Robert’s Rules of Order subsidiary motions play an important role in ensuring meetings flow smoothly. Organizations, including homeowners associations, would benefit from understanding these motions and the forms they come in.
What Are Robert’s Rules of Order Subsidiary Motions?
As per Robert’s Rules of Order, a subsidiary motion is a category of motions that manage or deal with the main motion. These motions help shape or influence the discussion and decision-making process related to the main motion.
Here are the types of Robert’s Rules of Order subsidiary motions.
1. Postpone Indefinitely
- Purpose: To stop discussing the main motion during the meeting without directly voting on it.
- Requires a second.
- Cannot be amended, but members can make changes to the main motion while this motion is being discussed.
- Open to debate, and the debate can focus on the main motion.
- Needs a majority vote to be approved.
- Members can only reconsider if they voted in favor initially.
- Outcome: Temporarily sets aside the main motion for the duration of the session.
The motion to postpone indefinitely is the least important among the subsidiary motions. This implies that members can suggest a more important motion while this one is being discussed. Moreover, the main motion can be changed, sent to a committee, delayed to a specific time, or set aside for later consideration.
If the main motion is referred to a committee while postponing indefinitely is under consideration, the motion to postpone indefinitely doesn’t go to the committee with the main motion. Referring the motion to a committee indicates that members don’t want to discard it; they want to explore it further.
Members can end, restrict, or extend discussion on postponing indefinitely without impacting the main motion.
2. Amend
- Purpose: To modify the current motion before any action is taken; suggested changes must be relevant to the main motion.
- Requires a second.
- Open to amendments, but any secondary amendment must relate to the primary one.
- Debatable. Discussion is limited to the amendment.
- Majority vote needed for approval. When amending a motion or document requiring a two-thirds vote for adoption, the proposed amendment only needs a majority vote.
- Subject to reconsideration.
- Outcome: If accepted, the suggested modification is incorporated into the current motion.
To amend a main motion, there are four ways:
- Insert words within a motion.
- Add words at the end of a motion.
- Strike out words.
- Strike out and insert words.
Anyone can suggest changes to a motion by making a motion to amend. The proposed amendment must be related to the main motion. In formal meetings, it can’t introduce entirely new topics. Members can vote to decide if there’s uncertainty about whether an amendment is related.
An amendment can oppose the main motion but still be related. Additionally, amendments can be modified. The first change is called a primary amendment, affecting the main motion. Any further changes to this primary amendment are secondary, only related to the primary one.
Secondary amendments must be relevant, require a second, and can be discussed. However, amendments beyond this secondary level are not allowed. Only one set of primary and secondary amendments can be considered simultaneously.
3. Refer to a Committee
- Purpose: Assign a small group to look into a proposal.
- Needs a second.
- Any detail in the motion can be changed.
- Debatable. Discussion focuses on the benefits of sending the motion to a committee.
- Majority vote needed for approval.
- Reconsideration possible if the committee hasn’t begun its investigation.
- Outcome: If approved, the motion is handed over to the committee for review and won’t come back to the assembly until the committee has a report or an agreed-upon time for reporting.
This aims to gather information by assigning the pending motion to a small group of selected members for investigation. When proposing this motion, specify the committee’s name, tasks, and the deadline for reporting back to the membership. Failing to set a reporting date may lead to the motion languishing in the committee without progress.
4. Committee (or Quasi-Committee) of the Whole
- Purpose: Transform a large (or medium-sized) assembly into a committee for collective action.
- Needs a second.
- Amendable.
- Debatable.
- Majority vote required to adopt.
- The negative can be reconsidered. The affirmative can be reconsidered only until the assembly goes into committee of the whole.
- Outcome: If adopted, the assembly becomes the committee, treating the motion referred to it similarly to how a standard committee conducts its work.
This variation of “refer to a committee” allows a large assembly to function as a committee of the whole. The benefit is that members can speak multiple times on an issue. However, any actions taken by the committee of the whole are recommendations, not final decisions.
The presiding officer appoints the chair of the committee of the whole, and the secretary records its proceedings. In very large assemblies, an assistant secretary may be appointed. When voting, members cannot reconsider because the vote is only a recommendation. The committee chair reports to the assembly, which can then discuss and vote on the recommendations.
A similar motion for medium-size assemblies is the “quasi-committee of the whole.” In this form, the presiding officer remains in the chair, and the secretary records votes and recommendations. The chair reports decisions to the regular assembly for consideration unless a member moves to discharge the subject from further consideration.
5. Consider Informally
- Purpose: Allow the assembly to engage in an informal discussion.
- Needs a second.
- Debatable.
- Majority vote needed to adopt.
- Only the negative vote can be reconsidered.
- Outcome: If approved, this motion lets the assembly function as a committee. It removes restrictions on debating the main motion and any proposed amendments. Other motions follow regular debate rules. A two-thirds vote can limit speech length or number or close debate.
The motion to consider informally is similar to referring to a committee but is used in assemblies with fewer than 50 members. Informal consideration removes debate limits, allowing members to speak more freely. The regular presiding officer remains in charge, and no separate committee is formed. Votes taken during informal consideration are final decisions and not voted on again.
