Therefore, a conference committee is a temporary, bicameral (House and Senate) committee established to resolve differences between two versions of a bill.

conference committee – A temporary, ad hoc panel composed of House and Senate conferees which is formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers. Conference committees are usually convened to resolve bicameral differences on major and controversial legislation.

Committees are an essential part of the legislative process. Senate committees monitor on-going governmental operations, identify issues suitable for legislative review, gather and evaluate information, and recommend courses of action to the Senate.

Joint Committees include membership from both houses of Congress. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation. The position of chair usually alternates each Congress between members from the House and Senate.

The primary purpose of standing committees shall be to consider and recommend actions and propose policies in the functional areas under their jurisdictions, subject to final approval by the Council.

Standing committees (also called operating committees) are those committees that a board uses on a continual basis. They can be set forth in the association’s bylaws or in its board operations and policy manual, or they may be established by custom.

The primary function of a committee is to contribute to the efficient operation of an organization. In most cases, a committee is concerned with the communication of information and with assisting the leadership in the decision-making process by providing needed information.

The “best size” for a committee or working group is the size that enables the group to get its work done effectively and efficiently. Thus, the best number of people for one project might be five, while the best size for another group might be 12.

Committee Member Responsibilities

• Review all relevant material before committee meetings.
• Attend committee meetings and voice objective opinions on issues.
• Pay attention to association activities that affect or are affected by the committee’s work.

A committee chair is a leadership position that requires specific skills as well as a sense of diplomacy and democracy. Committee chairs are responsible for facilitating committee meetings and reporting the committee’s findings to the board.

If meetings have a tendency to go on too long, the chairman should arrange to start them one hour before lunch or one hour before the end of work. Generally, items that ought to be kept brief can be introduced ten minutes from a fixed end point.

Chairperson Careers. The chairperson is responsible for making sure that the meeting of a committee, board, or any assembly runs in an orderly fashion. The chairperson is typically a member of the board of directors of an organization and is usually elected by the members of the group.

The President of a corporation typically is the most senior corporate officer (frequently also the Chief Executive Officer). The President typically reports to the board of directors. The Chairman is called, more formally, the Chairman of the Board.

Typically, there is an agenda to a meeting, and the items on this agenda may also be called “orders.” When someone calls a meeting to order, he is announcing that it is time to deal with the items on the agenda.

Any relevant papers Written reports and other written materials will often accompany the agenda circulated prior to a Management Committee meeting. These relevant papers might include: Work reports on key outcomes/outputs. Financial reports.

However, we find these three key:

• Have the right people at the table. Consider the meeting goal and determine who must be there.
• Have an agenda that reflects the meeting goals. Let participants know in advance what will be covered and by whom.
• Have a definite time limit.

Each is explained in detail below.

• Clarify purpose and aims. A clearly stated purpose or aim describes the key decisions that must be made or actions that must occur at the meeting.
• Create an agenda.
• Schedule the meeting.
• Post and send out agenda.
• Circulate supporting information.