The Missouri General Assembly is the legislative branch of Missouri government. The General Assembly is made up of the Missouri House of Representatives and the Missouri Senate. For its House of Representatives, the state of Missouri is made up of 163 districts, with one representative from each district. Representatives are elected to two year terms and are elected every general election.

For its Senate, the state of Missouri is made up of 34 districts, with one senator from each district. The Senators are elected to four year terms, with the elections staggered. Senators from odd-numbered districts are elected at the time of the presidential election and Senators from even-numbered districts are elected two years after the presidential election.

In 1992, the Missouri Constitution was amended to only allow a person to serve eight total years in the Missouri House and eight total years in the Missouri Senate. These restrictions are regularly referred to as "term limits".

At each annual session the members elect the house leaders by majority vote. The speaker then determines the total number of members for each committee and appoints the majority members to serve on those committees and appoints a chair for each committee. The minority floor leader picks the minority members of the committees, but the speaker has final approval of these appointments. The committee's political composition is to reflect the overall political proportions of the house. The house committees may meet with 24 hours notice, and the notice is made on the bulletin board outside of the speaker's office.

The Senate President is the Lieutenant Governor, who acts as the presiding officer of the Senate. In the Lieutenant Governor's absence, the President Pro Tem, who is elected by a majority of the Senators, presides.