What is the purpose of a committee hearing?
Committees frequently hold hearings to receive testimony from individuals not on the committee. Hearings may be for legislative, oversight, or investigative purposes. Legislative hearings are those addressing measures before the committee, and they may address many measures on a given subject. Oversight hearings focus on the implementation and administration of programs created by law. Many committees perform oversight when reauthorizing funds for a program, which may occur annually. Investigative hearings often address allegations of wrongdoing by public officials or private citizens, or determine the facts of a major disaster or crisis. Oversight and investigative hearings may lead to the introduction of legislative proposals. House Committee Hearing Transcripts are available from the Library of Congress’ THOMAS Bill and Summary service.
