In Brazil, Members of all 26 Legislative Assemblies are called deputados estaduais. The Federal District Legislative Assembly is actually called Legislative Chamber, and is composed by deputados distritais. Unlike the federal legislative body, which is bicameral, Brazilian states legislatures are unicameral. Members of the Lower House are also called deputies, but they are deputados federais.
In Canada, members of legislative assemblies are members of the elected provincial legislatures and are called MLAs in all provinces and territories, except:
Out of the 28 states and 9 Union Territories of India, there is a legislature in all the 28 states and 2 Union Territories. A person, provided he is qualified, is elected as an MLA on the basis of universal adult suffrage by an electorate consisting of all citizens above the age of 18 of that state or UT. In some states, the Governor may appoint 1 member to represent minorities, e.g. the Anglo-Indian community, if he finds that minority inadequately represented in the Legislative Assembly. Those elected or nominated to Vidhan Sabha are referred to as Members of Legislative Assembly or MLAs. Each legislative constituency of the State or UT is represented by only one MLA. As outlined in the Constitution of India, the number of legislative seats in a legislature cannot be more than 500 members and fewer than 60 members. However, with an Act of Parliament, the seats can be fewer than 60, as such is the case in the states of Goa, Sikkim, Mizoram and the UT of Puducherry. Depending on the population and other factors, each State or UT has varying numbers of MLAs, the highest being in the state of Uttar Pradesh and the least in the UT of Puducherry. Owing to parliamentary democracy, wherein some members of the legislature also act as the executive, some MLAs may have triple responsibilities: as an MLA, as a cabinet minister of a department and/or as a chief minister of that state.
Malaysia
Members of a state legislative assembly comprises elected representatives from single-member constituencies during state elections through the first-past-the-post system. The majority party in each assembly forms the state government, and the leader of the majority party becomes chief minister of the state. The state legislative assemblies are unicameral, unlike the bicameral Parliament of Malaysia. The hereditary rulers or governors are vested with powers to dissolve their respective state legislative assemblies on the advice of the chief minister. Once dissolved, elections must be carried out within an interim period of sixty days. Usually, state elections are held simultaneously with the federal parliamentary elections, with the exception of Sarawak, and before 2004, Sabah.
Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland are known as MLAs. The Assembly was suspended on October 14, 2002 but the persons elected to it at the 2003 Assembly Election were called together on 15 May 2006 under the Northern Ireland Act 2006 for the purpose of electing a First Minister and Deputy First Minister and choosing the members of an Executive as a preliminary to the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland. Another election was held on 7 March 2007 and powers were restored to the Assembly in May 2007.
South Korea
Members of Legislative Assembly also known for MLA are called for Members of Provincial Legislative Assembly. Provincial Legislatures have their members for each provinces.
In the United States of America, state legislator is the generic term referring to a member of the legislative body of any of the country's 50 states. The formal name of the legislature varies from state to state. In 24 states, it is simply called the Legislature or the State Legislature, while in 19 states, the legislature is called the General Assembly. In Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the legislature is called the General Court, while North Dakota and Oregon designate the legislature as the Legislative Assembly. The Associated Press guidelines for journalists, refer to legislators as state representatives or state senators to avoid confusion with federal counterparts.
