Summary
Legislative committees created by state law to manage the administrative functions of the Legislative Branch:
Audit Committee oversees the Audit Division.
Finance Committee oversees the Fiscal Division.
Legislative Council oversees the Services Division.
Consumer Committee oversees the Consumer Counsel.
OnAir Post: Montana Legislative Committees
About
Source: Legislative website
INTERIM COMMITTEES
Bipartisan groups of legislators that meet during the months between sessions to study specific issues and consider whether to recommend new legislation.
SESSION (OR STANDING) COMMITTEES
Legislative panels that meet every session to consider and hold public hearings on bills in a specific policy area, such as transportation, health, or agriculture. The House and Senate each has more than a dozen standing committees.
Joint Appropriations Subcommittees
Meet during the first part of each session to consider HB 2, the general appropriations act, that appropriates money for the majority of the functions of state government and gives that appropriate money and give state agencies authority to spend money. They are made up of members from the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Finance and Claims Committee.
OTHER LEGISLATIVE WORK GROUPS
Throughout the legislative process different groups, committees, subcommittees, commissions, etc. are created to examine special topics. Links to those groups’ information can me found here.