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Parliamentary Motions and their respective purposes, rules, restrictions and ranking.


 There are four Basic Types of Motions:
1. Main Motions: The purpose of a main motion is to introduce items to the membership for their consideration. They cannot be made when any other motion is on the floor, and yield to privileged, subsidiary, and incidental motions.
2. Subsidiary Motions: Their purpose is to change or affect how a main motion is handled, and is voted on before a main motion.
3. Privileged Motions: Their purpose is to bring up items that are urgent about special or important matters unrelated to pending business.
4. Incidental Motions: Their purpose is to provide a means of questioning procedure concerning other motions and must be considered before the other motion.

The picture above shows the complete list of Privileged Motions, Subsidiary Motions, and the main motion.

The most common Incidental Motions are shown below:
Motion_Charts.

 

One easy way to remembers the rankings for subsidiary motions and privileged motions, in the reverse order of ranking, low ranking to the high ranking, is to memorize the following sentence: 
Pearls Are Classy, Pretty Lady Pretty Lady, Only Pink Rhinos Are Fat  Where

 

The following table shows privileged motions, subsidiary motions, main motion, and some of the most commonly used Incidental motions with their respective rules, restrictions, and ranking from high to low. At the end of the Table, you see their separate definitions and purposes.

Column legend - I - Interrupt; S- Second; A - Amendable; D- Debatable; M - vote required; R - can it be reconsidered
Classification legend - M - Majority; C- Chair, T - Tie; UC - Unanimous Consent; N/A - Not Applicable

Rank:        Privileged motions (Consider Robert’s Rules A Foundation)      

I

S

A

D

M

R

 

13

Fix the Time to Which to Adjourn

N

Y

Y

N*

M

Y

12

Adjourn

N

Y

N

N

M

N

11

Recess

N

Y

Y

N

M

N

10

Raise a Question of Privilege

Y*

N

N

N

C

N

9

Call for the Orders of the Day

Y

N

N

N

Varies
C, 2/3-*

N

Rank: Subsidiary motions

I

S

A

D

M

R

 

8

Lay on the Table

N

Y

N

N

M

Y* only-

7

Previous Question

N

Y

N

N

2/3

Y* + before vote

6

Limit or Extend Limits of Debate

N

Y

Y

N

2/3

Y* + vote

5

Postpone Definitely Simple Case

Postpone Definitely Special Order

N

Y

Y

Y*

M*

2/3

Y* - only

4

Commit or Refer to Committee

N

Y

Y

Y*

M

Y* until com begun

3

Amend a Pending Question

Amend a Special Rules of Order or Bylaw

N

N

Y

Y*

Y*

M and 2/3 W Notice MofM WO Notice

Y

2

Postpone Indefinitely

N

Y

N

Y*

M

Y* + vote only

1

Main Motion

N

Y

Y

Y

M

Y

 

 

Incidental Motions

I

S

A

D

M

R

 

Point of Order

Y

N

N

N*

Varies
C/M

N

 

Appeal

Y

Y

N

Y*

Varies
M-, T*

Y

 

Division of the Assembly

Y

N

N

N

NA

N

 

Parliamentary Inquiry. See RONR (12th Ed. t22) #65

Y

N

N

N

NA

NA

 

Request for Information. See RONR (12th Ed. 33:2)

Y

N

N

N

NA

N

 

Request to Withdraw a Motion. See RONR (12th Ed. 33:11)

Y*

Y*

N

N

Varies
M/UC

Y* -vote only

 

Suspend the Rules

NO

YES

NO

NO

2/3

NO

 

Bring Back Motions

I

S

A

D

M

R

 

Rescind/Amend Something Previously Adopted. 

See RONR (12th Ed. t28) #87

N*

Y

Y*

 

Y

Varies
With notice M*, WO notice 2/3, MM

Y* -vote only

 

Reconsider, by a member who voted on the prevailing side and in the same meeting (except in Committees)

NO* (Y if not begun)

YES

NO

YES*

M

NO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take From The Table

NO

YES

NO

NO

M

NO

 

Discharge a Committee

NO

YES

YES

YES

2/3 or MofM, OR M* With Notice

Y (-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

S6. DESCRIPTION OF CLASSES AND INDIVIDUAL MOTIONS

Definitions and purposes of each motion

Characteristics of PRIVILEGED MOTIONS

#13. S22. FIX THE TIME TO WHICH TO ADJOURN

22:1      The object of the motion to Fix the Time to Which to Adjourn (also referred to as the motion to "fix the time for an adjourned meeting") is to set the time, and sometimes the place, for another meeting to continue the business of the session, with no effect on when the present meeting will adjourn.

#12 Adjourn

Adjourn, adjournment (motion or procedure to end the meeting)

#11 Recess

Recess is a motion or procedure to take a short break in the meeting.

#10 "&19. Raise a Question of Privilege"

19:1      To Raise a Question of Privilege is a device that permits a request or main motion relating to the rights and privileges of the assembly or any of its members to be brought up for possible immediate consideration because of its urgency while business is pending, and the request or motion would otherwise not be in order. (For types and examples of questions of privilege, 2 see 19:7-17.)

# 9 S18. CALL FOR THE ORDERS OF THE DAY

To demand to take up the proper business in order

18:1      A Call for the Orders of the Day is a privileged motion by which a member can require the assembly to conform to its agenda, program, or order of business or to take up a general or special order that is due to come up at the time (14, 41) unless two-thirds of those voting wish to do otherwise.

