View source for Legislative council

{{short description|Type of legislative body}}
{{refimprove|date=January 2014}}
{{Use Hong Kong English|date=December 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}

A '''legislative council''' is the [[legislature]], or one of the [[legislative chamber]]s, of a [[Nation state|nation]], [[colony]], or [[Administrative division|subnational division]] such as a [[province]] or [[Federated state|state]]. It was commonly used to label unicameral or upper house legislative bodies in the British (former) colonies. However, it has also been used as designation in other (non-Commonwealth) nations. A member of a legislative council is commonly referred to as an MLC.

In the United States, a legislative council has a different connotation, and means a [[council]] within a legislature which supervises nonpartisan support staff.

==History==
In the [[British Empire]], the authority under which legislative councils have been constituted has varied: some under the [[Royal prerogative in the United Kingdom|royal prerogative]], others by acts of [[parliament]], and some by [[Commissioner|commission]] and [[royal instructions]].<ref>Wright, Martin. Appendix 9 in ''The Development of the Legislative Council 1606–1945'', in the series "Studies in Colonial Legislatures" edited by [[Margery Perham]] of the Institute of Colonial Studies, Oxford, England (Faber & Faber, 1946).</ref> 

==List of legislative councils==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Existing national legislative councils
!scope="col"|Country
!scope="col"|Body
!scope="col"|Type
!scope="col"|Established
!scope="col"|Notes
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Brunei Darussalam}}
|[[Legislative Council of Brunei|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1959||Suspended in 1984, reconvened in 2004
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Hong Kong}}
|[[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1843||Established under the [[British Hong Kong]] era; [[Provisional Legislative Council]] 1997–98
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Isle of Man}}
|[[Legislative Council of the Isle of Man|Legislative Council]]||Upper House|| ||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Palestine}}
|[[Palestinian Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1996||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Saint Helena}}
|[[Legislative Council of Saint Helena|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral|| ||
|}

