ABOUT COMMITTEES

The number of standing committees and their areas of responsibility are set each biennium by the speaker. Under the House Rules, the speaker-designate submits this information to the leader of the minority caucus 30 days before a new session convenes.

The speaker names the chairs, vice-chairs, and members of each committee. Following the general election, each member is given an opportunity to indicate which committees are preferred. The number of committee assignments per member can vary from session to session. Generally, members serve on three or four of the standing committees. Majority caucus members submit requests directly to the speaker-designate (the nominee elected by the majority caucus). The minority caucus members make their requests through the minority leader who submits recommendations for minority representation on the standing committees to the speaker-designate 15 days before convening a new session.

Committees are balanced with respect to party, occupation and geographic area represented by the members of the House.

Due to scheduling conflicts, assignment to one committee may preclude another committee assignment.

It's in committee where each bill is pored over and dissected, where amendments are added and sections of bills deleted. If the makeup of a committee is skewed to one side of the political spectrum, a bill could be defeated in committee even though it has the support of the House or Senate as a whole. Likewise, if a committee chair doesn't particularly like a bill, he or she generally has the power to make sure it isn't approved.

Why are there committees? Because literally thousands of bills are introduced during each two-year legislative session, it's virtually impossible for any one legislator to become an expert in all areas. So, the House is divided into about 40 committees, divisions and subcommittees, allowing every member to focus on a few areas of public policy. In a sense, the committee structure forms the heart of the Legislature.

In committee, members make recommendations to the House as a whole. They can recommend that a bill pass and send it to the floor; amend the bill, recommend it to pass, and send it to the floor; recommend it to pass and refer it to another committee; refer it to another committee without a recommendation; and vote to not recommend that the bill pass, which is another way of saying the bill was defeated.

The chief sponsor of a bill appears before the committee to answer questions and usually has a cast of experts to testify on behalf of the bill. Likewise, opponents of the measure are given a chance to speak. And just as it takes a majority of members to approve a bill on the House floor, a majority must agree to recommend that a bill pass out of committee. Bills may be approved by only one committee and sent to the floor, or they can pass through several committees before heading there.

Because virtually every facet of human experience is touched by the Legislature, it should come as no surprise that the committee titles themselves are a reflection of society. There are committees on Agriculture, Education, Environment and Natural Resources, and Health and Human Services -- all areas that are of great importance to Minnesotans.

But just 40 years ago, the committee structure was vastly different. The committees on Temperance and Liquor Control, State and County Fairs, and Dairy Products and Livestock are an indication of what was considered important to society then.

Most committees are also broken down into divisions and/or subcommittees. For example, the House Finance Committee, which has 40 members, is made up of several divisions. Each of those divisions makes decisions within their given areas, then makes recommendations to the full Finance Committee.

Being named chair of one of these divisions is considered just as important, if not more so, than being head of some of the other full committees that are considered less influential.

Committees meet at regular times and locations early in each session. The meetings are normally scheduled to last an hour and 30 minutes. But as the legislative pace becomes more hectic toward the end of session, some committees may meet more often and for longer times.

Each year, the Legislature also imposes deadlines by which bills must pass through committees in order to be considered further that session. The goal of the deadlines is to winnow the list of topics to be dealt with that year.

The first deadline requires bills to have passed through all policy committees in either the House or Senate; the second deadline sets a date after which bills will not be considered unless they have passed through all policy committees in the other body. In 2007, for example, the first deadline was March 23, and the second one was April 2. A third committee deadline, which applies to all bills with a fiscal impact, was April 27. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Bills may still be considered if approved by the Rules and Legislative Administration Committee after the imposed deadlines.

All meetings are open to the public, and seating and committee agendas are available on a first come, first served basis. Some of the committee meetings are packed with people, particularly ones that deal with controversial topics.

The House committee meetings are held in the State Office Building, which is next door to the Capitol. The Senate committee meetings are held in the Capitol Building.

To testify before a committee, make arrangements with the committee administrator well before the committee meets. He or she will try to get you on the agenda.