Which type of committee is formed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a bill?

• A. Standing
• B. Select
• C. Conference
• D. Joint

Answer: (C)

When both chambers have passed different versions of a bill, the body that handles reconciliation is a conference committee. This temporary group brings together members from both the House and the Senate to negotiate and combine the differing language into a single, agreed-upon version. They draft a conference report outlining the compromise, and each chamber then votes on that report. If both approve, the bill goes to the President for signature or veto.

This differs from standing committees, which are permanent and handle particular subjects; select committees, which are temporary and created for a specific issue or investigation; and joint committees, which involve members from both houses but focus on ongoing tasks or studies rather than reconciling legislation.