Definitions for "Committee of the Whole"
A procedural device designed to expedite the legislative work in the House in which slightly less formal rules for conduct of debate and voting on amendments apply.
All House members sitting as one committee to debate and pass legislation.
A device which enables the Senate or House to use the greater flexibility of procedure available to committees. Any action informally agreed upon in a committee of the whole must be taken officially in full session. There is no record taken of action by a committee of the whole.
A working group set up by the Conference of the Parties to facilitate discussions on specific issues. When the Committee finishes its work it turns the resulting texts over to the COP to finalise and adopt them during a plenary session.
Often created by a COP to facilitate the process of negotiating texts. When the Committee finishes its work it turns its results over to the COP to finalize and formally adopt during a plenary session.
Often created by a COP to facilitate the process of negotiating text. When the Committee finishes its work it turns the text over to the COP which finalizes and then formally adopts it during a plenary session.