Standing committee

# Standing committee[edit]

A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.

## How committees work[edit]

The Cycle of a Bill in a Standing Committee

The cycle of a bill through a standing committee is a simple cycle, but does take time. The following steps illustrate the cycle in which a bill goes through.

* First, a bill is introduced by a member of a state legislature.
* Typically the next thing that a member of the senate or house leadership does with the bill is to refer it to a committee.
* The members of that committee are then responsible to focus on the details of the bill.
* From there, public hearings are held.
* Decisions about the bill's merits are then conferred and decided upon.

An example of a standing committee. Committee Chairman John Kline restates the need to fix a shattered education system as he calls the meeting to order.[1]

## How legislators are assigned[edit]

The rules that govern how state legislators are assigned to standing committees vary from state-to-state. In general, committee assignments are very much under the control of the Senate Majority Leader (for state senate committees) or the House Majority Leader in the case of state house standing committees.

The fact that appointments to standing committees is significantly under the control of the state legislature's majority caucus is one reason why having majority partisan control of a particular legislative body matters in terms of the legislation that will be considered and approved.

## Relative importance[edit]

Some standing committees are more important than others in terms of the impact and leverage of the bills that they consider. In most states, the most powerful standing committees are those that deal with finance, appropriations and taxation. However, there are a number of other committees that are common across all 50 states. They include:

* Appropriations/Finance/Ways and Means/Budget\- These committees cover budget, appropriations, taxation and general expense related information. Often states will have more than one committee addressing bills in this category.
* Judiciary-The Judiciary committee will often address bills related to court structure as well as issues surrounding judicial selection. Most states only have one judiciary committee.
* Health and Human Services-These committees address bills relating to health care, regulation and social services provided within the state. Occasionally the committees will be split into two, but often they will be combined into one committee.
* Education-These committees address bills related to education and schools. Often they are split into a higher education and primary/secondary education committee. A few states also have separate committees for education policy and education funding.
* Transportation-These committees address bills related to transportation and travel. This can include roads and highways as well as public transportation and mass transit. This is often a single committee.
* Agriculture-Less common than the above committees, Agriculture committees address bills related to the farming industry and are often tied to natural resources.
* Rules committee-These committees establish the rules for the House or Senate for each session of the legislature. It affects the process by which bills are introduced, heard and even voted on. Often the Rules committee is responsible for setting the legislatures calendar, though not always.

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Education and the Workforce Committee-Photo Directory-Education Reforms:Promoting Flexibility and Innovation-April 7, 2011

State legislatures

Legislatures

Alabama (H, S) · Alaska (H, S) · Arizona (H, S) · Arkansas (H, S) · California (A, S) · Colorado (H, S) · Connecticut (H, S) · Delaware (H, S) · Florida (H, S) · Georgia (H, S) · Hawaii (H, S) · Idaho (H, S) · Illinois (H, S) · Indiana (H, S) · Iowa (H, S) · Kansas (H, S) · Kentucky (H, S) · Louisiana (H, S) · Maine (H, S) · Maryland (H, S) · Massachusetts (H, S) · Michigan (H, S) · Minnesota (H, S) · Mississippi (H, S) · Missouri (H, S) · Montana (H, S) · Nebraska · Nevada (A, S) · New Hampshire (H, S) · New Jersey (GA, S) · New Mexico (H, S) · New York (A, S) · North Carolina (H, S) · North Dakota (H, S) · Ohio (H, S) · Oklahoma (H, S) · Oregon (H, S) · Pennsylvania (H, S) · Rhode Island (H, S) · South Carolina (H, S) · South Dakota (H, S) · Tennessee (H, S) · Texas (H, S) · Utah (H, S) · Vermont (H, S) · Virginia (H, S) · Washington (H, S) · West Virginia (H, S) · Wisconsin (A, S) · Wyoming (H, S)

2026

State legislative elections (2026) • State legislative special elections (2026) • Primary dates and filing requirements • 2026 Session Dates

2025

State legislative elections (2025) • State legislative special elections (2025) • Primary dates and filing requirements • 2025 Session Dates

Historical elections

2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000

Features of state legislatures

How vacancies are filled in state legislatures • States with a full-time legislature • State legislatures with term limits • Comparison of state legislative salaries • When state legislators assume office after a general election • Population represented by state legislators • State constitutional articles governing state legislatures • State legislative sessions • Resign-to-run law • State legislature candidate requirements by state • Official names of state legislatures • State legislative chambers that use multi-member districts • Factors Affecting Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections

State senates

Length of terms of state senators • State senators • Partisan composition of state senates • State senators sorted by year first elected

