MARYLAND MANUAL 151
LEGISLATURE

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JOSEPH R. BYRNES, President of the Senate
C. FERDINAND SYBERT, Speaker of the House of Delegates

The legislative powers of the State of Maryland are vested in the
General Assembly which consists of two distinct branches, the Senate
and the House of Delegates (Const. 1867, Art. Ill, sec. 1). The
General Assembly at the present time consists of 152 members: 29
Senators and 123 members of the House of Delegates. Each County
and each of the six Legislative Districts of the City of Baltimore is
entitled to one Senator. The members of the House of Delegates are
elected by the counties and the Legislative Districts of Baltimore
City, and the number of Delegates from each legislative area is
determined by its population.

Counties having a population of

less than 18,000..................................................................2 Delegates

18,000-28,000 ......................................................................3 Delegates

28,000-40,000 ........................................................................4 Delegates

40,000-55,000 .......................................................................5 Delegates

55,000-and over ................................................................6 Delegates

Each of the Legislative Districts of Baltimore City is entitled to the
number of Delegates accorded the most populous county of the State
(III, 2, 4).

Every Senator or Delegate must be a citizen of the State, and a
resident of it for at least three years preceding the date of his elec-
tion and the last year thereof, he must have resided in the county or
the Legislative District of Baltimore City which he represents.
A Senator must be at least twenty-five years of age at the
time of his election and a Delegate at least twenty-one. No member
of Congress or any person holding a civil or military office under the
United States Government nor any clergyman or minister shall be
eligible for election to the General Assembly (III, 9, 10, 11). The
term of each Senator and Delegate shall b® for four years from the
date of his election (XVII). All vacancies occurring in either
House through death, resignation or disqualification shall be filled by
the Governor, who shall appoint a person whose name is submitted
to him in writing by the State Central Committee of the party to
which the person holding the vacated seat belonged, and the person
appointed must be affiliated with that party. All persons so appointed
shall serve for the unexpired portion of the term (III, 13, amended
November 1936). Each House shall elect its own officers and shall
be judge of its own members and shall establish rules for the con-
duct of its business.

The General Assembly meets annually. Sessions in odd-numbered
years begin the first Wednesday in January and are limited to ninety
days; the sessions meeting in even-numbered years begin the first
Wednesday of February and are limited to thirty days. The Gov-
ernor may eall special sessions at any time he deems it necessary
(III, 14, amended).

The General Assembly is required to pass at each regular session a
budget bill which shall contain the budget for the State Government
for the next fiscal year. Upon the passage of the bill by both
Houses, it becomes law without further action (III, 52).