The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

state legislature A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

. The State Senate meets in the

State Capitol This is a list of state and territorial capitols in the United States, the building or complex of buildings from which the government of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia and the organized territories of the United States, exercise its ...

building in

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in ...

. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such that half of the seats are contested at each election. Even numbered seats and odd numbered seats are contested in separate election years. The president pro tempore of the Senate becomes the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania in the event of the sitting lieutenant governor's removal, resignation or death. In this case the president pro tempore and lieutenant governor would be the same person. The Pennsylvania Senate has been meeting since 1791. The president of the Senate is the lieutenant governor, who has no vote except to break a tie vote.

Qualifications

Senators must be at least 25 years of age. They must be a U.S. citizen and a PA resident four years, and a resident of that district one year prior to their election and must reside in that district during their term.

Senate leadership

President of the Senate: John Fetterman (D)
President pro tem of the Senate: Kim Ward (R)

Composition

Historical sessions

Current session

As of January 3, 2023:

Membership

The Senate is made up of 50 members who are elected by district. In 2012, a State Senate district had an average population of 254,047 residents. Pennsylvania Senate Current

List of current members

Standing committees

Past composition of the Senate

References

Sources

External links

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania State SenatePennsylvania State Senate information and voting records
{{Coord, 40, 15, 52.9, N, 76, 53, 1.9, W, display=title, region:US-PA_type:landmark Senate State upper houses in the United States