Motion (parliamentary procedure)


In parliamentary procedure, a motion is a formal proposal by a member of a deliberative assembly that the assembly take a particular action. These may include legislative motions, budgetary motions, supplementary budgetary motions, and petitionary motions.
The possible motions in a deliberative assembly are determined by a pre-agreed volume detailing the correct parliamentary procedure, such as Robert's Rules of Order; The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure; or Lord Citrine's The ABC of Chairmanship. Motions are used in conducting business in almost all legislative bodies worldwide, and are used in meetings of many church vestries, corporate boards, and fraternal organizations.
Motions can bring new business before the assembly or consist of numerous other proposals to take procedural steps or carry out other actions relating to a pending proposal or to the assembly itself.

Purpose

A motion is a formal proposal by a member to do something. Motions are the basis of the group decision-making process. They focus the group on what is being decided.
According to Robert's Rules, generally, a motion should be phrased in a way to take an action or express an opinion. A motion not to do something should not be offered, says Roberts, if the same result can happen without anything being done. Such a motion could result in confusion if the assembly does not want to not do it.

Process of handling motions

The process of handling motions generally involves the following steps, depending on the motion and the rules of order in use:
  1. A member obtains the floor and makes a motion.
  2. Another member seconds the motion.
  3. The chair states the motion.
  4. Members debate the motion.
  5. The chair puts the motion to a vote.
  6. The chair announces the results of the vote and what happens with the motion.

    Proposing motions

A motion is proposed by a member of the body, for the consideration of the body as a whole. Generally, 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.
Once the mover has obtained the floor, the mover states the motion, normally prefixed with the phrase "I move." For instance, at a meeting, a member may say, "I move that the group donate $5 to Wikipedia."
Instead of being given verbally, a motion may be made in writing, in which case it is called a proposed or draft resolution. If the motion is in writing, the mover says "I move the resolution at the desk" or "I move the following resolution" and then reads it.
Generally, once the motion has been proposed, consideration by the assembly occurs only if another member of the body immediately seconds the motion.
Once the chair states the motion, it becomes the property of the assembly and the mover cannot modify it or withdraw it without the assembly's consent.

Previous notice

Previous notice is an announcement that a motion will be introduced at a future meeting of a deliberative assembly. Previous notice can be given in one of two ways. A member either announces it at a meeting of the assembly, in which case the secretary is to record it in the minutes, or notifies the secretary outside of the meeting. In either case, the secretary is to include in the call of the next meeting the motion's text, often accompanied by the name of the person who intends to move it. Certain motions - specifically, the motions to adopt or amend special rules of order, rescind, repeal or annul or amend something previously adopted, amend standing rules in a convention, discharge a committee, and postpone an event or action previously scheduled - are more difficult to pass if previous notice has not been given. Often, a majority of the entire membership or a two-thirds vote is required if previous notice has not been given. This rule is intended to protect the rights of absent members. Sometimes, when moving a motion of which notice has been given, a member, instead of reading aloud the entire text, will simply say "I move the motion which stands in my name".

Classification of motions

There are different types of motions. Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised divides motions into five classes:
  1. Main motions, those that bring business before the assembly when no other motion is pending. This is the most common type of motion.
  2. Subsidiary motions, which affect the main motion being considered.
  3. Privileged motions, which are urgent matters that must be dealt with immediately, even if they interrupt pending business.
  4. Incidental motions, which relate in different ways to the business at hand.
  5. Motions that bring a matter again before the assembly.
Classes 2, 3 and 4 are collectively referred to as "".
The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure treats the fifth class as a type of main motion, under the title "Restorative Main Motions".
Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure has a similar classification of motions.
The United States Senate and House of Representatives have their own specialized motions as provided in the Standing Rules of the United States Senate and the procedures of the United States House of Representatives, respectively.
Parliaments also have their own specialized motions.
In the Parliament of India there are broadly three categories of motion:
  1. Substantive Motion
  2. Substitute Motion
  3. Subsidiary Motion, further classified into ancillary motion, superseding motion and amendment.

    Main motion

A main motion is a motion that brings business before the assembly. Main motions are made while no other motion is pending. Any of the subsidiary, incidental and privileged motions may be made while the main motion is pending, and in many cases these motions, if passed, will affect the assembly's consideration of the main motion.
When greater formality is desired, the main motion may be made in the form of a resolution, which is always submitted in writing. A preamble containing several paragraphs explaining background information or justification for the proposed action is often included, but is not required.
Normally, this is a motion that introduces a substantive question as a new subject, in which case it is also called an original main motion. Otherwise, it is an incidental main motion, examples of which are the motions to adopt recommendations of a committee, to ratify action previously taken without a quorum, to rescind an action previously taken, or to adjourn or recess while no main motion is pending. Unlike original main motions, incidental main motions cannot have an objection to the consideration of the question applied to them.

Subsidiary motion

A subsidiary motion is a type of motion by which a deliberative assembly deals directly with a main motion prior to voting on the main motion itself. Each subsidiary motion ranks higher than the main motion and lower than the privileged motions, and also yields to applicable incidental motions. Some of the subsidiary motions may also be applied to certain other subsidiary motions, incidental motions and privileged motions.
Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised recognizes seven subsidiary motions. Ranked lowest to highest in order of precedence, they are the motions to:
  1. Postpone indefinitely—to end consideration of the main motion for the balance of that session, without a direct vote on the main motion.
  2. Amend—to change the main motion. .
  3. Commit or Refer—to send the main motion and any pending subsidiary motions to a committee for consideration.
  4. Postpone to a certain time -- to delay consideration of the main motion and any pending subsidiary motions.
  5. Limit or extend limits of debate—to change limitations on number or length of speeches from those previously adopted.
  6. Previous Question—to close debate, preclude any further amendments and vote immediately.
  7. Lay on the Table—to suspend consideration of the main motion and any pending subsidiary motions to allow for immediate consideration of more urgent business.
The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure differs as follows:
A privileged motion is a motion that is granted precedence over ordinary business because it concerns matters of great importance or urgency. Such motions are not debatable, although in case of questions of privilege, the chair may feel the need to elicit relevant facts from members.
According to Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, the privileged motions are, in order of precedence:
  1. Fix the time to which to adjourn, if another question is pending.
  2. Adjourn, but not if qualified or if adjournment would dissolve the assembly.
  3. Take a recess, if another question is pending.
  4. Raise a question of privilege
  5. Call for orders of the day
The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure omits Fix the time to which to adjourn, instead providing that the motion to adjourn may be amended with regard to the time to which to adjourn. This book also omits Call for orders of the day, on the grounds that any member may raise a point of order if the scheduled order of business is not being followed.

Incidental motion

An incidental motion is a motion that relates in varying ways to the main motion and other parliamentary motions.
Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised lists the following incidental motions: appeal the decision of the chair, consideration by paragraph or seriatim, division of a question, division of the assembly, motions relating to nominations, motions relating to methods of voting and the polls, objection to the consideration of a question, point of order, request to be excused from a duty, suspend the rules, and the requests and inquiries. Most incidental motions are undebatable.
Unlike the privileged and subsidiary motions, incidental motions have no order of precedence among themselves. They take precedence over any pending question out of which they arise. Some incidental motions are only legitimately incidental at certain times or under certain conditions. For instance, the objection to the consideration of a question can only be raised before there has been any debate.