What are Committees?
Committees are groups of legislators in each chamber tasked with focusing on specific areas of policy, administration, or oversight. The primary functions of committees are to examine issues in detail, make recommendations, and review legislation. There are three main types of committees: standing, joint, and conference committees.
Most committees are standing, which means their membership consists of lawmakers from one chamber, as assigned by the Leaders of that Chamber. Standing committees hear bills and are typically a required part of the legislative process.
Joint Committees consist of members from both chambers. Conference committees are temporary joint committees that work to find compromise when legislation changes in the second chamber from how it passed the chamber of origin.
What are Committees?
Understanding committees is an important part of researching any bill you care about. The respective Ohio House and Ohio Senate committee pages each link to the standing, joint, conference, and special committees for that chamber. Each individual committee page will inform you of the membership, leadership, meetings, and bills in that committee. The Meetings section will have the meeting notice for an upcoming hearing, which will have the date, time, location, and agenda. Most committees meet in the Statehouse on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and occasionally Thursdays when the legislature is not in recess. You can sign up to receive meeting notices by joining that committee’s mailing list from their committee page.
Who sits on committees?
Usually, in the Senate, the President assigns the majority party (currently Republican) members, and the Senate Minority Leader assigns the minority party (currently Democrat) members. Senate Standing Committees vary from only 5 or 7 members to up to 13 members.
In the House, generally, the Speaker assigns the majority party members, and the House Minority Leader assigns the minority party members. House Standing Committees typically have between 12 and 16 members, although the House Finance Committee consists of 33 members who often meet in Finance Subcommittees.
Do committees have leaders?
Standing committees are led by a Chair and a Vice Chair from the majority party and a Ranking Member of the minority party. Some committees have co-chairs. The Chair decides how often the committee will meet and what bills will be heard at each meeting. Their support or opposition is often critical in how quickly (or not) a bill will go through the committee process. The Vice Chair and Ranking Member are also important opinion leaders on the committee.
Administratively, the Chair’s legislative aide (staff member) is the Committee Clerk and handles records, takes attendance, organizes testimony, and performs other duties. Democrat and Republican caucus policy staff are often subject-matter experts and brief members of their Caucus based on legislative leadership guidance.
How do committees operate?
Legislative rules of procedure require that a bill has three considerations if it is to pass: introduction on the floor, referral to committee, and consideration on the floor. The rules can be suspended.
Committees are a crucial step in the legislative process. For the full legislative process, see this guide. After a bill is introduced, it is assigned to a committee based on subject matter.
Once a bill is referred to a committee, the Committee’s Chair decides if and when it gets any hearings. Usually, a bill will have a Sponsor hearing where the bill’s author will introduce the legislation to the committee, a proponent hearing where supporters of the bill will submit testimony to explain why the committee should pass it, and an opponent hearing where people against the bill will submit testimony to express why it should not pass. For more information on testimony and a testimony template, see this guide.
Commonly, these hearings are separate, but they are not required to be. Experts, stakeholders, and members of the public may submit testimony. Members may consider amendments- changes to the bill- based on testimony and meetings.
A bill might be scheduled for a vote if it is supported by an adequate number of committee members and a quorum (usually half plus one of the committee members) is present. If the bill passes the committee, it will normally go to the floor of that chamber for all lawmakers to vote on.
Why should I engage with committees?
Lawmakers want to know Ohioans’ opinions on proposed bills, and committees are an opportunity to show support or opposition publicly. You customarily submit testimony for bills that are being heard in committee, and your testimony becomes public record. A large show of support or opposition may sway a lawmaker’s opinion on the subject. You can also privately schedule meetings with members of the committee since their votes determine what bills are voted out of committee and onto the floor. For a how-to on contacting your elected officials, see this guide.
