Legal Definitions - ad hoc committee

An ad hoc committee is a temporary group formed for a specific, particular purpose or task. The term "ad hoc" itself is Latin, meaning "for this." Unlike standing committees, which are permanent and deal with ongoing matters, an ad hoc committee is created to address a unique issue or project and is dissolved once its assigned task is completed. Its members are typically chosen for their expertise relevant to the specific problem at hand.

• Example 1 (Corporate Response): A large technology company experiences an unexpected and significant data breach that compromises customer information. To manage the immediate crisis, investigate its causes, and implement rapid security enhancements, the CEO forms an ad hoc committee. This committee comprises the Chief Information Security Officer, the head of legal, the head of public relations, and a senior cybersecurity expert. Their sole focus is to address the breach, and the committee will disband once the incident is fully resolved, new security protocols are established, and all necessary legal and public relations responses are completed.

• Example 2 (Community Event Planning): A local neighborhood association decides to organize a one-time community festival to celebrate its 50th anniversary. To plan and execute this special event, they establish an ad hoc committee. This committee is responsible for everything from securing a venue and entertainment to managing volunteers and promoting the event. Once the festival concludes and all post-event tasks (like thank-you notes and financial reconciliation) are finished, the committee will be dissolved, having fulfilled its specific, temporary purpose.

• Example 3 (Legislative Investigation): Following a sudden and widespread power outage affecting an entire state due to an unforeseen infrastructure failure, the state legislature might form an ad hoc committee. This committee would be tasked with investigating the specific causes of the outage, assessing the response of utility companies, and recommending immediate legislative actions or policy changes to prevent future occurrences. Once its report is submitted and recommendations are acted upon, the committee's work would be complete, and it would cease to exist.