The legislative branch of government consists of the General Assembly of Maryland and its subsidiary agencies. The General Assembly is the legislative body of the State of Maryland. Sometimes the General Assembly is considered the “popular” branch of government because its members more directly represent the electorate than the executive or judicial branches. Legislators are elected to both houses of the General Assembly from legislative districts that are redrawn every ten years following the federal census to ensure equal representation based on the concept of “one person, one vote.” The geographic size of the districts depends on population density.
The General Assembly passes all laws necessary for the welfare of the state’s citizens, as well as some laws relating to counties and special taxing districts. It also determines how public funds are to be distributed; and adopts amendments to the state constitution, which are subject to ratification by the voters. Bills can be introduced in either house. Once approved by both houses and signed by the governor, bills become law. Current laws are collected in the Annotated Code of Maryland.
Senate and House of Delegates. Like all states except Nebraska, Maryland has a bicameral legislature. The lower house is the House of Delegates and the upper house is the Senate. Representatives to both chambers are elected every gubernatorial election year for a four-year term. Candidates for the House of Delegates must be at least twenty-one years old, and for the Senate at least twenty-five years old. The House of Delegates consists of 141 members, and the Senate has 47 members. Both chambers meet annually on the second Wednesday of January for a 90-day session. Sessions may be extended by resolution of both chambers, and special sessions may be called by the governor. The legislature may also request the governor to call a special session.
Committees. To facilitate its work during and between sessions, the General Assembly assigns work to various committees. These include standing committees that review and make recommendations on bills. They also include joint committees, often statutory committees, composed of members of both the Senate and the House of Delegates.
Legislative bodies. The legislative branch also includes the Department of Legislative Services. The Department assists in the preparation of legislation and maintains information services necessary for legislators and the public. In addition, the Department prepares fiscal impact reports and monitors financial functions for the General Assembly.
Budget. One of the most important tasks of the General Assembly, which requires close coordination and consultation with the executive branch, is the adoption of the annual budget for the Maryland state government. The Constitution stipulates that the Governor is required to submit the annual budget to the General Assembly within five days after the beginning of each legislative session. Maryland’s budget must be balanced – it must not exceed expected revenues (Const., Art., III, sec. 52). This requirement prevents deficit spending and largely explains the state’s excellent bond rating. Reflecting the principle of separation of powers in state government, the governor must include in the budget the unchanged requests from the legislature and judiciary, as well as an estimate of the costs necessary to operate public schools. In addition to these items and other obligations for certain public debts and public salaries specified in the Constitution, the governor has considerable authority to determine which programs and institutions to fund from the budget. Thus, the budget process is the main policy-making tool for the governor. Supplementary budgets may be submitted by the Governor after the annual budget is adopted, but all requests for such funds must be consistent with additional expected revenues.