California State Assembly

The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature (the upper house being the California State Senate). The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.

Neither house has been expanded since the ratification of the 1879 Constitution, and each of the 80 members represent at least 490,000 people, more than any other state lower house.

Members of the California State Assembly are generally referred to using the titles Assemblyman, Assemblywoman, or Assemblymember. In the current legislative session, Democrats have a three-fourths supermajority of 60 seats, while Republicans control a minority of 19 seats.

Leadership The speaker presides over the State Assembly in the chief leadership position, controlling the flow of legislation and committee assignments. The speaker is nominated by the caucus of the majority party and elected by the full Assembly. Other leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses according to each party's strength in the chamber.

The current speaker is Democrat Robert Rivas (29th– Hollister). The majority leader is Democrat Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (4th–Winters), while the minority leader is Republican Alexandra Macedo (33rd–Tulare).

Terms of office

Members are allowed, by current term limits, to serve 12 years in the legislature in any combination of four-year State Senate or two-year State Assembly terms. However, members elected to the Legislature prior to 2012 are restricted to three two-year terms (six years). Few, if any, legislators remain from this era, though the restriction could affect future candidates running after a hiatus from office.

Every two years, all 80 seats in the Assembly are subject to election. This is in contrast to the State Senate, in which only half of its 40 seats are subject to election every two years.

Meeting chamber The chamber's green tones are based on the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. The dais rests along a wall shaped like an "E", with its central projection housing the rostrum. Along the cornice appears a portrait of Abraham Lincoln and a Latin quotation: legislatorum est justas leges condere ("It is the duty of legislators to pass just laws"). Almost every decorating element is identical to the Senate Chamber.

Candidate qualifications To run for the Assembly, a candidate must be a United States citizen and a registered voter in the district at the time nomination papers are issued, and meet the criteria of the term limits described above. According to Article 4, Section 2(c) of the California Constitution, the candidate must have one year of residency in the legislative district and California residency for three years.

Employees The chief clerk of the Assembly, a position that has existed since the Assembly's creation, is responsible for many administrative duties. The chief clerk is the custodian of all Assembly bills and records and publishes the Assembly Daily Journal, the minutes of floor sessions, as well as the Assembly Daily File, the Assembly agenda. The chief clerk is the Assembly's parliamentarian, and in this capacity gives advice to the presiding officer on matters of parliamentary procedure. The chief clerk is also responsible for engrossing and enrolling of measures, and the transmission of legislation to the governor.About Us , Office of the Chief Clerk, California State Assembly.

The Assembly also employs the position of chaplain, a position that has existed in both houses since the first legislative session back in 1850. Currently, the chaplain of the Assembly is Imam Mohammad Yasir Khan, the first chaplain historically that practices Islam.

The position of sergeant-at-arms of the Assembly has existed since 1849; Samuel N. Houston was the first to hold this post, overseeing one deputy. The sergeant-at-arms is mostly tasked with law enforcement duties, but customarily also has a ceremonial and protocol role. Today, some fifty employees are part of the Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms Office.History , Sergeant-at-Arms Office, California State Assembly.

Current session

Composition

60 19 Democratic Republican

Affiliation Party (Shading indicates majority caucus) Total Vacant Democratic Republican End of previous legislature 62 17 80 1 Begin 60 19 79 1 March 3, 2025 20 80 0 April 1, 2025 19 79 1 September 8, 2025 20 80 0 June 9, 2026 19 79 1 Latest voting share

