Special legislation (also called local legislation) is a legal term of art used in the United States which refers to acts of a state legislature which apply only to a specific municipality (or a group thereof) which is identified by name in the legislation. State legislatures are the lawmaking bodies of the 50 states in the United States of America. ... A municipality or general-purpose district (compare with: special-purpose district) is an administrative local area generally composed of a clearly defined territory and commonly referring to a city, town, or village government. ...

In some states, such as Pennsylvania, the state constitution prohibits special legislation; though it is often possible for the legislature to evade this restriction by describing the community in great detail without mentioning its name. (For example, Pennsylvania law defines certain powers of "cities of the second class", which was originally defined specifically to apply only to Pittsburgh; the lower threshold of this class has been revised downward to accommodate a decline in Pittsburgh's population, with the effect that other cities not originally envisioned have become entitled to second-class status.) Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures State Courts Counties, Cities, and Towns Other countries â€¢ Politics Portal      A state of the United States is any one of the fifty subnational entities referred to... Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 160 miles (255 km)  - Length 280 miles (455 km)  - % water 2. ... Nickname: Steel City, Iron City, City of Champions, City of Bridges, City of Colleges Location in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Allegheny County Founded 1758 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (D) Area    - City 151. ...

At the opposite end of the spectrum, in some states -- particularly the New England states -- the state legislature has plenary authority over municipalities, and may create or abolish them, or change their governing laws, at will. These states typically have very weak traditions of home rule, such that any significant legal change to a city or town's charter or governing laws, or an agreement between municipalities, must be authorized by an act of the legislature. There is usually a legal process by which a community may petition the legislature for such a change, and the outcome of this process, if the legislature consents, is special legislation. The states marked in red show New England. ... Plenary is an adjective related to the noun, plenum carrying a general connotation of fullness. ... Devolution or Home rule is the pooling of powers from central government to government at regional or local level. ...

In the middle are states like Georgia, where the state legislature must charter any new city, but does not have the power to directly change a charter. The city of Sandy Springs, one of the largest in Georgia, languished unincorporated for years despite local efforts due to the politics involved in this method, which prevented the affected people from voting on their own fate. Sandy Springs was finally incorporated in December 2005. The Georgia General Assembly may also revoke a city charter, as it did en masse in 1995 from every city which did not offer at least three distinct services to its citizens. Alternate use, see charter airline, yacht charter, bare-boat charter or Charter Communications. ... Note: This article title may be easily confused with Sandy Spring Sandy Springs (once known as Hammond) is a newly incorporated city (as of December 1st, 2005) located in Fulton County, Georgia, north of Atlanta and south of Roswell. ... Politics is the process by which groups make decisions. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The word citizen may refer to: A person with a citizenship Citizen Watch Co. ...

The term "special legislation" may also apply in some states to legislation which names a particular person, as in appointment to a government position or conveyance of real property between an individual and the state, or between an individual and an unincorporated community. Real property is a legal term encompassing real estate and ownership interests in real estate (immovable property). ...

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