Discharge a committee

Purpose of discharging a committee

To permit an assembly to again consider a question previously given to a committee.

When is discharging a committee in order

Only when the committee has not yet made its final report to the assembly

After discharging a committee

The motion that had been put to the committee must be reintroduced, as it ceased to exist with the committee. Also, when committees cease to exist, standing committees continue to function.

Pertinent facts of discharging a committee

Discharging may not interrupt a speaker, requires a second, is debatable, is amendable in special cases such as time or outcome, requires a 2/3 vote unless previous notice of discharge was given in which case it now needs a majority vote, and only the negative vote can be reconsidered.