Past composition of the Assembly

Officers Position Name Party District Speaker Robert Rivas Democratic 29th– Hollister Speaker pro Tempore Josh Lowenthal Democratic 69th– Long Beach Assistant Speaker pro Tempore Celeste Rodriguez Democratic 43rd– San Fernando Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry Democratic 4th–Winters Assistant Majority Leader Robert Garcia Democratic 50th–Rancho Cucamonga Assistant Majority Leader for Policy and Research LaShae Sharp-Collins Democratic 79th–San Diego Majority Whip Mark Gonzalez Democratic 54th–Los Angeles Assistant Majority Whips Jessica Caloza Democratic 52nd–Los Angeles Michelle Rodriguez Democratic 53rd–Pomona Democratic Caucus Chair Rick Chavez Zbur Democratic 51st–Los Angeles Republican Leader Alexandra Macedo Republican 33rd– Tulare Republican Whip David Tangipa Republican 8th– Clovis Republican Floor Leader Josh Hoover Republican 7th–Folsom Republican Caucus Chair Natasha Johnson Republican 63rd–Lake Elsinore Republican Deputy Leader Joe Patterson Republican 5th–Rocklin Republican Deputy Leader (Fiscal) Diane Dixon Republican 72nd– Newport Beach Republican Deputy Leader (Operations) Juan Alanis Republican 22nd–Modesto Republican Deputy Leader (External Relations) Laurie Davies Republican 74th–Laguna Niguel Chief Clerk Sue Parker Chief Sergeant-at-Arms Cheryl R. Craft Chaplain Vacant

The Chief Clerk, the Chief Sergeant-at-Arms, and the Chaplains are not members of the Legislature.

List of current representatives DistrictNamePartyResidenceStartTerm Limited1RepublicanAlturas202420362DemocraticSanta Rosa202420363Vacant4DemocraticWinters201620285RepublicanRocklin202220346DemocraticSacramento202420367RepublicanFolsom202220348RepublicanClovis202420369RepublicanLodi2016202810DemocraticElk Grove2022203411DemocraticSuisun City 2022203412DemocraticSan Rafael2022203413DemocraticTracy2024203614DemocraticOakland2018203015DemocraticMartinez2024203616DemocraticOrinda2018203017DemocraticSan Francisco2022203418DemocraticAlameda2021203219DemocraticSan Francisco2024203620DemocraticSan Leandro2022203421DemocraticSan Mateo2022203422RepublicanModesto2022203423DemocraticMenlo Park2016202824DemocraticSan Jose2020203225DemocraticSan Jose2016202826DemocraticSunnyvale2024203627DemocraticFresno2022203428DemocraticSanta Cruz2022203429DemocraticHollister2018203030DemocraticMorro Bay2022203431DemocraticFresno2016202832RepublicanBakersfield2025203633RepublicanTulare2024203634RepublicanPalmdale2014202635DemocraticBakersfield2022203436RepublicanIndio2024203637DemocraticSanta Barbara2022203438DemocraticVentura2020203239DemocraticPalmdale2022203440DemocraticSanta Clarita2022203441DemocraticPasadena2024203642DemocraticThousand Oaks2014202643DemocraticSan Fernando2024203644DemocraticBurbank2024203645DemocraticHighland2018203046DemocraticEncino2018203047RepublicanBermuda Dunes2022203448DemocraticBaldwin Park2016202849DemocraticAlhambra2022203450DemocraticRancho Cucamonga2024203651DemocraticLos Angeles2022203452DemocraticLos Angeles2024203653DemocraticPomona2024203654DemocraticLos Angeles2024203655DemocraticJefferson Park2021203256DemocraticWhittier2020203257DemocraticLos Angeles2024203658RepublicanHome Gardens2024203659RepublicanYorba Linda2016202860DemocraticPerris2022203461DemocraticHawthorne2022203462DemocraticLynwood2024203663RepublicanLake Elsinore2025203664DemocraticDowney2022203465DemocraticCarson2014202666DemocraticRolling Hills Estates2016202667DemocraticFullerton2016202668DemocraticAnaheim2022203469DemocraticLong Beach2022203470RepublicanWestminster2022203471RepublicanRancho Santa Margarita2022203472RepublicanNewport Beach2022203473DemocraticIrvine2018203074RepublicanLaguna Niguel2020203275RepublicanEscondido2024203676DemocraticSan Diego2024203677DemocraticEncinitas2018203078DemocraticSan Diego2020203279DemocraticSan Diego2024203680DemocraticSan Diego20222034