State houses

Length of terms of state representatives • State representatives • Partisan composition of state houses • State representatives sorted by year first elected

Leadership positions

President of the Senate • President Pro Tempore • Senate Majority Leader • Senate Minority Leader • House Majority Leader • House Minority Leader • State Speaker of the House

Ballotpedia

About

Overview • What people are saying • Support Ballotpedia • Contact • Contribute • Job opportunities

* * *

Executive: Leslie Graves, Founder and CEO • Gwen Beattie, Chief Operating Officer

Communications: Alison Graves, Director of Communications • Carley Allensworth • Abigail Campbell • Sarah Groat • Nathaniel Harwood • Dillon Redmond
External Relations:  Geoff Pallay, Director of External Relations • Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy • Ashley Fleming • Thomas Mardik • Hannah Nelson
Operations: Meghann Olshefski, Director of Operations • Amanda Herbert • Mandy Morris • Caroline Presnell • Kelly Rindfleisch
Tech: Matt Latourelle, Director of Technology Operations • Ryan Burch • Kirsten Corrao • Beth Dellea • Travis Eden • Tate Kamish • Margaret Kearney • Eric Lotto • Joseph Sanchez • Mary Susmitha

Contributors: Scott Rasmussen

* * *

Editorial Content

Josh Altic, Director of Content • Daniel Anderson, Associate Director of Elections & Data • Cory Eucalitto, Associate Director of Features • Ryan Byrne, Managing Editor of Ballot Measures • Mandy McConnell, Managing Editor of News • Doug Kronaizl, Managing Editor of Local Expansion • Abbey Smith, Managing Editor of Elections • Janie Valentine, Managing Editor of Law • Joel Williams, Managing Editor of Events • Joseph Greaney, Managing Editor of Policy • Andrew Bahl • Jaclyn Beran • Marielle Bricker • Joseph Brusgard • Emma Burlingame • Kelly Coyle • Jon Dunn • Victoria Edwards • Thomas Ellis • Nicole Fisher • Thomas Grobben • Brianna Hosea • Molly Kehoe • Tyler King • Glorie Martinez • Norm Leahy, Senior Editor • Nathan Maxwell • Jimmy McAllister • Brandon McCauley • Andrew McNair • Ellie Mikus • Mackenzie Murphy • Kaley Platek • Samantha Post • Adam Powell • Annelise Reinwald • Spencer Richardson • Victoria Rose • Briana Ryan • Myj Saintyl • Maddy Salucka • Emma Soukup • Alexis Thacker • Mina Vogel • Samuel Wonacott • Trenton Woodcox

# Common House standing committees[edit]

Common House of Representative Committees#

Click on a a to go to the committees page
| State  | # of Committees  | Agriculture  | Transportation  | Education  | Rules  | Judiciary  | Health and Human Services  | Appropriations/Ways and Means/Budget

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Alabama | 31  |

Alaska | 10  | d |

Arizona | 17  |

Arkansas | 10  |

| d |

California | 30  |

Colorado | 10  |

| d |

Connecticut* | 25  | d |

| d |

Delaware | 25  |

| d |

Florida | 9  | d | d |

Georgia | 36  |

Hawaii | 20  |

| d |

Idaho | 14  |

Illinois | 47  |

Indiana | 21  |

Iowa | 19  |

Kansas | 30  |

Kentucky | 19  |

Louisiana | 16  |

| d |

Maine | 6  | d | d | d |

| d | d | d
Maryland | 8  | d | d | d |

Massachusetts | 9  | d | d | d |

| d | d |

Michigan | 19  |

| d |

Minnesota | 21  |

Mississippi | 46  |

Missouri | 47  |

Montana | 16  |

Nevada | 10  | d |

| d |

New Hampshire | 26  |

New Jersey | 23  |

| d |

New Mexico | 16  |

New York | 37  |

North Carolina | 19  |

North Dakota | 15  |

| d |

Ohio | 17  |

Oklahoma | 19  |

Oregon | 14  |

Pennsylvania | 27  |

Rhode Island | 11  | d | d |

South Carolina | 11  |

| d |

| d |

South Dakota | 13  |

Tennessee | 14  |

Texas | 36  |

Utah | 15  |

Vermont | 15  |

Virginia | 14  |

Washington | 21  |

West Virginia | 18  |

Wisconsin | 31  |

Wyoming | 12  |

Totals(Out of 49 states)  | 995  | 41  | 43  | 46  | 39  | 47  | 46  | 48
#Multiple checks indicates multiple applicable committees.
*Connecticut's legislature employs only join committees and consequentially the same committees will be listed on the House and Senate charts.

# Common Senate standing committees[edit]