In India, the [[State Legislative Council (India)|Vidhan Parishad]] is another name for the Legislative Council in those states with bicameral legislatures.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Existing sub-national legislative councils
!scope="col"|Country
!scope="col"|Region
!scope="col"|Body
!scope="col"|Type
!scope="col"|Established
!scope="col"|Notes
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Australia}}
|[[New South Wales]]||[[New South Wales Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1824||Unicameral until 1856
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Australia}}
|[[South Australia]]||[[South Australian Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1840||Unicameral until 1857
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Australia}}
|[[Tasmania]]||[[Tasmanian Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1825||Unicameral until 1856
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Australia}}
|[[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]||[[Victorian Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1851||Unicameral until 1856
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Australia}}
|[[Western Australia]]||[[Western Australian Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1832||Unicameral until 1890
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|India}}
|[[Andhra Pradesh]]||[[Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1958||Abolished between 1985 and 2007
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|India}}
|[[Bihar]]||[[Bihar Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1912||Unicameral until 1920
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|India}}
|[[Karnataka]]||[[Karnataka Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1956||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|India}}
|[[Maharashtra]]||[[Maharashtra Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1960||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|India}}
|[[Telangana]]||[[Telangana Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|2014||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|India}}
|[[Uttar Pradesh]]||[[Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1935||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Venezuela}}
|[[Zulia]]||[[Legislative Council of Zulia|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1864||
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Defunct national legislative councils
!scope="col"|Country
!scope="col"|Body
!scope="col"|Type
!scope="col"|Established
!scope="col"|Disestablished
!scope="col"|Notes
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Aden|colonial}}
|[[Legislative Council (Aden)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| 1947<ref>{{cite book |last1=Office |first1=Great Britain Colonial |title=Colonial Reports Report on Aden |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4jodAAAAIAAJ |language=en |date=1954}}</ref>||align=center| || 
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Antigua and Barbuda|colonial}}
|[[Legislative Council (Antigua and Barbuda)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| ||align=center| ||Established under instructions to the governor
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Bahamas|colonial}}
|[[Legislative Council (Bahamas)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| 1841<ref name="collist">{{cite book |title=The Colonial Office List, Comprising Historical and Statistical Information Respecting the Colonial Empire, List of Officers Serving in the Colonies, Etc |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T4hDAQAAIAAJ |publisher=H.M. Stationery Office |language=en |date=1947}}</ref> ||align=center| ||Letters patent
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Barbados|1885}}
|[[Legislative Council (Barbados)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| ||align=center| 1963<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Senate {{!}} BARBADOSPARLIAMENT.COM |url=https://www.barbadosparliament.com/main_page_content/show_content/8 |access-date=2024-05-10 |website=www.barbadosparliament.com}}</ref> ||Established under instructions to the governor
|-
!scope="row"|{{noflag}} [[Basutoland]]
|[[Legislative Council (Basutoland)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| 1960<ref>{{cite web |title=Image 30 of Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland; a guide to official publications, 1868-1968 |url=https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.botswanalesothos00bali/?sp=30&st=text |website=Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA}}</ref> ||align=center| ||Established under instructions to the governor
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Bechuanaland Protectorate}}
|[[Legislative Council (Bechuanaland)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1961||align=center|1965||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Bermuda|colonial}}
|[[Legislative Council (Bermuda)|Legislative Council]]||Bicameral||align=center|1612 ||align=center|1980||Originally a single thirteen-member Council combined Executive (cabinet) and Legislative functions. Established under [[Royal Charter]]s to the [[London Company]] in 1606, 1609, and 1612, and to the [[Somers Isles Company]] in 1615, transmitted via the [[Governor of Bermuda|Governor]]. Elected lower [[House of Assembly of Bermuda|House of Assembly]] held first session in 1620, with Council becoming upper house. The Council split in 1888 into an [[Executive council (Commonwealth countries)|Executive Council]] and a Legislative Council. Colonial legislature was updated to the [[Westminster system]] in 1968. Executive Council was renamed the Cabinet in 1973, and is now formed from Members of the majority party in the House of Assembly. Legislative Council was renamed the [[Senate of Bermuda]] in 1980, and is now composed of five Members recommended by the Premier, three by the Leader of the Opposition, and three by the Governor acting in his own discretion, all appointed by the Governor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://parliament.bm/about/view/3 |title=General Information |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=<!--Not stated--> |website=Bermuda Parliament |publisher=Government of Bermuda |access-date=2021-08-06 |quote=}}</ref>
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|British Columbia|1906}}
|[[Legislative Council of British Columbia|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1867||align=center|1871||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|British Guiana}}
|[[Legislative Council (British Guiana)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1928||align=center|1961||Established by an act of parliament; abolished between 1953 and 1954.
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|British Honduras|colonial}}
|[[Legislative Council (British Honduras)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1853<ref name="collist" /> ||align=center| ||Established under instructions to the governor
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|British India}}
|[[Imperial Legislative Council]]||Bicameral||align=center|1861||align=center|1947||Unicameral until 1920
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|British Virgin Islands}}
|[[Legislative Council of the British Virgin Islands|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||1867<ref name="collist" /> ||align=center|2007||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Burma|1937}}
|[[Legislative Council of Burma|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1897||align=center|1936||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Ceylon|colonial}}
|[[Legislative Council of Ceylon|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1833||align=center|1931||Established under the prerogative
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Cyprus|colonial}}
|[[Legislative Council (Cyprus)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| ||align=center| ||Established under the prerogative
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Dominica|1955}}
|[[Legislative Council (Dominica)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1832<ref name="collist" /> ||align=center| ||Established by an act of parliament
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Falkland Islands}}
|[[Legislative Council of the Falkland Islands|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1845||align=center|2009||Established under the British Settlements Act, 1843
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Fiji}}
|[[Legislative Council of Fiji|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| ||align=center| ||Established under the prerogative
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Gambia|colonial}}
|[[Legislative Council (Gambia)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1843<ref name="collist" /> ||align=center| ||Established under the British Settlements Act, 1843
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Gibraltar|colonial}}
|[[Gibraltar Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1950||align=center|1969||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Gold Coast}}
|[[Legislative Council (Gold Coast)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| ||align=center| ||Established under the British Settlements Act, 1843
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Jamaica|1957}}
|[[Legislative Council of Jamaica|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral || align="center" | 1866<ref name="collist" />|| align="center" | ||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Kenya|colonial}}
|[[Legislative Council of Kenya|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1907||align=center|1963||Established under the British Settlements Act, 1843
|-
!scope="row"|{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Lower Canada]]
|[[Legislative Council of Lower Canada|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1791||align=center|1841||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Malaya|colonial}}
|[[Federal Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1948||align=center|1957||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Malta|1943}}
|[[Legislative Council (Malta)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| ||align=center| ||Established under the prerogative
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Manchukuo}}
|[[Legislative Council (Manchukuo)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1934||align=center|1945||[[Puppet state]] of the [[Empire of Japan]]
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Mandatory Palestine}}
