Committees

There are three types of Committees: Standing, Temporary and Joint. The Standing Committees have permanent features. They have risen to a level of codification in the rules of the Chamber.

Temporary Committees are created with a specific purpose. They are extinguished after acting on the bill or after a previously assigned period. The Temporary Committees last no more than four years.

Mixed Committees are formed by members of both Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.

The Committees may:

• Hold public hearings;
• Call Ministers of State to render information on matters inherent to their duties;
• Receive petitions, complaints, and statements from any person against acts or omissions from government authorities or entities.
• Determine the search, examinations, inspections and auditing on an accounting, financial, budgetary and operating nature in the administrative units of the three branches.

The Committees have the so-called concluding power, which allows the committees to definitely approve certain bills as stated by the Constitution, .i.e., bills under the committees' conclusive power are not submitted to the Plenary consideration. The Internal Regulation of the Chamber states that the Committees have concluding power on matters within their subject matter assignment, with no need of further consideration by the Plenary. The Internal Regulation of the Chamber grant this right due to the fact the Committees have the power to deliberate on all subjects under their assignment. However, the concluding power of the Committees is not always mandatory.  To call up a bill on the Plenary, a Deputy may introduce a motion with the support of one-tenth of the Chamber members whenever Plenary consideration is found necessary. The motion must be brought to the floor to be effective, though.

It is important to emphasize the works developed by the Committee of Legislative Participation (CLP). Through it, the Chamber of Deputies gives the society access to the law-making process that forms the Country’s legal system.  It was created to receive draft bills from the citizens. If those draft bills receive a favorable indication from the CLP, they can be turned into bills. Thus, civil society and companies can directly share their thoughts on problems, demands, and needs on everyday life with the Parliament.