A congressional committee's jurisdiction is the set of subject areas it has authority over. Jurisdiction determines whether a committee has the authority to review a bill, hold hearings on it, and send it to the full House or Senate for consideration.
Committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate are granted jurisdiction through the chambers’ rules, which assign committee policy areas and legislative responsibilities. These rules determine which committee considers a bill before it reaches the floor. Committee jurisdiction organizes the legislative process and allows members to develop expertise in specific subjects.
