ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER

ACADEMIC SENATE, SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY

As prepared from material supplied by Robert D. Kully to the Academic Senate, California State University, Los Angeles and averred by him to be correct

CHART OF MOTIONS

PRIVILEGED MOTIONS (ORDER OF PRECEDENCE)

MOTION	APPLIES TO WHAT MOTIONS	INTERRUPT SPEAKER	NEEDS SECOND	AMENDABLE	DEBATABLE	CAN BE RECONSIDERED	REQUIRED VOTE
1. Fix time to which to adjourn	none	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	majority
2. To adjourn	none	no	yes	no	no	no	majority
3. To recess	none	no	yes	yes	no	no	majority
4. Question of Privilege	none	yes	no	no	no	no	Chair
5. Call for the orders of the day	none	yes	no	no	no	no	Chair

SUBSIDIARY MOTIONS (ORDER OF PREFERENCE)

MOTION	APPLIES TO WHAT MOTIONS	INTERRUPT SPEAKER	NEEDS SECOND	AMENDABLE	DEBATABLE	CAN BE RECONSIDERED	REQUIRED VOTE
6. To table	Main; amendments	no	yes	no	no	no	majority
7. Order previous question (close debate)	Any debatable question	no	yes	no	no	yes	2/3
8. Extend or limit debate	Any debatable question	no	yes	yes	no	yes	2/3
9. Postpone to a definite time	Pending question	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	majority
10. Refer (commit) to committee	Main; amendments	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	majority
11. Amend	Any motion; if in order	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	majority
12. Postpone indefinitely	Main motion	no	yes	no	yes	no	majority

INCIDENTAL MOTIONS (NO ORDER OF PRECEDENCE)

MOTION	APPLIES TO WHAT MOTIONS	INTERRUPT	NEEDS SECOND	AMENDABLE	DEBATABLE	CAN BE RECONSIDERED	REQUIRED VOTE
13. Point of order	Any error	yes	no	no	no	no	Chair
14. Appeal	Decision of Chair	yes	yes	no	yes	yes	majority
15. Object to consideration	Main; Privileged	yes	no	no	no	yes	2/3
16. Withdrawal of a motion	All	no	no	no	no	yes	Chair/majority
17. Suspend rules	Any situation	no	yes	no	no	no	2/3
18. Divide question	Main; amendments	no	yes	yes	no	no	majority
19. To make nominations	Elections	no	no	no	no	no	majority
20. Nominations	Elections	no	yes	yes	no	yes	majority
21. Voting	Elections	no	yes	yes	no	yes	majority
22. Parliamentary inquiry	No motion	yes	no	no	no	no	Chair
23. Divide the assembly	Any vote	yes	no	no	no	no	none
24. Point of information	No motion	yes	no	no	no	no	no vote
25. Committee of the whole	Any situation	no	yes	no	yes	no	majority

MAIN MOTIONS (NO ORDER OF PRECEDENCE)

MOTION	APPLIES TO WHAT MOTIONS	INTERRUPT	NEEDS SECOND	AMENDABLE	DEBATABLE	CAN BE RECONSIDERED	REQUIRED VOTE
26. Main motion	--	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	majority
27. Reconsider	Main; amendments	no	yes	no	no	no	majority
28. Rescind (repeal)	Action taken	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	majority/2/3
29. Take from the table	Motion tables	no	yes	no	no	no	majority
30. Special order of business	Pending motion	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	2/3

The following notes are commentary and additional information regarding the accompanying chart of motions provided by Robert D. Kully.

1. May be used to arranged for a special meeting. It is a required motion for an organization without a regular time and place for assembly. Not debatable if a question is pending and no other meeting is scheduled for the same or next day.

2. To adjourn means to close the meeting. In a group that meets regularly, this motion causes the business to come up before next meeting as unfinished business.

3. Amendable only as to length of recess, and debatable if moved while no business is pending.

4. Permits a request relating to the rights and privileges of the assembly or any of its members. Majority vote needed only if there is an objection to the Chair's decision.

5. Must be enforced on demand unless set aside by a two-thirds vote.

6. Enables the assembly to lay the pending question aside temporarily. These require (later) a motion to "Take from the table."

7. If decision is affirmative, vote is taken first on amendments, and then on the main motion. Previous question may be limited to amendments only. In such cases, it affects only the amendment to which it applies. This still allows debate on the main motion.

8. Motion sets hour for closing debate, limits length of debate, sets time for speeches. Or, it can allow more and longer speeches.

9. Allows time for further study. Debate must be confined to its merits only.

10. Used to send pending question to a small group for careful investigation. Debate can extend only to the desirability of committing the main question and to the appropriate details of the motion to commit and not to the merits of the main question.

11. An amendment must be germane to be in order. To be germane, an amendment must in some way involve the same question that is raised by the motion to which it is applied. A secondary amendment must relate to the primary amendment in the same way. An amendment cannot introduce an independent question; but an amendment can be hostile to, or even defeat, the spirit of the original motion and still be germane. An amendment of the third degree is not permitted. The motion to amend is debatable whenever the motion to which it is applied is debatable. Requires a majority vote, even in cases where the question to be amended takes a two-thirds vote for adoption. A motion to amend by striking out an entire paragraph, section, article, main motion or resolution and inserting a different paragraph or other unit is called a...