An important part of the legislative process in the National Congress, parliamentary committees are the space dedicated to debates, studies and improvements of bills. Structured according to different purposes, the committees speed up the processing of the legislative process, ensuring that it is compatible with the Federal Constitution and local laws.

Present in the Chamber of Deputies, Federal Senate and also at state and municipal levels, they have different formats according to their purposes. 

Parliamentary committees in the Chamber of Deputies 

In the Chamber of Deputies, committees exist on a permanent and temporary basis. There are currently 30 permanent committees in operation, which study the suitability of legislative proposals. Among the temporary committees are the Parliamentary Commissions of Inquiry (CPIs) and the mixed committees, which are formed by both deputies and senators. 

Standing committees 

Currently, the Chamber of Deputies has 30 standing committees. Formed by deputies, these are thematic bodies that debate and vote on legislative proposals related to their respective themes. The composition of these committees is renewed every year. 

The bodies are responsible for issuing opinions on proposals before they are voted on in the Plenary. They can also approve or reject them conclusively – when there is no need for them to go through the Plenary of the House. In addition to analyzing legislative projects, the committees are responsible for acting as overseers of the Executive's programs. 

Temporary committees

Temporary parliamentary committees can be divided into three categories: special, inquiry and external. 

The special committees are dedicated to opinions on proposed amendments to the Constitution – draft codes, bills on topics within the jurisdiction of more than four committees of merit, changes to the Internal Regulations, complaints against ministers or the President of the Republic.

Commissions of inquiry, known as CPIs (Parliamentary Commissions of Inquiry), are designed to investigate events that are relevant to public life, whether legal, economic, constitutional or social. Once established, CPIs can carry out investigations equivalent to those of judicial authorities. 

External committees are created to monitor specific matters that occur outside the legislative house. 

Parliamentary committees in the Federal Senate 

The Senate has 16 permanent thematic committees, in addition to the Steering Committee, composed of members of the Senate Board – which is headed by the president of the House. These are the spaces where discussions and proposals for changes to laws take place, each with its own theme, before they are sent to the Plenary. 

In addition to processing bills, the committees are responsible for monitoring federal government actions and annually evaluating federal policies related to their thematic areas. If necessary, they can summon ministers and heads of executive bodies. They can also suggest amendments to the Budget, interview candidates for higher courts and embassies, and issue opinions.

The Tax Reform regulation project that took place in 2024 is an example of how the committees in the Federal Senate work. 

Joint committees

Joint committees are bodies composed of members from different legislative houses. In other words, they mix members of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate. 

The committees are also responsible for holding discussions and analyses on a given topic that is relevant to the public sphere. Through joint work, they seek to build consensus on the proposals under debate.