A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
Pennsylvania House of Representatives | |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania General Assembly | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
New session started | January 3, 2023 |
| Leadership | |
Majority Leader | |
Minority Leader | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 203 |
 | |
Political groups | Majority
Minority
|
Length of term | 2 years |
| Authority | Article II, section 1, Pennsylvania Constitution |
| Salary | $102,844 |
| Elections | |
Last election | November 8, 2022 |
Next election | November 5, 2024 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| House of Representatives Chamber Pennsylvania State Capitol Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | |
| Website | |
| Pennsylvania House of Representatives | |
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts.[1][2]
It is the largest full-time state legislature in the country. The New Hampshire House of Representatives is larger but only serves part-time.
Qualifications
Representatives must be at least 21 years of age. They must be a U.S. citizen and a Pennsylvania resident four years, and a resident of the district they represent one year prior to their election and must reside in that district during their term.[3]
Hall of the House
The Hall of the House contains important symbols of Pennsylvania history and the work of legislators.
- Speaker's Chair: a throne-like chair of rank that sits directly behind the Speaker's rostrum. Architect Joseph Huston designed the chair in 1906, the year the Capitol was dedicated.
- Mace: the House symbol of authority, peace, order and respect for law rests in a pedestal to the right of the Speaker. Its base is solid mahogany, intricately carved and capped by a brass globe engraved with the Pennsylvania coat of arms. An American Eagle perches on top. The tradition of the mace may date to the Roman Republic when attendants of Roman consuls carried bundles of sticks wrapped around an axe to enforce order. The tradition may also come directly from Pennsylvania's English heritage.
- Murals: a colorful panorama of Pennsylvania history appear in murals by Edwin Austin Abbey. The most commanding of the series hangs behind the Speaker's rostrum and dominates the wall behind the Speaker. It is called The Apotheosis of Pennsylvania
- Ceiling: a work of art in itself with its ornate geometry of gold leaf buttoned at the center by a charming painted illustration. In "The Hours", Abbey represents the passage of time in the form of 24 maidens revolving in an endless circle amidst the moon, the sun and the stars of the Milky Way.[4]
Speaker of the House
The speakership is the oldest elected statewide office in the Commonwealth. Since its first session in 1682—presided over by William Penn—over 130 house members have been elevated to the speaker's chair. The house cannot hold an official session in the absence of the speaker or their designated speaker pro tempore. Speaker Leroy Irvis was the first African American elected speaker of any state legislature in the United States since Reconstruction. Speaker Dennis O'Brien was the only minority-party Speaker known in Pennsylvania and only the second known nationwide.
Democrat Joanna McClinton was elected Speaker of the House on February 28, 2023, becoming the first female Speaker in Pennsylvania.[5]
Composition
Current session
As of May 21, 2024[update]:
| 102 | 101 |
| Democratic | Republican |
| Affiliation | Party (shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ind | Democratic | Vacant | ||
| End of previous legislature | 113 | 0 | 88 | 201 | 0 |
| January 3, 2023 | 101 | 1 | 98 | 200 | 3 |
| January 13, 2023[6] | 0 | 99 | |||
| February 7, 2023[7] | 101 | 102 | 203 | 0 | |
| February 28, 2023[8] | 100 | 202 | 1 | ||
| March 16, 2023[9] | 101 | 201 | 2 | ||
| May 17, 2023[10] | 101 | 102 | 203 | 0 | |
| July 19, 2023[11] | 101 | 202 | 1 | ||
| September 19, 2023[12] | 102 | 203 | 0 | ||
| December 14, 2023[13] | 101 | 202 | 1 | ||
| February 9, 2024[14] | 100 | 201 | 2 | ||
| February 15, 2024[15] | 102 | 202 | 1 | ||
| April 23, 2024[16] | 101 | 203 | 0 | ||
| Latest voting share | 49.8% | 50.2% | |||
Leadership
As of February 28, 2023[update]:
Speaker of the House of Representatives: Joanna McClinton (D)
| Majority Party (D)[17] | Leadership Position | Minority Party (R)[18] |
| Matthew Bradford | Floor Leader | Bryan Cutler |
| Dan Miller | Whip | Tim O'Neal |
| Michael Schlossberg | Caucus Chairperson | George Dunbar |
| Tina Davis | Caucus Secretary | Martina White |
| Jordan A. Harris | Appropriations Committee Chairperson | Seth Grove |
| Leanne Krueger | Caucus Administrator | Sheryl M. Delozier |
| Ryan Bizzarro | Policy Committee Chairperson | Josh Kail |
Current members
As of May 21, 2024[update]: