Request to be excused from a duty

Explanation and Use

**Request to be excused from a duty (RONR)**
Class	Incidental motion
In order when another has the floor?	Yes
Requires second?	Yes, if motion is made by member to be excused, no, if made by another member
Debatable?	Yes
May be reconsidered?	Negative vote only
Amendable?	Yes
Vote required:	Majority

Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised

The motion to request to be excused from a duty is used when a member of a deliberative assembly wishes to be excused from, for instance, attending a certain number of meetings, preparing talks or papers, serving on committees, etc. A non-compulsory duty can be declined at the time the member is named to it (or first learns of it) but if he remains silent, he is regarded as accepting. At that point, if the member is unable or unwilling to discharge the duty, he generally submits a resignation in writing to the secretary or appointing power, and the chair assumes a motion that the resignation be accepted. Unlike the requests and inquiries, this motion is debatable and amendable.^[1]

References

↑ Robert, Henry M. (2000). Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, 10th ed., p. 277–279

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