Seating chart

SpeakerR. Rivas Vacant Chen Davies Dixon Ta Lackey Aguiar-Curry Ortega Calderon Pacheco Petrie-Norris Irwin Castillo Tangipa Patterson Johnson Sanchez Flora Garcia Gipson Nguyen Bains Bryan Elhawary Alanis J. Gonzalez Hoover DeMaio Wilson Avila Farias Rogers Connolly Schultz Haney Carrillo M. Rodriguez Wallis Hadwick Caloza Zbur Bauer-Kahan Quirk-Silva Krell Pellerin Fong Harabedian Lee Ward Macedo Ellis McKinnor Ransom Bonta Kalra Rubio Solache Hart Schiavo Arambula Muratsuchi Sharp-Collins Jackson Addis Boerner Stefani Papan Lowenthal C. Rodriguez Bennett Ahrens Valencia Ramos Berman Gabriel M. Gonzalez Wicks R. Rivas Soria Alvarez Patel

Standing committees Current committees, chairs and vice chairs include:

Committee Chair Vice Chair Aging and Long-Term CarePatrick Ahrens (D) Stan Ellis (R) AgricultureEsmeralda Soria (D) Heather Hadwick (R) AppropriationsBuffy Wicks (D) Josh Hoover (R) Arts, Entertainment, Sports, & TourismChris Ward (D) Tom Lackey (R) Banking and FinanceAvelino Valencia (D) Phillip Chen (R) BudgetJesse Gabriel (D) (R) Business and ProfessionsMarc Berman (D) Natasha Johnson (R) Communications and ConveyanceTasha Boerner (D) Josh Hoover (R) Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact (D) Leticia Castillo (R) Education (D) Josh Hoover (R) ElectionsGail Pellerin (D)Vacant Emergency ManagementRhodesia Ransom (D)Heather Hadwick (R) Environmental Safety and Toxic MaterialsDamon Connolly (D)Stan Ellis (R) Governmental OrganizationBlanca Rubio (D) Laurie Davies (R) HealthMia Bonta (D) Phillip Chen (R) Higher EducationMike Fong (D)Carl DeMaio (R) Housing and Community DevelopmentMatt Haney (D)Joe Patterson (R)Human ServicesAlex Lee (D) Leticia Castillo (R) InsuranceLisa Calderon (D)Greg Wallis (R) JudiciaryAsh Kalra (D)Alexandra Macedo (R) Labor and EmploymentLiz Ortega (D) Juan Alanis (R) Local GovernmentJuan Carrillo (D)Tri Ta (R) Military and Veterans AffairsPilar Schiavo (D) Jeff Gonzalez (R) Natural ResourcesIsaac Bryan (D)Stan Ellis (R) Privacy and Consumer ProtectionRebecca Bauer-Kahan (D) Alexandra Macedo (R) Public Employment and RetirementTina McKinnor (D)Tom Lackey (R) Public SafetyNick Schultz (D) Juan Alanis (R) Revenue and TaxationMike Gipson (D)Kate Sanchez (R)RulesBlanca Pacheco (D) Tom Lackey (R) TransportationLori Wilson (D)Laurie Davies (R) Utilities and EnergyCottie Petrie-Norris (D) Joe Patterson (R) Water, Parks, and WildlifeDiane Papan (D)Jeff Gonzalez (R)

Recent sessions California State Legislature, 1997–1998 session California State Legislature, 1999–2000 session California State Legislature, 2001–2002 session California State Legislature, 2003–2004 session California State Legislature, 2005–2006 session California State Legislature, 2007–2008 session California State Legislature, 2009–2010 session California State Legislature, 2011–2012 session California State Legislature, 2013–2014 session California State Legislature, 2015–2016 session California State Legislature, 2017–2018 session California State Legislature, 2019–2020 session California State Legislature, 2021–2022 session California State Legislature, 2023–2024 session California State Legislature, 2025–2026 session

California State Assembly

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