To conclude informal consideration, a member may move to consider the question formally, which requires a majority vote. Once the motion is temporarily or finally disposed of, informal consideration ends, and the business conducted is recorded in the meeting minutes.
6. Postpone to a Certain Time
- Purpose: To delay making a decision.
- Needs a second.
- The time element can be changed.
- Debatable, focusing on the reasons for postponing.
- Majority vote needed for adoption.
- Can be reconsidered.
- Outcome: Discussion and decision are postponed in the meeting. If postponed to the next meeting, the motion comes up under general orders and unfinished business.
The motion to postpone is subject to certain time constraints. A motion cannot be postponed beyond a quarterly time interval or the next regular business meeting, whichever occurs first. It’s important to note that members cannot use the motion to postpone to eliminate a motion. Upon the approval of the motion to postpone to the next meeting, the motion in question will be included in the agenda under unfinished business and general orders.
7. Postpone to a Certain Time Made into a Special Order
- Purpose: Set a specific time for discussing a motion.
- Needs a second.
- Debatable.
- Time is changeable.
- Requires a two-thirds vote to adopt.
- Can be reconsidered.
- Outcome: If adopted, this motion ensures the discussion of a motion at the specified time, even if other business is pending. (If members don’t want to discuss it, then they can set aside the special order.)
Members may perform this motion by saying, “I move to postpone the motion to the next meeting and make it a special order for 2 p.m.”
8. Limit or Extend the Limits of Debate
- Purpose: Control the duration of the debate and the frequency of individual speeches or set a time limit for a specific motion (e.g., limiting the entire debate to 30 minutes).
- Requires a second.
- Time element is changeable.
- Not debatable.
- Requires a two-thirds vote to adopt.
- Only an affirmative vote may be under reconsideration without debate before time runs out. If partly done, reconsideration must happen within the remaining time.
- If the motion is voted down, it can be proposed again after some progress in the debate.
- Outcome: Alters the regular rules of debate.
In assemblies without specific rules, a member can speak twice for up to 10 minutes on a motion. A member can propose a motion to extend or limit the debate to change these limits.
Conventions may already have set rules on discussion times. In such cases, a member can move to extend these limits when it’s time to move on to the next agenda item. A two-thirds vote is required to adopt this motion as it affects the rights of individual members.
9. Previous Question (Close Debate)
- Purpose: Halt discussion and promptly proceed to voting.
- Requires a second.
- Not open to amendments.
- No debate allowed.
- Demands a two-thirds majority to pass.
- Can be reconsidered without debate until the vote on the motion in discussion is taken. If rejected, it can be proposed again after some progress in the debate.
- Outcome: If approved, members vote on the current motion without further discussion. If applied to all pending motions, a collective vote is taken on all of them.
A member must propose the previous question to end a discussion, requiring a two-thirds vote. Shouting “Question!” does not automatically stop the debate. Instead, it must be formally moved and approved by members. This motion is used when a member finds the discussion lengthy and wants to proceed to a vote for efficiency swiftly.
10. Lay on the Table
- Purpose: Temporarily set aside the main motion for an urgent matter without intending to end or postpone it.
- Needs a second.
- Not amendable.
- Not debatable.
- Requires a majority to adopt.
- Cannot be reconsidered. If adopted, members can later resume the main motion and its adhering motions from the table. If defeated, it can be proposed again after further debate when another urgent matter arises.
- Outcome: If adopted, this motion temporarily puts the main motion and its adhering motions on hold, waiting for someone to propose taking them from the table.
The motion “lay on the table” is often misused in meetings, with members either using it to kill a motion or to postpone it. When adopted, it allows members to stop considering the motion without debate immediately. However, it also takes away the right to debate with a simple majority vote instead of a two-thirds vote.
If a motion is laid on the table, and the meeting adjourns before it’s taken from the table, it won’t automatically appear on the agenda for the next meeting. Members have to actively bring it back from the table in the next meeting. This motion is meant for urgent situations only.
If a member doesn’t state the reason for making the motion, the chair should ask for clarification. If it’s clear that the member wants to kill the motion, the chair may rule it out of order and suggest using “postpone the motion indefinitely” instead, if applicable.
Members should state their reasons for making this motion. They can’t table a motion and then propose another conflicting motion. If the motion is misused, the chair should rule it out of order and explain the correct procedure. If the chair doesn’t do this, a member can raise a point of order to clarify the proper procedure.
When a main motion is laid on the table, all subsidiary motions go to the table. The motion is recorded in the minutes but not automatically added to the agenda. Members must remember to make the motion “take from the table” if they want to return it. It dies if a motion remains on the table without being taken off by the next meeting. A member then has to reintroduce it as a new main motion.
Robert’s Rules of Order Subsidiary Motions Explained
Understanding Robert’s Rules of Order subsidiary motions is crucial for effective and efficient decision-making in meetings. They play a key role in managing the flow of discussion, amending proposals, and controlling the pace of decision-making. Many HOA boards, though, don’t know the first thing about them.
