Pennsylvania General Assembly

Pennsylvania General Assembly
Coat of arms
Type
Type
HousesSenate
House of Representatives
Term limits
None
History
FoundedMay 5, 1682 (1682-05-05)
Preceded byPennsylvania Provincial Assembly
New session started
January 7, 2025 (2025-01-07)
Leadership
Austin Davis (D)
since January 17, 2023 (2023-01-17)
Kim Ward (R)
since January 3, 2023 (2023-01-03)
Joanna McClinton (D)
since February 28, 2023 (2023-02-28)
Structure
Seats253 voting members
  • 50 senators
  • 203 representatives
Senate political groups
Majority
  •   Republican (27)

Minority

House political groups
Majority

Minority

Vacant

  •   Vacant (5)
Length of term
Senate: 4 years
House: 2 years
Salary$102,844/year + per diem
Elections
First-past-the-post
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)
Redistrictingpolitician commission
Motto
Virtue, Liberty and Independence
Meeting place
Pennsylvania State Capitol
Harrisburg
Website
Official website
Constitution
Constitution of Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is a bicameral body consisting of an upper house, the Pennsylvania State Senate, with 50 members, and a lower house, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, with 203 members. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg.

During colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly and was unicameral. Since the Constitution of 1776, the legislature has been known as the General Assembly. The General Assembly became a bicameral legislature in 1791.