What is the difference between an associate body and an official office within a Catholic Bishops' Conference?

Answer 1

Official offices are part of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Associate bodies are several separate but important Church agencies that bear close relationships to USCCB. Among them are the National Council of Catholic Women, the National Catholic Office for Persons with Disabilities, the USCCB Commission on Certification and Accreditation, the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the bishops' overseas relief and development agency.

With love in Christ.