Delaware General Assembly
The Delaware General Assembly is the state legislature of Delaware. The bicameral legislature consists of the Senate with 21 members and the House of Representatives with 41 members, for a total of 62 seats. The Assembly convenes at the Delaware Legislative Hall in Dover and has served as the primary legislative body since 1787.
Chambers
The Senate comprises 21 senators, each elected from a single-member district to a four-year term. Terms are staggered, so about half of the Senate stands for election every two years. Senators represent the state's three counties: New Castle, Kent, and Sussex.
The House of Representatives comprises 41 representatives, each elected from a single-member district to a two-year term. The entire House stands for election every two years.
There are no term limits for either chamber.
Legislative Sessions
The General Assembly convenes in regular sessions beginning on the second Tuesday of January in odd-numbered years. The legislature typically adjourns by the last day of June. The Governor may call special sessions at any time to address matters requiring immediate attention.
Leadership
The Senate elects a President to serve as its presiding officer. The House elects a Speaker to preside over the chamber. Both officers wield significant authority over legislative scheduling, committee assignments, and procedural management. The President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker Pro Tempore of the House serve as secondary leadership figures.
Powers
The General Assembly possesses broad legislative authority to enact laws, levy taxes, appropriate state funds, and establish regulatory frameworks. The legislature can override gubernatorial vetoes with a three-fifths majority vote in both chambers. The Senate confirms judicial and other nominees appointed by the Governor. The General Assembly has unique constitutional power to amend the state constitution without requiring voter approval or referendum, a power granted to no other state legislature.
History
The General Assembly traces its origins to the colonial period. When Delaware separated from Pennsylvania in 1776, it established its own independent government with the General Assembly as the cornerstone of state governance. The first Constitution (1776) created a unicameral legislature. The 1792 Constitution restructured the legislature into the current bicameral system to better represent the growing state population.
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the Assembly evolved to address expanding state needs in commerce, education, transportation, and social policy. Delaware's role as a business-friendly jurisdiction with favorable corporate law has shaped the General Assembly's work, with the legislature regularly updating the Delaware General Corporation Law to maintain the state's prominence for corporate chartering.
References