Gov Docs: Alabama: Legislative

The Alabama House of Representatives is comprised of 105 members. Each member represents a district of approximately 40,000 people. The members of the House are elected to four-year terms. Members of the House must be 21 at the time of their election, and must have been citizens of Alabama for three years, having lived in their respective districts for at least one year immediately preceding their election.

The Alabama Legislature met in Organizational Session, for the purpose of organizing each house through election of Officers, adoption of Rules of each house as well as Joint Rules of the two houses, establishing standing committees in each house and naming the membership of each, and the election of Members to certain Joint Committees of the two houses. Legislation may not be passed in the Organizational Session, and this Session may not meet longer than 10 calendar days.

The Alabama State Senate is composed of 35 Senators, in keeping with Article IV, Section 50, of the Constitution, which limits the House of Representatives at 105 members, and the Senate at 35, and with Article IX, Sections 197 and 198, which establishes membership in the Senate at not less than one-fourth, nor more than one-third, the total membership of the House of Representatives, and allows for additional representation in the event new counties are created.

The Department of Examiners of Public Accounts is the independent legislative audit agency for the State of Alabama. The Department has the authority to perform audits of the accounts of all entities receiving or disbursing public funds. We are part of the Legislative branch of state government, and are independent of the Executive and Judicial branches of state government, as well as all local governments in the State.