Parliamentary committees submit reports to the Legislative Assembly outlining their activities, decisions, and recommendations on matters related to the terms of reference (directions) they originally received from the Assembly. Parliamentary committees in British Columbia do not have the authority to directly alter legislation or cause the government to take any specific action. Similarly, the government is not required to respond to committee reports.
Traditionally, it is the chairperson of a parliamentary committee who presents a report, and they may use this opportunity to speak about the committee's findings. The observations contained in a report often refer to evidence collected during the public hearing process carried out by that committee.
Parliamentary committees will often continue their business when the Legislative Assembly is not sitting. If the committee completes its terms of reference before the Assembly returns, the chair may choose to make the committee's report public by depositing a copy of the report with the Office of the Clerk. Otherwise, the contents of the report are privileged and kept confidential until that report is made public.
Once presented, committee reports become official documents of the Legislative Assembly. For the reports submitted by previous parliamentary committees, visit the Legislative Assembly website.
