Joint Session Law and Legal Definition
Joint session happens when two normally-separate decision-making groups meet together, often in a special session or other extraordinary meeting, for a specific purpose.
Joint session as used in parliamentary practice refers to the combined meeting of two legislative bodies such as the House of Representatives and the Senate to pursue a common agenda. When the two houses meet in a joint session, they, in effect, merge into one house where the quorum is a majority of the members of both houses, where the votes of members of each house have equal weight, and where special rules can be adopted to govern joint sessions or they can be governed by the parliamentary common law.
Joint sessions of the United States Congress are held on special occasions such as the State of the Union Address and presidential inaugurations. Joint session of congress requires a concurrent resolution from both House and Senate to meet. Traditionally joint sessions are presided over by the speaker of the house and take place at the House chamber.