Characteristics of Subsidiary Motions as a Class. RONR edition 12th: 6:6

Subsidiary motions as a class are distinguished by having all five of the following characteristics: (1) They are always applied to another motion while it is pending, to aid in treating or disposing of it; the adoption of one of them always does something to this other motion-that is, changes its status in some way-without adopting or expressly rejecting it. (2) They can be applied to any main motion. (Regarding other applications, see below.) (3) They fit into an order of precedence, as already explained, so that no subsidiary motion can be moved when a motion of higher rank is already pending. (4) They are out of order when another member has the floor. (5) They are in order during the entire time that a motion to which they can be applied is pending, except as may be precluded by a previously adopted motion to Limit or Extend Limits of Debate or for the Previous Question that is in effect. (In this respect, they differ from the incidental motions; cf. 6:16 and 16:2.)

#8 S17. LAY ON THE TABLE

The LAY ON THE TABLE motion is the most misused and misunderstood motion. Many use it without an urgent arise or to postpone definitely or indefinitely. Place consideration of the pending motion aside temporarily when something else of immediate urgency has occurred. To interrupt the pending business so as to permit doing something else immediately, postpone temporarily in the same meeting. A member must take the motion in LAY ON THE TABLE from the Table within the same session.

  • Some examples of urgent issues are:
    When a speaker is scheduled to speak after the pending motion, he needs to speak sooner to catch his flight.

  • When the pending motion requires valuable input from an expert in the field that is currently not in the meeting but will be there shortly before the end of meeting.

The chair must be convinced of the matter of urgency, otherwise should call the Lay on the Table motion out-of-order.

#7 S16. PREVIOUS QUESTION

Immediately Immediately to close debate and making subsidiary motions except for the motion to Lay on the Table. The PREVIOUS QUESTION motion requires two-thirds affirmative votes to pass.

#6 S15. LIMIT OR EXTEND LIMITS OF DEBATE

The subsidiary motion to Limit or Extend Limits of Debate is one of the two motions using which an assembly can exercise special control over the debate on a pending question or a series of pending questions. The other motion serving such a purpose is the Previous Question. Neither of these motions is allowed in committees; see 50. The LIMIT OR EXTEND LIMITS OF DEBATE motion requires two-thirds affirmative votes to pass.

#5 S15. Postpone Definitely

NOTES FOR POSTPONE DEFINITELY or POSTPONE TO A CERTAIN TIME

This motion allows a pending motion to postpone to a specific date or date and time. For those meetings scheduled regularly, at least once every quarter, the specified date must be within a quarter. Otherwise, the motion is out-of-order.

#4 NOTES FOR Commit or Refer to Committee

S13. COMMIT OR REFER

13:1       The subsidiary motion to Commit or Refer is generally used to send a pending question to a relatively small group of selected persons-a committee-so that the question may be carefully investigated and put into better condition for the assembly to consider.

#3 NOTES FOR AMEND

Amend is a subsidiary motion to change the wording of the pending motion. Amend motion is the most used motion of all. The particular forms of the amendment are insert (or add) a paragraph; insert (or add) words; strike out a paragraph; strike out and insert (transfer) a paragraph; strike out and insert words; strike out words; substitute.
Amend*-can apply to itself, debate if the motion is debatable.

After an amendment has been adopted, it may be amended again through reconsideration.

Amend is debatable whenever the motion to which it is applied is debatable.

#2 S11. POSTPONE INDEFINITELY

To drop the main motion without a direct vote on it

11:1     Postpone Indefinitely is a motion that the assembly decline to take a position on the main question. Its adoption kills the main motion (for the duration of the session) and avoids a direct vote on the question. It is useful in disposing of a badly chosen main motion that cannot be either adopted or expressly rejected without possibly undesirable consequences

#1 MAIN MOTIONS

S6:1     A main motion is a motion whose introduction brings business before the assembly. As already noted, a main motion can be made only when no other motion is pending, and it ranks lowest in the order of precedence of motions.

INCIDENTAL MOTIONS 

  • Relate to pending business at hand

  • Questions of procedure arising from business

  • Most become immediately pending

  • Most un-debatable.

  1. Appeal

  2. Division of Assembly

  3. Parliamentary Inquiry

  4. Point of Order

  5. Request For Information

  6. Request to Withdraw a Motion

  7. Suspend the Rules
  8. Object to the Consideration
  9. etc.

INCIDENTAL MAIN MOTIONS

An Incidental main motion is a main motion that is incidental to or relates to the business of the assembly, or its past or future action.
1. It proposes an action specifically defined under parliamentary law and described by a particular parliamentary term.
2. It does not mark the beginning of a particular involvement of the assembly in a substantive matter, as an original main motion does.
3. Made only when nothing is pending but bring business before the assembly.
4. An Incidental Main Motion is usually made orally.
An example of an incidental main motion would be the motion to:
   Ratify emergency action taken at a meeting when no quorum was present.
Other examples would be the motion to: Adopt, Ratify, Limit, Recess, etc.

BRING BACK MOTIONS

  • Rescind/Amend Something Previously Adopted. 

  • Reconsider

  • Take from the Table

  • Discharge a Committee
     With the pride of living and working over 43 years in the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) areas, I am proud to serve as your Registered Parliamentarian. Please keep me in mind should you need any parliamentary services.

Bahman Davani
Phone: 214-457-7055 
 Bahman@Parliamentary-Services.org

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