Motion
- a formal proposal by a member
of a deliberative assembly that
the assembly take certain action.
- 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
(such as postponing it to another
time) or to the assembly itself
(such as taking a recess).
Motion Procedures
- Call to Order
- Second Motions
- Debate Motions
Call to Order
- the defined start to the meeting
agenda and is usually called for
by the Chairperson,
Second Motions
- a deliberative body signifies
that at least one other person is
interested in seeing the motion
brought up for discussion at the
meeting.
- used to confirm that more than
one member of the assembly
wishes to discuss it.
- it does not necessarily signify
agreement with the motion; a
Senator may second a motion
only to secure closure on an
issue.
Step 1:
- The member who wants to
make a motion must first be
recognized by the chair of the
meeting.
Step 2:
- A member seconds the motion.
Step 3:
- The chair states the motion: “It
is moved and seconded to ... ”
Step 4:
- Members debate the motion.
Step 5:
- The chair puts the question to a
vote.
Step 6:
- Results are announced in the
final step.
After a motion is proposed, if the
motion requires a second and none
is immediately offered, the chair of
the body will usually ask, "Is there a
second?" If no second is obtained
within a few moments of proposing
the motion, then the motion is not
considered by the assembly.
Cases in which a Second is not
needed:
- In a small board or a committee.
- For motions made by direction of
a board or appointed committee.
- Once debate has begun on a
motion
- For certain procedural motions.
Withdrawal of a Second
- The motion to reconsider can
be seconded by anyone and
requires a majority to pass.
Parliamentary authorities that
discourage seconds
- Ray Keesey
- Tilson’s Manual

Debate on Motions
Debate in parliamentary procedure
refers to discussion on the merits of
a pending question; that is, whether
it should or should not be agreed to.
It is also commonly referred to as
"discussion".
Limits of the Debate
- Speech and time limits
- Modification of limits
- On the merits, not the member
- No interruption of the speaker
- Not all motions are debatable
- Chairman should not debate
Speech and time limits
- Under the rules in Robert's
Rules of Order Newly Revised,
the right of members to
participate in debate is limited to
two ten-minute speeches per day
on a question.
- Riddick's Rules of Procedure
also specifies a default limit of
ten minutes.
Modification of limits
- The group could modify the
limits of debate to suit its needs.
Modification of the speech and
time limits could be done for a
particular motion, a group of
motions, or for the meeting
through a motion to limit or
extend the limits of debate.
On the merits, not the member
- Debate on any question should
be limited to the merits of the
question.
- Debate should not be about
other members and especially
should not involve any personal
attacks.
- To keep the debate from
becoming personal, members
should address the chair instead
of each other.
No interruption of speaker
- A member speaking in debate
should not be interrupted unless
a rule is being broken or the
urgency of the situation justifies
the interruption.
Not all motions are debatable
- The debatability of motions
depends on the purpose of the
motion. For example, the
purpose of the motion to limit
debate would be defeated if this
motion itself could be debated;
therefore, the motion to limit
debate is not debatable.
Chairman should not debate
- Except in committees and small
boards, the chairman (or
whatever title the presiding
officer is called) should not
speak in debate to maintain the
impartiality required of this
position.
- This also means that the
chairman should not interrupt a
speaker so long as that person is
following the rules of the group.
Speaking Order
- The member who made the
motion is entitled to speak first
in debate. Then members are
called on the order in which they
are recognized by the chair,
although members who have not
spoken yet get preference over
those who have.
- If possible, the chair alternates
between someone in favor and
someone against the motion
Closing Debate
- A member can make a motion
to close debate immediately.
- Debate is automatically closed
when no one else wants to speak
on the motion.