|[[Legislative Council (Mandatory Palestine)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1922||align=center|1923||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Mauritius|1923}}
|[[Legislative Council (Mauritius)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| ||align=center| ||Established under the prerogative
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Montserrat}}
|[[Legislative Council of Montserrat|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| ||align=center|2011||Established under instructions to the governor
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|New Zealand}}
|[[New Zealand Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1841||align=center|1950||Unicameral until 1853
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Newfoundland|colonial}}
|[[Legislative Council of Newfoundland|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1833||align=center|1934||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Nigeria|colonial}}
|[[Legislative Council (Nigeria)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| ||align=center| ||Established under the prerogative
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Northern Rhodesia}}
|[[Legislative Council (Northern Rhodesia)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| ||align=center| ||Established under the Foreign Jurisdiction Act, 1843
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Nyasaland}}
|[[Legislative Council (Nyasaland)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1907||align=center| ||Established under the Foreign Jurisdiction Act, 1843
|-
!scope="row"|[[File:Flag of the Territory of New Guinea.svg|25px]] [[Papua New Guinea]]
|[[Legislative Council of Papua and New Guinea|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1951||align=center|1963||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flagicon|Portugal}} [[Portuguese Guinea]]
|[[Legislative Council (Portuguese Guinea)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1963||align=center|1972||Became the [[Legislative Assembly (Portuguese Guinea)|Legislative Assembly]]
|-
!scope="row"|{{flagicon|Portugal}} [[Portuguese Angola|Portuguese West Africa]]
|[[Legislative Council (Portuguese Angola)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1922||align=center|1972||Abolished between 1926 and 1955
|-
!scope="row"|{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Province of Canada]]
|[[Legislative Council of the Province of Canada|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1841||align=center|1867||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Romania}}
|[[Legislative Council (Romania)|Legislative Council]]||Consultative||align=center|1923||align=center|1948||Established under Article 76 of the [[1923 Constitution of Romania|1923 Constitution]] and retained under Article 72 of the [[1938 Constitution of Romania|1938 Constitution]]
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla|name=St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla}}
|[[Legislative Council (St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1832<ref name="collist" /> ||align=center| ||Established under instructions to the governor
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Saint Lucia|1939|name=St Lucia}}
|[[Legislative Council (St Lucia)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1832||align=center| 1967<ref>{{cite web |title=Saint Lucia - Access Government |url=http://www.govt.lc/constitutionaldevelopment |website=Saint Lucia - Access Government}}</ref>||Established under the prerogative
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Saint Vincent|colonial|name=St Vincent}}
|[[Legislative Council (St Vincent and the Grenadines)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| ||align=center| ||Established by an act of parliament
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Seychelles|1903}}
|[[Legislative Council (Seychelles)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1962 ||align=center|1970 ||Established under the prerogative
|-
!scope="row"|[[File:Flag of Sierra Leone 1916-1961.gif|25px]] [[Sierra Leone]]
|[[Legislative Council of Sierra Leone|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| ||align=center| ||Established under the British Settlements Act, 1843
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Solomon Islands|1956}}
|[[Legislative Council of the Solomon Islands|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1960||align=center|1970||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Southern Rhodesia|colonial}}
|[[Southern Rhodesian Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1898||align=center|1923||Established under the prerogative
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Straits Settlements}}
|[[Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1866|| ||Established by an act of parliament
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Singapore|colonial-1946}}
|[[Legislative Council of Singapore|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1946||align=center|1953||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Swaziland|colonial}}
|[[Legislative Council of Swaziland|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1964 ||align=center|1967 ||Established in the Constitution of 1964
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Trinidad and Tobago|colonial}}
|[[Legislative Council of Trinidad and Tobago|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1925||align=center|1961||Established under the prerogative
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Tanganyika}}
|[[Legislative Council (Sierra Leone)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center| ||align=center| ||Established under the Foreign Jurisdiction Act, 1843
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Turks and Caicos Islands}}
|[[Legislative Council of the Turk and Caicos Islands|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral|| ||align=center|2006||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Uganda|colonial}}
|[[Uganda Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1920||align=center|1962||Established under the Foreign Jurisdiction Act, 1843
|-
!scope="row"|{{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[Upper Canada]]
|[[Legislative Council of Upper Canada|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1791||align=center|1841||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Zaire}}
|[[Legislative Council (Zaire)|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1972||align=center|1990||
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Defunct sub-national legislative councils
!scope="col"|Country
!scope="col"|Region
!scope="col"|Body
!scope="col"|Type
!scope="col"|Established
!scope="col"|Disestablished
!scope="col"|Notes
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Australia}}
|[[Queensland]]||[[Queensland Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1860||align=center|1922||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|British India}}
|[[Bengal Presidency|Bengal]]||[[British Bengal Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1861||align=center|1947||Unicameral until 1937
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|British India}}
|[[Eastern Bengal and Assam]]||[[Eastern Bengal and Assam Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1906||align=center|1912||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Canada|1868}}
|[[Manitoba]]||[[Legislative Council of Manitoba|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1870||align=center|1876|| First province to eliminate upper chamber.
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Canada|1868}}
|[[New Brunswick]]||[[Legislative Council of New Brunswick|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1785||align=center|1891||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Canada|1921}}
|[[Nova Scotia]]||[[Legislative Council of Nova Scotia|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1838||align=center|1928||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Canada|1868}}
|[[Prince Edward Island]]||[[Legislative Council of Prince Edward Island|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1773||align=center|1893||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|Canada}}
|[[Quebec]]||[[Legislative Council of Quebec|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1867||align=center|1968|| Last province to eliminate upper chamber.
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|India}}
|[[Assam]]||[[Assam Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1935 ||align=center|1969||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|India}}
|[[Bombay State|Bombay]]||[[Bombay Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1861||align=center|1960||Unicameral until 1935
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|India}}
|[[Cochin State|Cochin]]||[[Cochin Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Unicameral||align=center|1925||align=center|1949||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|India}}
|[[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]]||[[Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1957||align=center|2019||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|India}}
|[[Madhya Pradesh]]||[[Madhya Pradesh Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1956 ||align=center|1969||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|India}}
|[[Punjab, India|Punjab]]||[[Punjab Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1956 ||align=center|1969||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|India}}
|[[Tamil Nadu]]||[[Tamil Nadu Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1956||align=center|1986||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|India}}
|[[West Bengal]]||[[West Bengal Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1952 ||align=center|1969||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|United States}}
|[[Delaware]]||[[Delaware Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1776||align=center|1792||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|United States}}
|[[Florida Territory]]||[[Legislative Council of the Territory of Florida|Legislative Council]]||Bicameral||align=center|1822||align=center|1845||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|United States}}
|[[New Jersey]]||[[New Jersey Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1776||align=center|1844||
|-
!scope="row"|{{flag|United States}}
|[[South Carolina]]||[[South Carolina Legislative Council|Legislative Council]]||Upper House||align=center|1776||align=center|1778||
|}

