In Wyoming, the legislative process follows a structured path to ensure that every bill gets a fair and thorough review. Most people are familiar with the journey a bill takes through the House and Senate—introduction, committee hearings, debates, and three readings in each chamber. But what happens when the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill? That’s where the conference committee process comes into play.
The Path to a Conference Committee
Once a bill has made its way through both chambers, the versions must be identical before heading to the governor’s desk. Here’s how we get there:
- A Bill Passes One Chamber – After committee review and three readings, the chamber (House or Senate) votes to pass the bill.
- It Moves to the Second Chamber – The bill goes through the same process in the second chamber.
- Amendments in the Second Chamber – If the second chamber makes changes, the bill must return to the first chamber.
- Concurrence or Non-Concurrence – The first chamber can either agree to the changes (concur) or reject them (non-concur).
If the first chamber does not concur with the amendments, a joint conference committee (JCC) is formed to negotiate the differences.
The Role of the Joint Conference Committee
The Joint Conference Committee (JCC) is a temporary group of legislators selected to resolve disagreements between the House and Senate. It consists of members from both chambers, usually chosen from the committees that originally handled the bill. Legislative leadership appoints the members.
At this point, we enter the First Joint Conference Committee (JCC1) phase.
First Joint Conference Committee (JCC1): The Initial Negotiation
JCC1’s job is to find a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the bill. However, there are strict limitations on what they can do:
- They can only discuss the differences between the two versions—no unrelated changes.
- The committee can agree to adopt either chamber’s version, modify sections, or craft a new compromise.
- Once they reach an agreement, they draft a conference report with the proposed final version.
The conference report is then sent back to both chambers for approval.
- If both chambers accept the report, the bill moves forward to the governor.
- If either chamber rejects the report, things get more complicated.
Second Joint Conference Committee (JCC2): The Last Attempt at Agreement
If JCC1 fails to reach an agreement or if the proposed compromise is rejected by either chamber, a Second Joint Conference Committee (JCC2) may be appointed.
JCC2 has more flexibility than JCC1 but still must stay within the subject matter of the original disagreement. This means:
- They can revisit issues from JCC1 but cannot introduce entirely new topics.
- They often involve newly appointed members who may bring fresh perspectives.
- Their compromise report is final—if it is rejected again, the bill typically fails unless one chamber decides to concede to the other’s position.
What Happens If No Agreement Is Reached?
If both JCC1 and JCC2 fail to produce a compromise that both chambers accept, the bill dies unless:
- One chamber votes to accept the other chamber’s version entirely.
- A less formal negotiation process between leadership resolves the differences without a formal committee.
Real-World Example: The Supplemental Budget Bill
Right now, the Wyoming Legislature is going through this process with the supplemental budget bill. The House has assigned its JCC1 members, but the Senate has not yet done so. This is a key stage in deciding how funding priorities are reconciled before the bill can become law. Unlike the budget session where a budget bill must pass, it is possible that this supplemental budget does not make it through. Some of the more critical provisions of the Governor’s recommendation have been submitted as individual bills. These include replenishing the firefighting accounts depleted by the worst wildfire season in recent history and providing funds to public conservation organizations to restore native grasses.
Why This Matters
Understanding the conference committee process helps citizens follow why some bills stall, why compromises are necessary, and who is responsible for key decisions in Wyoming’s legislative process. The next time you hear about a bill heading to a conference committee, you’ll know that negotiations are happening behind the scenes to bridge the gap between the House and Senate.
Want to stay informed? Keep an eye on the Wyoming Legislature’s website or attend committee meetings to see democracy in action!
