Federal Parliament of Brazil
Federal Parliament Parlamento Federal (Portuguese) | |
---|---|
65th Legislature | |
Type | |
Type | |
Houses | Federal Senate Chamber of Deputies |
History | |
Founded | May 6, 1826 |
Leadership | |
Grand-Rector | Giovanni Guimarães, LIGA-RG |
President of the Federal Senate | Lauro Wolff, LIGA-RG |
President of the Chamber of Deputies | Beatriz Lima, LIGA-MG |
Structure | |
Seats | 741 members: 87 Senators 654 Federal Deputies |
Elections | |
Plurality at-large voting | |
Chamber of Deputies voting system | Mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) with leveling seats |
Federal Senate last election | 1 October 2021 |
Chamber of Deputies last election | 1 October 2021 |
Federal Senate next election | On or before 1 October 2025 |
Chamber of Deputies next election | On or before 1 October 2025 |
The Federal Parliament of Brazil (Portuguese: Parlamento Federal do Brasil) is the legislative body of the Brazilian federal government. It has been bicameral since its establishment during the Empire of Brazil, in 1826. The current form of the Federal Parliament was introduced with the promulgation of the 1999 Republican Constitution. It has 741 members: 87 Senators (three from each of the 28 Federative Units, plus the Federal District) and 654 Federal Deputies (proportional to the state's population, beginning from a minimum of 8 deputies). The 87 members of the Federal Senate are elected through a plurality at-large voting system. The 654 deputies of the lower house are elected either through single-member constituencies through the first-past-the-post voting method, or through a nationwide list of candidates.
The Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies represent the 28 States and the Federal District. Each state and the Federal District is represented by three senators, while representation in the Chamber of Deputies is proportional to the population of the federative unit, with a minimum of 8 deputies for the least populated federative units. There is no term limit for either the Federal Senate or the Chamber of Deputies, and members of both houses serve for a term of four years once elected.