What is a special committee?

• A. A committee appointed for a specific purpose and ceases to exist after completing its work.
• B. A standing committee with limited authority.
• C. A committee formed by the governor.
• D. A committee that reports monthly regardless of task.

Answer: (A)

A special committee is created for a specific purpose and is dissolved once its assigned task is complete. This highlights its temporary, task-focused nature: it’s formed to handle one issue or investigation and doesn’t keep existing after finishing the work. In practice, a legislative or organizational body might set up such a committee to study a particular policy, gather information, or draft recommendations, then report back and end the committee’s existence.

This differs from standing committees, which are permanent and handle ongoing responsibilities. It also isn’t defined by who creates it (for example, formed by a governor) or by a fixed reporting schedule, which would apply to other kinds of committees or ongoing processes.