Comprehensive Notes on Parliamentary Motions

Parliamentary Motions

Table of Most Frequently Used Parliamentary Motions

This table adapts parliamentary motions for use in NFL Student Congresses, categorizing them by type, purpose, second requirement, debatability, amendability, required vote, and whether they may interrupt a speaker.

Privileged Motions

• 24. Fix Time for Reassembling:

  • Purpose: To arrange the time of the next meeting.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: No
  • Amendable: Yes
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 23. Adjourn:

  • Purpose: To dismiss the meeting.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: No
  • Amendable: No
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 22. To Recess:

  • Purpose: To dismiss the meeting for a specific length of time.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: No
  • Amendable: Yes
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 21. Rise to a Question of Privilege:

  • Purpose: To make a personal request during debate.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: No
  • Amendable: No
  • Required Vote: Decision of the Chair
  • Interrupts Speaker: Yes

• 20. Call for the Orders of the Day:

  • Purpose: To force consideration of a postponed motion.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: No
  • Amendable: No
  • Required Vote: Decision of the Chair
  • Interrupts Speaker: Yes

Incidental Motions

• 19. Appeal a Decision of the Chair:

  • Purpose: To reverse the decision of the chairman.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: Yes
  • Amendable: No
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 18. Rise to a Point of Order or Parliamentary Procedure:

  • Purpose: To correct a parliamentary error or ask a question.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: No
  • Amendable: No
  • Required Vote: Decision of the Chair
  • Interrupts Speaker: Yes

• 17. Division of the Chamber:

  • Purpose: To verify a voice vote.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: No
  • Amendable: No
  • Required Vote: Decision of Chair
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 16. Object to the Consideration of a Question:

  • Purpose: To suppress action.
  • Second Required: 1/3
  • Debatable: No
  • Amendable: No
  • Required Vote: 2/3
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 15. To Divide a Motion:

  • Purpose: To consider its parts separately.
  • Second Required: 1/3
  • Debatable: No
  • Amendable: Yes
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 14. Leave to Modify or Withdraw a Motion:

  • Purpose: To modify or withdraw a motion.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: No
  • Amendable: No
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 13. To Suspend the Rules:

  • Purpose: To take action contrary to standing rules.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: No
  • Amendable: No
  • Required Vote: 2/3
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 12. To Rescind:

  • Purpose: To repeal previous action.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: Yes
  • Amendable: Yes
  • Required Vote: 2/3
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 11. To Reconsider:

  • Purpose: To consider a defeated motion again.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: Yes
  • Amendable: No
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 10. To Take from the Table:

  • Purpose: To consider a tabled motion.
  • Second Required: No
  • Debatable: No
  • Amendable: No
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

Subsidiary Motions

• 9. To Lay on the Table:

  • Purpose: To defer action.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: No
  • Amendable: No
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 8. Previous Question:

  • Purpose: To force an immediate vote.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: No
  • Amendable: No
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 7. To Limit or Extend Debate:

  • Purpose: To modify freedom of debate.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: No
  • Amendable: Yes
  • Required Vote: 2/3
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 6. To Postpone to a Certain Time:

  • Purpose: To defer action.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: Yes
  • Amendable: Yes
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 5. To Refer to a Committee:

  • Purpose: For further study.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: Yes
  • Amendable: Yes
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No
  • Should Include:
    1. How Appointed?
    2. The Number
    3. Report When? or To What Standing Committee

• 4. To Amend an Amendment:

  • Purpose: To modify an amendment.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: Yes-T
  • Amendable: Yes
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No
  • Amendments by:
    1. Adding (Inserting)
    2. Striking Out (Deleting)
    3. Substituting

• 3. To Amend:

  • Purpose: To modify a motion.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: Yes-T
  • Amendable: Yes
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No
  • Amendments by:
    1. Adding (Inserting)
    2. Striking Out (Deleting)
    3. Substituting

Main Motions

• 2. To Postpone Indefinitely:

  • Purpose: To suppress action.
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: Yes
  • Amendable: No
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

• 1. Main Motion:

  • Purpose: To introduce a business
  • Second Required: Yes
  • Debatable: Yes
  • Amendable: Yes
  • Required Vote: Majority
  • Interrupts Speaker: No

Note:

• "Yes-T" indicates that the motion is debatable, but with limited debate time.
• The form for amendments can be found on page SCM-19.