Structure of the North Carolina General Assembly Laws of North Carolina, known as statutes, are made by the General Assembly which is elected by the people in even-numbered years at the November general election.
Legislators serve for two-year terms.
Each legislator represents either a Senatorial District or a House District, and the Legislature is required by the Constitution of North Carolina to change these districts after every ten-year census to assure that all legislators represent approximately equal numbers of people. All legislators must be residents of the district which they represent. The General Assembly meets in regular session usually beginning on the third Wednesday following the second Monday in January of each odd-numbered year. This action was taken because many persons feel the State's problems are too complicated to be dealt with effectively by a legislature which meets only every two years. Following the Friday meeting the members return to their homes to take care of their affairs and be available to their constituents during the weekend.