What is a conference committee?
A conference committee is a temporary joint House-Senate committee. It negotiates one text when the two chambers pass different versions of the same bill.
The committee proposes an agreement, but it cannot make that agreement law. The full House and Senate must each approve the result.
Why does Congress use a conference committee?
The House and Senate must pass identical bill text before sending it to the president. If they pass different versions, they must resolve those differences first. A conference committee gives members from both chambers a place to negotiate one text.
Not every bill needs a conference committee. One chamber can accept the other chamber’s text, or the chambers can exchange amendments until they agree. The Congress.gov guide to resolving differences explains these paths.
Who serves on a conference committee?
Each chamber appoints members called conferees. They usually come from the committees that considered the bill. Unlike a standing committee, a conference committee has a temporary job tied to a specific bill.
- The House and Senate agree to a conference to resolve their differences.
- The conferees negotiate the disputed provisions.
- A majority of the House conferees and a majority of the Senate conferees must sign the agreement.
The conferees submit the agreement as a conference report, with a joint explanatory statement. The statement explains the changes. The Congressional Research Service report, Conference Committee and Related Procedures: An Introduction, explains the process and its limits.
What happens to the conference report?
Both chambers must agree to the conference report without changes before the bill goes to the president. Members vote to accept or reject the report. They cannot amend it on the floor.
If either chamber rejects the report, the agreement does not clear Congress. Lawmakers must resolve their differences before the bill can advance. A conference committee does not guarantee passage.
Read how a bill becomes a law for the full path. After Congress sends the bill, the president can sign or veto it. The veto guide explains presidential action and Congress’s override power.
Follow your representatives’ votes
A vote on a conference report is separate from a vote on an earlier version of the bill. A member can support the original bill and oppose the conference report, or the reverse. The final text and the recorded votes both matter.
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