The possible motions in a deliberative assembly are determined by a pre-agreed volume detailing the correct parliamentary procedure, such as Robert's Rules of Order; The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure; or Lord Citrine's The ABC of Chairmanship.
Motions are used in conducting business in almost all legislative bodies worldwide, and are used in meetings of many church vestries, corporate boards, and fraternal organizations.
According to Robert's Rules, generally, a motion should be phrased in a way to take an action or express an opinion.
Generally, the person making the motion, known as the mover, must first be recognized by the chairman as being entitled to speak; this is known as obtaining the floor.
Instead of being given verbally, a motion may be made in writing, in which case it is called a proposed or draft resolution.
[9] Previous notice is an announcement that a motion will be introduced at a future meeting of a deliberative assembly.
In either case, the secretary is to include in the call of the next meeting the motion's text, often accompanied by the name of the person who intends to move it.
When greater formality is desired, the main motion may be made in the form of a resolution, which is always submitted in writing.
[25] A preamble containing several paragraphs explaining background information or justification for the proposed action is often included, but is not required.
Such motions are not debatable, although in case of questions of privilege, the chair may feel the need to elicit relevant facts from members.
Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised groups four motions under the classification name of "Motions that bring a question again before the assembly", because by their adoption or by their introduction, they serve the function described by the name of the class:[15] Take from the table, Rescind or amend something previously adopted, Discharge a committee, and Reconsider.
[43] Another parliamentary maneuver, which has been used in the United States Senate, is the so-called "nuclear option" in which a majority sidesteps the two-thirds vote requirement to suspend the rules by raising a point of order in favor of their favored interpretation of the rules, followed by an appeal in which the interpretation is then imposed by a majority vote.
For instance, a motion to refer (commit) a resolution to a committee is dilatory if its object would be defeated by the delay in taking action.
[47] Likewise, a motion for a division of the assembly is dilatory if the results of the voice vote are already clear to any reasonable person.
[48] The repetitive use of privileged motions can also be dilatory, such as repeatedly moving to adjourn when it has been voted down and nothing indicates that the assembly wants to end the meeting.
[49] A presiding officer has a duty to protect the assembly from the abuse of parliamentary processes for dilatory purposes.
[50] In legislative bodies, dilatory motions can take the form of demanding quorum calls and votes at every opportunity.
The problem of dilatory tactics in such bodies dates back to the beginnings of parliamentary procedure in England and the United States.
[citation needed] Jefferson's Manual, for instance, only requires the Speaker to direct a bill to be read upon the desire of any member "if the request is really for information and not for delay.
[53] According to Sarah Binder, in the 46th United States Congress, motions to adjourn consumed 23 percent of all floor votes.
[24] Jeremy Bentham held that such types of dilatory motions are useful, stating, "Precipitation may arise from two causes: from ignorance, when a judgment is formed without the collection of all the information required—from passion, when there is not the necessary calm for considering the question in all its aspects.
[57] Over the past 400 years, various rules have evolved by precedent to allow and manage renewal of motions under specific circumstances.
Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised provides exceptions to non-renewal through the motions to Reconsider, Rescind, or Amend Something Previously Adopted.
Renewals in the form of a rescission of a resolution made in earlier sessions is not prohibited by the practice of the House of Commons, but is seldom done.
Technically it is regarded as a new question: the form being to read the previous resolution of the House and to move that it be rescinded.
Thereafter, if the Government (which is in charge of parliamentary business) decides to allow debate on that motion to be held, and to set a day on which such debate will be held, the motion's text will appear on that day's Order Paper, next to the name of the Member who intends to move it.
At the beginning of the sitting, the Presiding Officer shall call on the Member whose name is the first to appear on the Order Paper to move his or her motion.