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A quick guide to how your state legislature works, in plain English.
Did you know? Most state legislatures aren’t full-time. Some meet just a few months a year, a few meet only every other year, and others meet all year. Tap a state on the map to see when its lawmakers are in session.
How a bill becomes a law
- 1A lawmaker introduces a bill.
- 2A committee studies it and votes.
- 3The full chamber votes.
- 4The other chamber does the same. If the two versions differ, they must agree on one.
- 5The governor signs it into law or vetoes it. Lawmakers can override a veto, and in most states a bill can become law without the governor’s signature.
Nebraska is the only state with one chamber, so it skips step 4. Details vary by state.
By the numbers
About 39.4 million people. The fewest: Wyoming, with 588,753.
424 lawmakers, including 400 in its House. The smallest: Nebraska, with 49.
In the California Assembly. In the New Hampshire House, it’s about 3,500 people.
In effect since 1780, older than the U.S. Constitution. The newest: Georgia, 1983.
Texas, Montana, Nevada and North Dakota hold a regular session only every other year.
Utah meets about 6 weeks (45 days) a year. Seven states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan and Massachusetts, meet all or most of the year.
Compare all 50 states
Tap a column name to sort. Type your state to highlight it. Tap a state to open its card on the map.
Note: Nebraska has one chamber. It is called the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature (“unicameral” means “one house”). Nebraska is the only state with no state House, so for Nebraska this column shows how many people each of its 49 state senators represents.
(Sources: 2025 U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts and each state’s official government websites. “People per House member” is how many people live in a state for each seat in its state House (population divided by House seats). Constitution years come from official state sources.)