What is the purpose of a "conference committee" in the legislative process?

The purpose of a "conference committee" in the legislative process is to resolve differences in legislation between the House of Representatives and the Senate. When both chambers of Congress pass their versions of a bill, there may be discrepancies in the wording, provisions, or overall intent. The conference committee, composed of members from both the House and Senate, is formed to reconcile these differences.

This process is crucial for ensuring that both chambers agree on the final version of the legislation before it goes to the President for approval. The conference committee works by negotiating and compromising on the various elements of the bill, which ultimately leads to a single unified version that can be voted on and passed by both chambers.

Creating new laws from scratch does not accurately describe the function of a conference committee, as this committee works with existing legislative proposals. Investigating public policy issues is typically the responsibility of separate committees or subcommittees within Congress, rather than a conference committee. Likewise, overseeing the voting process is not within the scope of a conference committee's role, as the committee's primary focus is on reconciling legislative differences.