Pennsylvania General Assembly | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | Senate House of Representatives |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
| Founded | May 5, 1682 (1682-05-05) |
| Preceded by | Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly |
New session started | January 7, 2025 (2025-01-07) |
| Leadership | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 253 voting members
|
 | |
Senate political groups | Majority
Minority
|
 | |
House political groups | Majority
Minority
|
Length of term | Senate: 4 years House: 2 years |
| Salary | $102,844/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
Senatevoting system | First-past-the-post |
Housevoting system | First-past-the-post |
Last Senate election | November 5, 2024 (2024-11-05) |
Last House election | November 5, 2024 (2024-11-05) |
Next Senate election | November 3, 2026 (2026-11-03) |
Next House election | November 3, 2026 (2026-11-03) |
| Redistricting | politician commission |
| Motto | |
| Virtue, Liberty and Independence | |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Pennsylvania State Capitol Harrisburg | |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
| Constitution | |
| Constitution of Pennsylvania | |
ThePennsylvania General Assembly is thestate legislature of theCommonwealth ofPennsylvania. It is abicameral body consisting of anupper house, thePennsylvania State Senate, with 50 members, and alower house, thePennsylvania House of Representatives, with 203 members. The legislature convenes in theState Capitol building inHarrisburg.
During colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as thePennsylvania Provincial Assembly and wasunicameral. Since theConstitution of 1776, the legislature has been known as the General Assembly. The General Assembly became a bicameral legislature in 1791.[1]
The Pennsylvania General Assembly has a lengthy history as one of the most openlycorrupt state legislatures in the United States, going back over two centuries to the era of theThirteen Colonies. In 1794, while visitingwestern Pennsylvania,Alexander Hamilton wrote toRufus King: "The political putrefaction of Pennsylvania is greater than I had any idea of".[2][3]
During the 19th century, the culture of corruption in the General Assembly got so bad that from 1866 to 1873, about 8,700 of 9,300 acts passed in that timeframe were local or special acts. The frustration of the people of the commonwealth with its legislature finally boiled over in 1871 and resulted in a 1873 constitutional convention and a 1874 constitutional amendment. One of the amendment's reforms was to prohibit the General Assembly from writingstatutes covering more than one subject.[4]
The amendment (today found at Section 3 of Article III of the Pennsylvania Constitution) was so poorly written that it also prevented the General Assembly from undertaking a comprehensivecodification of the commonwealth's statutes until another amendment was pushed through in 1967 to provide the necessary exception.[5] This is why Pennsylvania remains the only U.S. state that has not yet completed a comprehensive codification of its general statutory law. Since 1970, Pennsylvania has been undertaking its first official codification process,[6] resulting in thePennsylvania Consolidated Statutes.[7][8] With over 300 years of uncodified statutes to go through, the codification process is still not yet complete after over five decades of work.
The General Assembly is a continuing body within the term for which its representatives are elected. It convenes at 12 o'clock noon on the first Tuesday of January each year and then meets regularly throughout the year.[9] Both houses adjourn on November 30 in even-numbered years, when the terms of all members of the House and half the members of the Senate expire. Neither body can adjourn for more than three days without the consent of the other.[10]
Thegovernor may call a special session in order to press for legislation on important issues. As of 2017, only 35 special sessions have been called in the history of Pennsylvania.[11]
The General Assembly meets in thePennsylvania State Capitol inHarrisburg, which was completed in 1906. Under thePennsylvania Constitution, the General Assembly must meet in the City of Harrisburg and can move only if given the consent of both chambers.
The General Assembly has 253 members, consisting of aSenate with 50 senators and aHouse of Representatives with 203 representatives, making it the second-largest state legislature in the nation, behindNew Hampshire, and the largest full-time legislature.
Senators are elected for a term of four years and representatives are elected for a term of two years.[12] In Pennsylvania general elections are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years. A vacant seat must be filled by special election, the date of which is set by the presiding officer of the respective house.
Senators must be at least 25 years old and representatives at least 21 years old. They must be United States citizens and residents of the state for a minimum of four years and reside in their districts for at least one year. Individuals who have been convicted of felonies, including embezzlement, bribery, and perjury, are ineligible for election; the state Constitution also adds the category of "other infamous crimes," which can be broadly interpreted by state courts. No one who has been previously expelled from the General Assembly may be elected.[13]
Legislative districts are drawn every ten years, following theUnited States census. They are drawn by a five-member commission, of which four members are the majority and minority leaders of each house (or their delegates). The fifth member, who chairs the committee, is appointed by the other four and may not be an elected or appointed official. If the leadership cannot decide on a fifth member, theState Supreme Court may appoint him or her.[citation needed]
While in office, legislators may not hold civil office. Even if a member resigns, the Constitution states that the legislator may not be appointed to civil office for the duration of the term to which the legislator was elected.
President of the Senate:Austin Davis (D)
President pro tempore of the Senate:Kim Ward (R)
| Majority Party (R)[14] | Leadership Position | Minority Party (D)[15] |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Pittman | Floor Leader | Jay Costa |
| Wayne Langerholc | Whip | Christine Tartaglione |
| Kristin Phillips-Hill | Caucus Chairperson | Maria Collett |
| Camera Bartolotta | Caucus Secretary | Steve Santarsiero |
| Scott Martin | Appropriations Committee Chairperson | Vincent Hughes |
| Lisa Baker | Caucus Administrator | Judy Schwank |
| Dave Argall | Policy Committee Chairperson | Nick Miller |
Speaker of the House:Joanna McClinton (D)
| Majority Party (D)[16] | Leadership Position | Minority Party (R)[17] |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew Bradford | Floor Leader | Jesse Topper |
| Michael Schlossberg | Whip | Tim O'Neal |
| Robert Matzie | Caucus Chairperson | Martina White |
| Tina Davis | Caucus Secretary | Clint Owlett |
| Jordan A. Harris | Appropriations Committee Chairperson | James Struzzi |
| Leanne Krueger | Caucus Administrator | Sheryl M. Delozier |
| Ryan Bizzarro | Policy Committee Chairperson | David H. Rowe |
Members of thePennsylvania State Senate | ||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
