Legislation establishing a committee contains the area of interest and a specific purpose statement. The learning process entails public testimony from individual constituents, representatives of advocacy groups, professionals with expertise in the area of interest, and representatives of public and private agencies. It may also include review of research by individual members of the committee or subcommittees. The recommendation process entails a member or subcommittee proposing solutions for the committee as a whole to consider and pass or reject. If a proposed solution passes by majority vote of a quorum of the members, it is included as a committee recommendation in a report to the Legislature.
Some recommendations are for administrative action by a State agency.
Others propose statutory changes. The sponsor works with legislative council and a research analyst to prepare and introduce a bill and to shepherd it through the process. The co-chairs of the committee decide the date and time of all hearings, set the agenda, decide issues to be considered, call for a vote on issues, call hearings to order, recess and adjourn hearings. They may create subcommittees, appoint subcommittee chairs and refer issues to subcommittees. The co-chairs sign the report to the Legislature.