The
California State Legislature is the
state legislature of the
U.S. state of
California. It is a
bicameral body consisting of the
lower house, the
California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the
upper house, the
California State Senate, with 40 members. New legislators convene each new two-year session, to organize, in the Assembly and Senate Chambers, respectively, at noon on the first Monday in December following the election. After the organizational meeting, both houses are in recess until the first Monday in January, except when the first Monday is January 1 or January 1 is a Sunday, in which case they meet the following Wednesday. Aside from the recess, the legislature is in session year-round.