New Jersey General Assembly - Definition and Overview

The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.

The Assembly consists of 80 members. To be eligible to run, a potential candidate must be at least 21 years of age, and must have lived in New Jersey for at least two years prior to the election. They also must be residents of their districts. Membership in the Assembly is considered a part-time job, and many members have employment in addition to their legislative work. Assembly members serve two-year terms, elected every odd-numbered year in November.

The Assembly is led by the Speaker of the Assembly, who is elected by the membership. The Speaker is the second in line after the President of the Senate to replace the Governor, should he prove unable to execute his duties. The Speaker decides the schedule for the Assembly, which bills will be considered, appoints committee chairmen, and generally runs the business of the Assembly. Currently, the Speaker is Albio Sires, from the 33rd District.

See Also

List of New Jersey General Assembly Members

External Links

NJ Legislature Website (http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/Default.asp)