==United States==
In [[American English]], the term "legislative council" has acquired a slightly different meaning since the 1930s. It refers to a joint committee with members from both houses of the state legislature, which supervises a staff of attorneys, accountants, and researchers charged with providing strictly nonpartisan support services to the legislature or to particular committees.<ref name="Teaford">{{cite book|last1=Teaford|first1=Jon C.|title=The Rise of the States: Evolution of American State Government|date=2002|publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press|location=Baltimore|isbn=9780801868894|pages=[https://archive.org/details/riseofstatesevol0000teaf/page/153 153]–157|url=https://archive.org/details/riseofstatesevol0000teaf|url-access=registration|access-date=August 25, 2014}}</ref> The concept of the legislative council was first developed in [[Kansas]] and was implemented by the [[Kansas Legislature]] in 1933.<ref name="Teaford"/><ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Davey |first=Harold W. |date=1953 |title=The Legislative Council Movement, 1933–1953 |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/abs/legislative-council-movement-19331953/4206865B1000F85F89BF120F03363B9A |journal=American Political Science Review |language=en |volume=47 |issue=3 |pages=785–797 |doi=10.2307/1952905 |jstor=1952905 |issn=1537-5943|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Eventually, a majority of [[U.S. state]]s adopted legislative councils, but under a variety of names.<ref name="Teaford"/> Between 1933 and 1959, at least 32 states had legislative councils.<ref name=":0" />

Kansas still uses a legislative council, although it was converted into the Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council in 1971. Legislative councils operating under that name exist in the states of Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin. Several states use the term "commission" for the same thing, including New Jersey and Nevada.

A few states, like California, have a "[[California Office of Legislative Counsel|legislative counsel]]", not "council", who is appointed by a vote of the entire legislature and is thus responsible to the body as a whole rather than a "council" within it.

==See also==
{{portal|Politics}}
*[[House of Assembly]]
*[[Legislative assembly]]
*[[Legislative Yuan]]
* [[Legislative Council of Macao]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Councils]]
[[Category:Governance of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Legislatures]]