Understanding the Legislative Process

Maryland 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

47 Legislative Districts

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47 Senators

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View Senate

141 Delegates

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View House
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Montgomery County’s State Delegation

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.

Find Your Representative
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The Annual Legislative Session

The annual legislative session lasts 90 days from January to April, during which the legislature reviews thousands of bills. Most initial work occurs in six Senate and seven House Standing Committees. Click here to learn about the legislative process.


View Committee List
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Maryland General Assembly Website

The Maryland General Assembly's web page offers information on legislators, committees, and session legislation. You can also sign up for alerts to track specific bills.

Maryland General Assembly site
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Montgomery County Delegation Site

The Montgomery County State Delegation maintains its own web page.  Reach out to the office of your State Senator and State Delegates to be included on their email list.

County Delegation Site

Montgomery County Council and Legislative Process

The Montgomery County Council is the County’s legislative body. The Council consists of eleven Council members, all elected at the same time as Maryland State legislators for four-year terms. Four County Council members serve at-large and represent the entire County. Seven members represent individual Council Districts. View the 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.

11 Council Members

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4 At-Larger

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7 Represent Districts