A conference committee is a special joint committee that brings together members of the House of Representatives and Senate to resolve issues in legislation to create a bill based in compromise.
A conference committee is used when the House and Senate versions of a bill differ enough that the bill will not be passed in its current state. These committees must compromise to create a new bill or the legislation will be at risk of dying before a vote. Major issues are typically the focus of conference committees such as health care, education, and human rights legislation.
