Understanding the Legislative Process

Maryland State Legislative Process

The General Assembly is Maryland's legislative body. The Assembly is bicameral with a Senate (presided over by the President of the Senate) and a House of Delegates (presided over by the Speaker of the House). Click here to find a list of the General Assembly leadership.

Maryland has 47 legislative districts represented by 47 Senators and 141 Delegates, all elected at the same time for a four-year term. To learn more about the State’s election process and key election dates, visit the State Board of Elections webpage.

Montgomery County has 8 of the state’s legislative districts represented by 8 Senators and 24 Delegates. Our Montgomery County legislators are a powerful delegation, representing 17 percent of the State legislature. Many of our legislators hold leadership positions. Click here to find your State Legislative District and who represents you.

The annual legislative session runs for 90 calendar days from January through April. During that time, the legislature considers several thousand bills. Click here to learn about the legislative process. Much of the initial legislative work takes place in six Senate and seven House “Standing” Committees. Click here to find a list of these Committees and their leadership.

The Maryland General Assembly has a very informative webpage where you can find information about individual legislators, legislative committees and session legislation. You can also sign up for alerts to track the status of specific bills.

The Montgomery County State Delegation has its own webpage.  It is helpful to contact the office of your State Senator and each of your State Delegates and ask to be added to his/her email list.

Montgomery County Legislative Process

The Montgomery County Council is the County’s legislative body. The Council consists of nine Council members, all elected at the same time as our State legislators for a four-year term. Four members serve at-large and represent the entire County. Five members represent individual Council Districts.

As of 2023, the Council will expand to 11 members, seven representing individual Council Districts and four serving at-large. View the new Council Districts here.

To learn more about the County’s election process and key election dates, visit the County Board of Elections webpage.

The County Council has a very informative webpage where you can sign up for Council alerts. It is also helpful to contact the office of your County Council member and ask to be added to his/her email list. To find your Council District and who represents you, click here.

 
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Follow a Specific Maryland Bill

 
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Montgomery County Council Pending Legislation