What are Committees of Conference? Lawmakers Work to Finalize Legislation

June 12th, 2025

As the legislative session winds down, lawmakers in the New Hampshire House and Senate are entering a critical and final phase: Committees of Conference (CoC). These committees play a vital role in shaping the final versions of bills that have passed through both chambers of our legislature, but with different versions due to amended language.   

What Is a Committee of Conference?

A Committee of Conference is a group of lawmakers appointed to resolve disagreements between the House and Senate on a particular bill. When one chamber disagrees with amendments made by the other, they have three options:

  • Concur – Agree to the changes, sending the bill directly to the Governor’s desk;

  • Nonconcur – Reject the changes outright, effectively killing the bill;

  • Nonconcur and request a CoC – Form a small, group of Representatives and Senators to negotiate a compromise. If a chamber decides to request a CoC it will be posted on this Committee of Conference webpage. 

Each committee includes members from both chambers selected by the Speaker of the House and the Senate President. These committees meet publicly but are often fast-paced, as legislators are given a week from start to finish to reach an agreement.

Once a compromise is reached, the committee issues a CoC report summarizing the agreed-upon language. Both the House and the Senate must then approve that report before the bill can be sent to the Governor for final consideration.

Rules of Committees of Conference

While committees of conference have the important task of resolving disagreements, they operate under specific rules and procedures. Though limited in size, these groups have substantial influence. Some of the key rules include:

  1. Scope Is Limited to Points of Disagreement: Committees may only address the parts of a bill on which the House and Senate disagree. They cannot introduce entirely new language or provisions unrelated to the original bill or its amendments. 

  2. Public Meetings Are Required: All CoC meetings must be open to the public. While these meetings are often scheduled quickly, they are live streamed and posted on YouTube. You can find last year's playlist here.

  3. Membership Can Be Changed at Any Time: Though members are initially appointed by House and Senate leadership, they can be replaced at any point before the committee finalizes its report. In the House, members can be replaced by the Speaker; in the Senate, members can be replaced by the Senate President.

  4. Unanimous Agreement Is Required to Move Forward: To issue a committee report, all members of the committee must sign the final agreement. If even one member objects or withholds their signature, the committee cannot move the report forward, and the bill fails.

  5. Strict Deadlines Apply: Committees operate under tight, session-end deadlines. All committee reports must be signed and submitted by the deadline.

What Happens After a Committee Meets?

The fate of a bill depends on whether the committee can reach a deal and whether both chambers accept it. Here’s how it plays out:

  • If the committee fails to agree, the bill is dead.

  • If the committee reaches an agreement, both chambers must vote to approve the committee’s report.

  • If either chamber rejects the report, the report cannot be amended, and the bill dies. 

  • Only if both chambers approve does the bill move to the Governor’s desk for signature or veto.

Next Steps

This year Committees of Conference are scheduled from June 12 to June 19. The last day to establish a CoC is this Thursday, June 12, and the last day to sign reports is Thursday, June 19. Check this Committee of Conference webpage regularly for scheduled meetings, updates, and report sign-offs.

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