An executive session is a term for any block within an otherwise open meeting (often of a
board of directors
A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency.
The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...
or other
deliberative assembly
A deliberative assembly is a meeting of members who use parliamentary procedure.
Etymology
In a speech to the electorate at Bristol in 1774, Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke (; 12 January ew Style, NS1729 – 9 July 1797) was an Anglo-Irish Po ...
) in which
minutes
Minutes, also known as minutes of meeting, protocols or, informally, notes, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the events of the meeting and may include a list of attendees, a statement of the activit ...
are taken separately or not at all, outsiders are not present, and the contents of the discussion are treated as
confidential (see ''
in camera''). In a
deliberative assembly
A deliberative assembly is a meeting of members who use parliamentary procedure.
Etymology
In a speech to the electorate at Bristol in 1774, Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke (; 12 January ew Style, NS1729 – 9 July 1797) was an Anglo-Irish Po ...
, an executive session has come to mean that the proceedings are secret and members could be punished for violating the secrecy.
Depending on the organization or governmental body involved, business that is conducted in executive session could include legal issues, discussion on contracts (such as to purchase land, or offer tax incentives to a corporation moving to an area), and personnel issues (such as hiring and firing).
Use in the United States Senate
An executive session is a portion of the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
's daily session in which it considers nominations and treaties, or other items introduced by the
President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
. These items are termed ''executive business''; therefore, the session is an ''executive session''. It can either be closed door or open door. Historically, as a courtesy to the President, such sessions were always held behind closed doors, but this custom has been abandoned in modern times. The term "executive session" is still employed to refer to closed-door committee meetings, whether or not they are considering executive business.
An executive session may also be used in other
legislatures
A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...
.
See also
*
Closed session of the United States Congress
*
Closed sessions of the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives rarely meets in closed session.
Rules of the House
In the House, Rule XVII, clause 9, governs secret sessions, including the types of business to be considered behind closed doors. A motion to resolve in ...
*
Closed sessions of the United States Senate
The United States Senate has the authority for meeting in closed session, as described in the Standing Rules of the Senate.
The Continental Congress and Philadelphia Convention, Constitutional Convention met in secret. The Senate met in secret ...
*
Meeting (parliamentary procedure)
According to ''Robert's Rules of Order'', a widely used guide to parliamentary procedure, a meeting is a gathering of a group of people to make decisions. This sense of "meeting" may be different from the general sense in that a meeting in genera ...
References
{{United States Congress
United States Senate