Legal Definitions - conference committee

A conference committee is a joint meeting of two legislative committees, one from each house of a bicameral legislature. Its main purpose is to adjust differences in a bill passed by both houses in different versions. The committee is also known as a committee on conference.

For example, if the House of Representatives and the Senate pass different versions of a bill, a conference committee will be formed to reconcile the differences and come up with a compromise version that both houses can agree on. The committee is made up of members from both houses and is usually chaired by a member of the majority party.

The conference committee's report is usually given a higher precedence and cannot be altered or amended by the house. The report is submitted to the house from which it was appointed, and the house must adopt or refuse to adopt the report in the form submitted.

Overall, a conference committee is an important part of the legislative process that helps to ensure that bills are passed in a form that both houses can agree on.