| The Maryland General Assembly | ![]() |
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The Maryland General Assembly meets in Annapolis each year for 90 days to act on more than 2300 bills including the State's annual budget. The 426th Session begins January 14, 2009 and adjourns April 13, 2009. The General Assembly has 47 Senators and 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. Legislative information on this website is updated each night during the Session. For a fee, continuously updated information is available through the Legislative Subscription Service.
Information is also available through the Maryland Manual and Maryland State Government.
If you have general questions, you may e-mail the Department of Legislative Services, Library and Information Services or phone the library at (410) 946-5400 (Baltimore), (301) 970-5400 (Washington), or (800) 492-7122 (Other areas)
If you have technical questions, contact the Department of Legislative Services, Office of Information Systems.
| Contact your Legislators | ![]() |
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Find your legislators using a street address.
Send E-Mail to a Legislator
| Bill Information and Status | ![]() |
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2008 Session information can be found on the Prior Session Information page.
| Bill Indexes | ![]() |
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Lists of bills and resolutions are available indexed by Sponsor, Subject, Statute, File Code, or Specific Interest Profile. Indexes include sponsor names, the title, committees assigned to consider the legislation, and current status (where the bill or resolution stands in the legislative process).
2008 Session information can be found on the Prior Session Information page.
| Bill Profiles | ![]() |
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Profile indexes containing lists of bills of special interest to the user can be created by subscribers only. Reports can be displayed in a long HTML format, a short HTML format, or in a download format.
Further Profile Help
Specific Interest Profile Index
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| House and Senate Proceedings | ![]() |
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The House and Senate hold daily sessions in their respective chambers and a record of the proceedings is available.
Order of Business
SENATE
1. Call to order.
2. Reading of the journal
3. Presentation of petitions, memorials, and other papers.
4. Presentation of orders.
5. Introduction of bills and resolutions.
6. Introduction of Senate Resolutions.
7. Introduction of visitors.
8. Unfinished business.
9. Laid over bills.
10. Reports of standing committees.
11. Reports of select committees.
12. Special orders of the day.
13. Third reading calendars.
14. Adjournment.HOUSE
1. Call to order.
2. Reading of the journal.
3. Presentation of petitions, memorials, and other papers.
4. Presentation of orders.
5. Introduction of bills and resolutions.
6. Introduction of House Resolutions.
7. Unfinished business.
8. Reports of standing committees.
9. Reports of select committees.
10. Laid over bills.
11. Special orders of the day.
12. Third reading calendars.
13. Introduction of visitors.
14. Adjournment.
Messages from the Chief Executive or the other chamber may be received at any time except when a question is being put, roll is being called, or a report of a conference committee is being received.
Proceedings Index
Senate Proceedings Listen
House Proceedings Listen
Senate Agenda
House Agenda
Subscribe to Up-to-the-Minute service
| Hearing Schedules | ![]() |
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During the legislative session bills and resolutions are referred to committees. The committees hold public hearings on legislation and examine each item thoroughly before recommending to the General Assembly the action it should take on each bill or resolution. A schedule of upcoming hearings is released weekly, with addenda released as necessary.
Hearing Schedule Index
| Budget Information | ![]() |
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The budget bill is introduced in both chambers. The House will move the bill in the 2009 Regular Session.
Bond Bill Submissions - For guidelines to applicants seeking State grants through the submission of individual bond bills, click here.
2008 Session information can be found on the Prior Session Information page.
Operating Budget
Budget Bill Fiscal Briefing Analyses Report of the House Appropriations Committee House Reprint Budget Bill House Summary Report Report of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Senate Reprint Budget Bill Senate Summary Report Conference Committee Report Conference Committee Summary Joint Chair's Report Capital Budget
Budget Bill Fiscal Briefing Analyses Report of the House Appropriations Committee House Reprint Budget Bill Report of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Senate Reprint Budget Bill Conference Commmittee Report
| Prior Session Information | ![]() |
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Information about the General Assembly's activity is available for the 1996 - 2008 sessions
View Prior Session Information
| Roster | ![]() |
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Roster contains lists of:View Roster and List of Committees
- Current and former members of the Maryland General Assembly along with biographical information
- Members belonging to standing, statutory, special, select, and joint and special joint committees
- Members belonging to Task Forces and Commissions
- Delegation information
- Legislative district information
| Statutes | ![]() |
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Maryland Statutes (what is this?)
Statute Text - 2008 Drafting Session   Statute Text - 2009 Drafting Session
2008 Effective Dates of Enacted Legislation
Abnormal Effective Date Information Through 2008 Regular Session
Maryland Code Online (on the Michie/Lexis website)
| Everything Else | ![]() |
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2008 Interim - Dates of Interest Calendar
2009 Session - Dates of Interest Calendar
Postings from Committees, Commissions, Task Forces and Study Groups
Legal and Legislative Reports and Publications
Fiscal Briefings, Reports and Analyses
Redistricting
| Subscribe to Up-to-the-Minute Information | ![]() |
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Maryland General Assembly's legislative information is updated each night during the 90-day session. To receive more frequent updates, you must become a subscriber. Subscribers receive current information, i.e., Up-to-the-Minute, on the following:
House and Senate proceedings
Bill information and status
Status of bills in their profile
Subscriptions are offered at a cost of $800.00 per calendar year.
To become a subscriber contact:
- Maryland General Assembly
- Office of Information Systems
- 90 State Circle, Room G-15
- Annapolis, Maryland 21401
- Fax: (410) 946-5307 (Baltimore, MD)
- Fax: (301) 970-5307 (Washington, DC)
- E-Mail to Subscriber Services Coordinator
- When you have become a subscriber CLICK HERE to activate.
| Department of Legislative Services | ![]() |
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The Department of Legislative Services (DLS) is one of the oldest legislative staff agencies in the nation, maintaining a long and proud tradition of providing nonpartisan professional services for the State legislature and the people of Maryland.
Department of Legislative Services
| About this site | ![]() |
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General conventions used on General Assembly Web Site Pages are as follows:
On the Home Page: Click on bullets that precede topics for further information.Documents available through this home page are stored in HTML, RTF, Word, and PDF formats. To view RTF download the file to any word processor, such as Word, that reads this format. You may also use any RTF plug in. PDF formatted documents may be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
On any other page: Click on photo of State House to return to the General Assembly's Home Page.
Photos used at this site
courtesy Tom Darden
Site maintained by the Department of Legislative Services,
Office of Information Systems.