Conference committee

A conference committee is a temporary group of lawmakers from both chambers appointed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a bill. The Constitution requires both chambers to pass identical text before a bill goes to the president.

Each chamber names "conferees," usually senior members of the committees that handled the bill, with the majority party holding most seats. They negotiate, often in private, and produce a conference report that can be accepted or rejected but not amended. Both chambers must then approve it. If they do not, further negotiation or other procedures follow.

Conference committees were once the usual way to finish major legislation. Their use has declined, and leaders now often negotiate informally, passing a bill back and forth ("ping-pong") or writing a final package outside the committee system. Critics say the shift reduces transparency and the influence of rank-and-file members; supporters say conferences were slow. Calls to restore the process are part of the push for regular order. Final products can be large, like an omnibus bill.