Conference Report in the United States

Legislative Definition of Conference Report

This Congressional concept is provided by the United States Congress website as a a basic reference document: The document presenting an agreement reached by a joint temporary committee (a conference committee) appointed to negotiate a compromise between the House and Senate.

Origins and the legislative meaning of Conference Report

From the earliest days, differences on legislation between the House and Senate have been committed to conference committees to work out a settlement. The most usual case is that in which a bill passes one Chamber with amendments unacceptable to the other. In such a case, the Chamber that disagrees to the amendments generally asks for a conference, and the Speaker of the House and the Presiding Officer of the Senate appoint the “managers,” as the conferees are called. Generally, they are selected from the committee or committees having charge of the bill.

After attempting to resolve the points in disagreement, the conference committee issues a report to each Chamber. If the report is accepted by both Chambers, the bill is then enrolled and sent to the President. If the report is rejected by either Chamber, the matter in disagreement comes up for disposition anew as if there had been no conference. Unless all differences between the two Houses are resolved, the bill fails. (From “Our American Government”, H. Doc. 108-94, p. 34)

Conference reports are published in the Congressional Record and also in the congressional report document series.

Conference Report Submission and Availability

A conference report is an agreement on legislation that is negotiated between the House and Senate via conference committees. It is printed and submitted to each chamber for its consideration, such as approval or disapproval.
An amendment to Rule XXVIII of the Standing Rules of the Senate states:

“9. (a)(1) It shall not be in order to vote on the adoption of a report of a committee of conference unless such report has been available to Members and to the general public for at least 48 hours before such vote. If a point of order is sustained under this paragraph, then the conference report shall be set aside.”

Normally, conference reports are printed and made available online in the Congressional Record the day after they have been filed. In those cases when GPO is unable to print a conference report the next day, GPO will scan the manuscript and post the searchable PDF of the manuscript on this web page. Otherwise, links to the conference reports as they appear in the Congressional Record will be posted on the GPO web page.

Legislation object of conference reports include the following:

• National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (114th Congress)
• Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (114th Congress)
• Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 and Zika Response and Preparedness Act (114th Congress)
• Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (114th Congress)
• Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act (114th Congress)
• Every Student Succeeds Act (114th Congress)
• National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (114th Congress)
• Concurrent Resolution on the Budget, FY2016 (114th Congress)
• Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (113th Congress)
• Agricultural Act of 2014 (113th Congress)

Congressional Reports

Congressional reports (see more here) originate from congressional committees and deal with proposed legislation and issues under investigation.