LEGISLATURE
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

GEORGE W. DELLA, President of the Senate
PERRY 0. WILKINSON, 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 Gen-
eral Assembly at the present time consists of 162 members: 29 Sen-
ators and 123 members of the House of Delegates, all elected by the
counties and the six Legislative Districts of Baltimore City. Each
county and each of the Legislative Districts of the city of Baltimore
is entitled to one Senator. The number of Delegates for each county
varies from two to six and each Legislative District is entitled to six
Delegates. This membership formerly was determined by a formula
based upon population (set forth in the Constitution); but by the
terms of a Constitutional amendment adopted in 1950, the member-
ship of the House of Delegates was frozen at its then current number
(III, 6).

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, II). The term of
each Senator and Delegate shall be for four years from the date of
his election (XVII). The Governor shall appoint to any vacancy that
occurs in either House through death, resignation, or disqualification
a person whose name is submitted to (him in writing by the State
Central Committee of the County or Legislative District which the
person holding the vacated seat represented and of the party to which
he belonged. The person so 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, shall be judge of its own members, and shall
establish rules for the conduct of its business.

The General Assembly meets annually. Sessions in odd-numbered
years begin the first Wednesday in January and are limited to
ninety calendar days; the sessions meeting in even-numbered years
begin the first Wednesday of February and are limited to thirty
calendar days. The sessions in even-numbered years are limited to
the consideration of budgetary matters, matters in the general public
welfare, and legislation of an emergency nature. The Governor may
call special sessions at any time he deems it necessary (III, 14
amended).

The General Assembly must 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).

The General Assembly has power to pass such laws as are neces-
sary for the welfare of the State, and in addition, it has the power to
pass public local laws for counties and special taxing areas. The
Home Rule Amendment of 1954 (XI-E) almost entirely prohibits
the General Assembly from passing local legislation for incorporated