Maryland Legislative Branch Maryland General Assembly
What is the power function of this branch as a state congress?
What is the structure of Maryland's General Assembly? Who is the Senate President? House President?
How many members?
How many members?
Maryland House of Delegates
Term Limits?
Who can be a Delegate?
What is the name of your district? Who represents your district?
Maryland Senate
Term Limits?
Who can be a Senator?
Who represents your district?
What are its limitations, compared to the national levels of Congress?
Describe the legislative process in Maryland. List the steps of a Maryland bill becoming a state law
The power function of the Maryland Legislative Branch, also known as the Maryland General Assembly, is to create and pass state laws. They have the authority to introduce, debate, and vote on bills that affect the state and its residents.
The structure of Maryland's General Assembly consists of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Delegates. The Senate is led by the Senate President, and the House of Delegates is led by the House Speaker.
The current Senate President of Maryland is Bill Ferguson, and the current House Speaker is Adrienne A. Jones.
The Maryland General Assembly has a total of 188 members. The House of Delegates has 141 members, and the Senate has 47 members.
Term limits for members of the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland Senate are not explicitly defined in the state constitution. However, there is a tradition of members serving no more than three consecutive terms in either chamber.
Any citizen who meets the age, residency, and voter registration requirements can run for the position of Delegate in Maryland. There are no specific qualifications or educational requirements to become a Delegate.
The name of your district and the representative who represents it can vary depending on the location of the individual asking the question. To find the specific name and representative of a district, one would need to provide their location.
Term limits for members of the Maryland Senate are not explicitly defined in the state constitution. However, there is a tradition of members serving no more than two consecutive terms in the Senate.
Any citizen who meets the age, residency, and voter registration requirements can run for the position of Senator in Maryland. There are no specific qualifications or educational requirements to become a Senator.
The specific representative who represents a district in the Maryland Senate can vary depending on the location of the individual asking the question. To find the specific representative, one would need to provide their location.
Compared to the national levels of Congress, the Maryland General Assembly has limitations in terms of jurisdiction. It can only create laws that apply to the state of Maryland and its residents, rather than nationwide laws like the United States Congress.
The legislative process in Maryland consists of several steps for a bill to become a state law. These steps include:
1. Introduction: A bill is introduced by a member of the General Assembly in either the Senate or the House of Delegates.
2. Committee Review: The bill is assigned to a committee that reviews its content and potentially suggests changes or amendments.
3. Committee Vote: The committee votes on whether to send the bill to the full chamber for consideration.
4. Floor Debate and Vote: The bill is debated and voted on by all members of the chamber.
5. Second Chamber Consideration: If the bill passes one chamber, it then goes through a similar process in the other chamber.
6. Conference Committee: If the two chambers pass different versions of the bill, a conference committee is formed to reconcile the differences and create a final version.
7. Final Votes: The final version of the bill is voted on by both chambers, and if it passes, it is sent to the Governor for approval or veto.
8. Governor's Approval: The Governor can either sign the bill into law, veto it, or let it become law without his/her signature.
9. Override or Acceptance of Veto: If the Governor vetoes the bill, the General Assembly can vote to override the veto with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers.
If the bill successfully goes through all these steps, it becomes a state law in Maryland.