Joint Session
A meeting of both houses of a bicameral legislature convened in the same chamber for a specific purpose. It is typically ceremonial or for counting electoral votes, as no legislation can be passed in a joint session.
A meeting of both houses of a bicameral legislature convened in the same chamber for a specific purpose. It is typically ceremonial or for counting electoral votes, as no legislation can be passed in a joint session.
Example: The most constitutionally significant joint session occurs on January 6th following a presidential election, when Congress meets to count the electoral votes and formally declare the winner.
Common misconception: A joint session is the same as a joint committee. A joint committee includes members from both chambers who work together to draft legislation or conduct investigations, whereas a joint session is simply a combined meeting of the two bodies.
Sources: https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title3-section15&num=0&edition=prelim — 3 U.S.C. 15, "Counting electoral votes in Congress" (joint session on January 6, in the House chamber); https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/RL32717 — CRS report RL32717, "Counting Electoral Votes: An Overview of Procedures at the Joint Session" (congress.gov)