The Senate has 315 elected members, and an additional number of appointed life senators and ex officio life senators. Life senators appointed by the President of the Republic "for outstanding merits in social, scientific, artistic and literary fields" have included such names as the orchestral conductor Arturo Toscanini [who rejected his appointment], the poet Eugenio Montale, and the playwright Eduardo De Filippo, to mention but a few. Former Presidents of the Republic are ex officio life senators. The presently serving life senators appointed by the President of the Republic are: Mario Monti, Elena Cattaneo, Renzo Piano, Carlo Rubbia and Liliana Segre. The former President of the Republic currently sitting in the Senate is Giorgio Napolitano. The 315 elective seats of the Senate are distributed among the twenty Italian regions in proportion to their population, save for the seats assigned to the Overseas constituency. One seat is assigned to Valle d'Aosta, two to Molise and at least seven seats to each of the other eighteen regions. Under Article 58 of the Italian Constitution, any voter of 40 years of age or over may be elected.

Within twenty days of the general election, the Senate must hold its first sitting, which is presided over by the most senior senator by age. At their first session, the senators elect a new President of the Senate by secret ballot. For the first two ballots, an absolute majority of all the Senate members is required, but if this majority is not obtained a third ballot takes place, for which an absolute majority of the members present is sufficient. If no senator obtains the required majority in this ballot, the two senators obtaining the most votes in the previous ballot run against each other. In the case of a tied vote, the oldest senator is elected or, when two senators tie in second place, the oldest senator is chosen for the run-off ballot.
The President of the Senate holds an important office as the representative of the Senate and the second highest-ranking officer of the Republic. He acts as President of the Republic when the President is unable to perform his or her functions.
The President chairs the debates, decides on the admissibility of bills, motions and questions, gives the floor to members, puts motions to the House, sets the voting schedule and proclaims the result of votes. He presides over the work of the Senate bodies, enforces the Rules, oversees the functions attributed to the Quaestors and Secretaries, and ensures the smooth running of the administrative machinery.

After electing the President, the Senate elects the Bureau at its following sitting. The Bureau comprises four Vice-Presidents who chair debates from time to time and represent the Senate at public ceremonies, deputising for the President; three Quaestors, who are jointly responsible for the security, budget and financial accounts of the Senate; twelve Secretaries, who assist the President during sittings, read bills and other documents that must be transmitted to the Senate, call the roll, confirm the results of votes and compile the records of public sittings.
The number of Secretaries may be increased as provided for by the Rules. The Bureau is the ultimate authority on administrative and disciplinary issues. Acting on a recommendation of the President of the Senate, the Bureau appoints a Secretary General, who is responsible for the Senate staff.
The activities of the Senate Bureau and the Board of Quaestors are made public through the regular publication of a Bulletin of Collegiate Bodies.

Within three days of the first sitting, all the senators must notify the President of the Parliamentary Group which they intend to join. Non-attached senators are assigned to the Mixed Group. A Parliamentary Group must have at least ten members - although the Rules admit of exceptions. Each Group elects a Leader, one or more Deputies and one or more Secretaries.

The Leaders of the Parliamentary Groups assembled together constitute the Conference of Parliamentary Group Leaders, which approves the two-monthly Senate programme and the monthly business agenda.

Standing Committees [so called because they are permanent bodies and are not established from time to time to consider individual measures] reflect the size of Parliamentary Groups and their members are appointed by each Parliamentary Group.
Within five days of being established, each Group assigns its members to each of the Standing Committees, informing the President of the Senate [an exemption is granted to the 14th Committee, on EU Affairs].
Each Committee has legislative and non-legislative responsibility for one or more sectors, corresponding to the activities of one or more executive departments.
The Senate Standing Committees are numbered from 1 to 14, with responsibility for the following subject matters:

• 1 Constitutional Affairs, Affairs of the Office of the Prime Minister, Home Affairs, Organisation of the State and the Civil Service;
• 2 Judiciary;
• 3 Foreign Affairs, Emigration;
• 4 Defence;
• 5 Economic Planning, Budget;
• 6 Finance and Treasury;
• 7 Education, Cultural Property, Scientific Research, Entertainment, Industry and Sport;
• 8 Public Works, Communications;
• 9 Agriculture and Food Production;
• 10 Industry, Trade, Tourism;
• 11 Labour, Social Security;
• 12 Health;
• 13 Environment, Environmental Properties and the Land;
• 14 European Union Policies [established in 2003 following the transformation of the Select Committee on the European Communities].

Special Committees are established following a decision of the Assembly to scrutinise particular bills. Their composition reflects the size of Parliamentary Groups.

Committees of enquiry have the same powers and limitations as the judiciary, and are established to investigate matters of public interest. They are established by Act of Parliament or by a resolution of the Senate.

Joint Committees are created by virtue of constitutional provisions or by law. They are advisory or oversight bodies, which issue guidelines and hold the Government to account. They comprise senators and deputies.

The Committee on the Library and Historical Archives is composed of three senators and is responsible for managing the Senate Library and Historical Archives.

At the beginning of a new Parliament, the President of the Senate appoints the members of the Select Committees, taking into account the size of parliamentary groups.

The Committee on Rules comprises ten senators and is chaired by the President of the Senate. It considers and introduces changes to the Rules of Procedure and issues opinions on the interpretation of the Rules submitted to it by the President of the Senate.

The Committee for Elections and Parliamentary Immunity is composed by twenty-three senators, its chairperson being elected from among its members. It checks credentials and reasons for disqualification. This Committee also examines requests by the judiciary for authorisation to conduct personal or house searches on senators, to arrest senators, wire-tap their conversations or communications and impound their correspondence. It also examines requests to prosecute ministers.

Permanent Delegations of the Italian Parliament participate in the activities of the following international bodies:

• Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
• NATO Parliamentary Assembly
• Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe [OSCE]
• Parliamentary Assembly of the Central European Initiative [CEI]