How Committees Work
The standing committee system of the House of Representatives is comprised of the
sixteen permanent House standing committees. The committees and their specific respective subject matter
jurisdictions are established by House Rules (House Rules 6.1 and 6.6). The
chairman and members of each committee are appointed by the Speaker of the House
(except that certain members of the Appropriations Committee are elected as provided by House Rules (House Rules 6.1 and 6.4).
Committee meeting scheduling differs from legislative session to the interim between sessions. This process is described in
House Rules
14.20 (Committee Meeting Schedule; Session, Interim Conflicts).
During legislative session, committees are
often referred to as "Morning", "Afternoon"
and "Weekly" committees.
House Rules
6.7 (Regular committee meetings) designates the assignment of standing committees to these categories.