Motion (parliamentary procedure)

In parliamentary procedure, a motion is a formal proposal by a member of a deliberative assembly that the assembly take certain action.^[1] In a parliament, this is also called a parliamentary motion and includes legislative motions, budgetary motions, supplementary budgetary motions, and petitionary motions. These can bring new business before the assembly or consist of numerous other proposals to take procedural steps or carry out other actions relating either to a pending motion or the body itself.

Classification of motions

Robert's Rules of Order divide motions into five classes:^[2]

Main motions, those that bring business before the assembly when no other motion is pending.
Subsidiary motions, which affect the main motion being considered.
Incidental motions, which affect rules and procedures that are not specifically tied to a particular main motion.
Privileged motions, which are urgent matters that must be dealt with immediately, even if they interrupt pending business.
Motions that bring a matter again before the assembly.

Classes 2, 3 and 4 are collectively referred to as "secondary motions".^[1]

The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure treats the fifth class as a type of main motion, under the title "Restorative Main Motions".^[3]

Proposing motions

A motion is proposed by a member of the body, for the consideration of the body as a whole. With the exception of certain incidental and privileged motions, the person making the motion, known as the mover, must first be recognized by the chairman as being entitled to speak; this is known as obtaining the floor.^[4]

Once the mover has obtained the floor, the mover states the motion, normally prefixed with the phrase "I move." For instance, at a meeting of the board of directors of a corporation, a director may state "I move that the corporation delay the launch of the new product from April to July." If the motion was in writing, the mover would say "I move the resolution at the desk" or "I move the following resolution" and would then read it. Generally, once the motion has been proposed, consideration by the assembly occurs only if another member of the body immediately seconds the motion.

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 Robert, Henry M. (2000). Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, 10th ed., p. 26
↑ RONR, p. 56
↑ Sturgis, Alice (2001). The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure, 4th ed., p. 36
↑ RONR, p. 32

Parliamentary procedure

Major concepts	Deliberative assembly Motions Main motion Quorum Session Chair Committee Committee of the whole Dilatory motions and tactics Minutes Second History of parliamentary procedure Principles of parliamentary procedure Voting methods in deliberative assemblies Floor

Subsidiary motions	Postpone indefinitely Amend Commit Postpone to a certain time Limit or extend limits of debate Previous question Cloture Lay upon the table Place upon the table

Privileged motions	Call for the orders of the day Raise a question of privilege Recess Adjourn Fix the time to which to adjourn

Incidental motions	Point of order Appeal Suspend the rules Objection to the consideration of a question Division of a question Consideration by paragraph or seriatim Division of the assembly Motions relating to methods of voting and the polls Motions relating to nominations

Incidental motions (Requests and inquiries)	Parliamentary inquiry Point of information Request for permission to withdraw or modify a motion Request to read papers Request to be excused from a duty Request for any other privilege

Motions that bring a question again before the assembly	Take from the table Rescind, repeal, annul or amend something previously adopted Discharge a committee Reconsider

Legislative procedure	Call of the house Hastert Rule Hoist Motion to pass on

Disciplinary procedures	Censure Declare the chair vacant Impeach Naming

Parliamentary authorities	Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR) The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure (TSC or Sturgis) Demeter's Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure Riddick's Rules of Procedure Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice Bourinot's Rules of Order Beauchesne's Parliamentary Rules and Forms Morin code

Motion (parliamentary procedure)

Classification of motions

Proposing motions

See also

References