The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral

Pennsylvania General Assembly The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania ...

, the

legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It is the largest full-time state legislature in the country. The

New Hampshire House of Representatives The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court, the bicameral legislature of the state of New Hampshire. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members coming from 204 legislative district ...

is larger but only serves part-time.

Qualifications

Representatives must be at least 21 years of age. They must be a U.S. citizen and a PA resident four years, and a resident of that district one year prior to their election and must reside in that district during their term.

Hall of the House

The Hall of the House contains important symbols of Pennsylvania history and the work of legislators. * Speaker's Chair: a throne-like chair of rank that sits directly behind the Speaker's rostrum. Architect Joseph Huston designed the chair in 1906, the year the Capitol was dedicated. * Mace: the House symbol of authority, peace, order and respect for law rests in a pedestal to the right of the Speaker. Its base is solid mahogany, intricately carved and capped by a brass globe engraved with the Pennsylvania coat of arms. An American Eagle perches on top. The tradition of the mace may date to the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...

when attendants of Roman consuls carried bundles of sticks wrapped around an axe to enforce order. The tradition may also come directly from Pennsylvania's English heritage. * Murals: a colorful panorama of Pennsylvania history appear in murals by

Edwin Austin Abbey Edwin Austin Abbey (April 1, 1852August 1, 1911) was an American muralist, illustrator, and painter. He flourished at the beginning of what is now referred to as the "golden age" of illustration, and is best known for his drawings and paintings ...

. The most commanding of the series hangs behind the Speaker's rostrum and dominates the wall behind the Speaker. It is called ''The Apotheosis of Pennsylvania'' * Ceiling: a work of art in itself with its ornate geometry of gold leaf buttoned at the center by a charming painted illustration. In "The Hours", Abbey represents the passage of time in the form of 24 maidens revolving in an endless circle amidst the moon, the sun and the stars of the

Milky Way The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye ...

Speaker of the House

The speakership is the oldest elected statewide office in the Commonwealth. Since its first session in 1682—presided over by

William Penn William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...

—over 130 house members have been elevated to the speaker's chair. The house cannot hold an official session in the absence of the speaker or their designated ''speaker pro tempore.'' Speaker Leroy Irvis was the first African American elected speaker of any state legislature in the United States since Reconstruction. Speaker Dennis O'Brien was the only minority-party Speaker known in Pennsylvania and only the second known nationwide. Pennsylvania has never had a female speaker. Republican

Bryan Cutler Bryan Dean Cutler (born April 2, 1975) is an American politician who is the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. A Republican, Cutler represents the 100th legislative district of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He w ...

was elected Speaker of the House on June 22, 2020, replacing outgoing speaker

Mike Turzai Michael Coyne Turzai (born August 2, 1959) is an American politician and former Republican Party (United States), Republican member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives who served as Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, S ...

, who had resigned to take a job with a Pittsburgh-based natural gas company.

Current composition

In 2012, a State Representative district had an average population of 60,498 residents.

Partisan breakdown

Leadership

Speaker of the House of Representatives: ''

'' (R)

Membership, 2021–2022

Past composition of the House of Representatives

File:PA State House, January 2019 Map.svg, January 2019

Committees

Notes

References

;Specific ;General *

External links

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

State House of Pennsylvania information and voting records
This link leads to information about elected officials and candidates in Pennsylvania on the website "

." This web site provides such information for all states in the US. {{DEFAULTSORT:Pennsylvania House Of Representatives

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

State lower houses in the United States