Previous question

**Previous question (RONR)**
Class	Subsidiary motion
In order when another has the floor?	No
Requires second?	Yes
Debatable?	No
May be reconsidered?	Yes, but if vote was affirmative, only before any vote has been taken under it. A negative vote on this motion can be reconsidered only until such time as progress in business or debate has made it essentially a new question.
Amendable?	No
Vote required:	Two-thirds

Previous question, in parliamentary procedure (also known as calling for the question, calling the question, close debate and other terms) is a motion to end debate, and the moving of amendments, on any debatable or amendable motion and bring that motion to an immediate vote.

Explanation and use

It is often invoked by a member saying, "I call [for] the question." In the House of Commons of the United Kingdom the Chair should respond with "The Question is, That the Question be not now put." The Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons criticized this procedure as "totally incomprehensible", and proposed in its place a simplified motion to "proceed to the next business".^[1]

Under Robert's Rules of Order, when a call for the question is made, a two-thirds vote is required to end debate. The motion for the previous question itself is not debatable.

The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure criticizes the "previous question" terminology as being confusing, and instead calls this motion the motion to close debate, the motion to vote immediately, or the motion to close debate and vote immediately.^[2] Regardless of the terminology, a two-thirds vote is required to end debate.

Instead of a motion for the previous question, the United States Senate uses a motion to limit debate, called cloture. This requires three-fifths of the total number of Senators. It does not immediately end debate on the pending question, but rather imposes strict limitations on debate.

References

↑ Conduct in the Chamber
↑ AIP; Sturgis, Alice F. (2001). The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure (4th ed. ed.). p. 235.

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