special session committees are separate from the Legislature's regular session. In some instances, special session committees are comprised of different committee members than those appointed to regular session committees. 
Identification of Special Session Bills and Publications: 
Separate record-keeping publications (File, History, Journal and Roll Call) are printed for each individual extraordinary session. Special session bills are identified by specific paper colors (i.e. blue or green). For example, documents in the 2001 Second Extraordinary Session are printed on green paper. 
Introduction of Special Session Bills: 
There is no limit to the number of bills that a member of the Legislature may introduce during the extraordinary session, and none of the bills introduced during the extraordinary session count toward the member's bill limit in the Regular Session. 
Special Session Bill Procedures and Calendars: 
There is no bill introduction deadline during special sessions, and the "30-day in print" rule and committee file notice requirements do not apply. Special session bills also are not subject to the regular legislative session calendar, committee and/or floor deadlines. The sine die deadline requiring session to adjourn on November 30 of the second year of a legislative session does apply to the Special Session. 
Effective Date of Special Session Legislation: 
Simple majority vote special session bills take effect on the 91st day after the special session is adjourned. Urgency measures and other two-thirds majority-vote bills take effect immediately upon the Governor's signature. The Governor has 12 days from the date it is received on his desk to sign or veto legislation. Similar to the Regular Session, a special session bill may become law without the Governor's signature. 
End of Special Session: 
Only the Legislature, by concurrent resolution, may end a special session. The concurrent resolution takes effect upon passage by both houses of the Legislature, and is not subject to a Governor's signature or veto.